The Infinite Noise

The Bright Sessions is a podcast that starts as different characters being in therapy with Dr. Bright, a psychiatrist that specializes in people with superhuman or inhuman abilities that are all psychic in nature. You're basically a fly on the wall for the sessions. However, as the podcasts progresses, you start to hear more scenes outside of the office in these characters' day to day interactions and how their abilities hinder or not their normal lives. As a longtime fan of things like X-Men, this was a really interesting and fun podcast to listen to.
This book takes place alongside the first season of the podcast but focuses on Caleb as his ability starts to manifest in high school (a little later than typical of X-Men, which usually has the tipping point at puberty). He gets in trouble at school because he's an empath and the constant barrage of other hormonal teens' emotions has had him on edge, where he finally breaks and punches another student. As part of his punishment, he also has to attend therapy sessions. It's not really explained how his parents picked Dr. Bright but it's a “happy accident” that she's the perfect psychiatrist to help him with his unique problem. Caleb, despite being written as a pretty typical jock, is actually a really lovable and kind character. It could stem from his empathy but I don't believe that would overwrite his personality entirely. Caleb and Adam together are super cute as well. Adam is a normal teenager but has a real problem battling depression and self-harm. He doesn't seem to go to therapy even with neuroscience parents and a past suicide attempt (though he mentions having been in group therapy as part of the recovery) which I thought was strange. We read that he's not hurting himself often now and he's putting on a front for his parents to satisfy them, but it seems really unhealthy that he's basically lying to everyone. As Caleb is an empath, he of course can sense it immediately, but doesn't seem to actually help Adam that much either using outside resources.
So while I enjoyed the book immensely, I think it still had some head scratch moments when it comes to how it handles and details mental health problems and solutions. You definitely have to keep in mind that this is fiction and written by a screenwriter, not a doctor.

I'm kind of bummed with myself for waiting so long to read this, I even had an ARC I won in late 2019 I just never got around to reading. But maybe I was doing myself a favour because I was able to continue right into the sequel which has already sucked me in.

Note: It's hard to tell if you need to be a fan of the podcast before or not but as I was* I think that did add a bit to it for me. This book is written from a different character's point of view with some of the same scenes showing towards the latter part of the book but from that different perspective, but depending on how much of the podcast you've listened to, you have some insight into the questions non-listeners are going to have as they read. I would suggest listening to at least the first season or so first, just because all of that was written before the book but takes place at the same time.
*I kind of stopped listening sometime in 2019 when I went off of drama podcasts but it's sat in my subscriptions updating and waiting for my return.

I hadn't heard of or listened to the podcast this book is based off of so this review won't stem from that.
This book wasn't what I was expecting but it was good nonetheless. You read teenagers with powers so you're thinking perhaps some action will be involved..and you'd be thinking wrong. But, I repeat, that's not a bad thing in this case.
Being a teenager is hard. Being a teenager in high school is hard. Being a teenager in high school and finding out you have powers is crazy and hard. Being a teenager in high school and finding out your superpower is to sense others emotions around you is beyond bananas. Teenagers are nothing if not rockets of emotions from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. I haven't been a teenager for some time but I remember..oh I remember. lol
I love that Caleb went to therapy and wasn't sent of somewhere instead. It showed his struggle between finding out which were his own feelings and which were not.
I like that it wasn't just Caleb's POV but Adam's as well. His chapters bought a nice balance to Calebs.
A story about two young boys finding their way to each other...and I enjoyed it. Even though it was a tad slow. That's why a four star instead of five. It was missing a bit of something.
Nevertheless, a book i feel should be read especially by the teenagey folk.

It felt intense.