The Infinite

Author: Patience Agbabi
Publisher: Canongate Books
Details: 272pp; £6.99
ISBN: 978-1786899651

Teacher review

Children’s books with a female lead character continue to be underrepresented. And a lead female black character is as rare as the Leaplings we learn about during this intriguing adventure across time. 

In The Infinite, we meet Elle, a young girl with a love for running, and a variety of challenges in her life. As a teacher, you can instantly relate to and empathise with her. We all know a child like Elle, and how difficult life can be for them. 

The author, Patience Agbabi, takes the reader on a fascinating journey, with twists and turns along the way, which will keep children turning the pages. 

I particularly enjoyed the originality of The Infinite, and look forward to reading subsequent books in The Leap Cycle series.

Dan Fuge is a Year 4 teacher at Tabuk Primary School, Saudi Arabia

Pupil reviews

‘Different people have different problems to solve’

I liked this book because I would love to time travel and I like to meet new people in my life. 

This book has many different people with many different feelings, but they all understand each other in different ways. Also, the author has thought how the future may be different from our life now. 

I liked that most of the characters have palindromes as their names so it was a different book but amazing.

This book shows that some people do not live with their parents, but live with other family members, like grandparents or friends. And different people have different problems to solve. 

I recommend this book for readers aged 10 years and above who like to read and enjoy a different type of story. I rate this book four stars out of five.

Amelia A, age 11

‘I was expecting time-travelling heroes and I wasn’t disappointed’

Just by looking at the cover of the book, I knew it would be amazing: I was expecting time-travelling heroes and I wasn’t disappointed. 

I like how the main character can time travel to the year 2100, even if it’s a glitch year. It’s thought-provoking and exciting. 

I like to imagine I’m Elle, and wish I could time travel, too. In fact, I like all the characters because they are funny, clever and courageous.

The story was a real page-turner, however there was a downside. The only thing I didn’t like was that in almost every chapter I had to read half a page before I knew where Elle was, which I found confusing. Otherwise, it was entertaining and wonderful.

Overall, I rate this marvellous book four-and-a-half stars.

Gabe CM, age 8

‘I would love to go into the book’

The book is very good and is very exciting. I love how they travel through time and they all have special birthdays on 29 February. 

I like the way the character Elle is, and how her passion is to be in the Olympics and be a runner. I like the way she describes the chalets, and I would love to go into the book. 

I wish I could go on a mission like they have. It looks so cool to be a Leapling. I love the book. 

I recommend it to people who love mission and time-travel books. I rate it four and a half stars.

Harriet A, age 10

‘I felt as if I were seeing it, not reading it’

I loved this book. It was so adventurous, and I felt as if I were seeing it, not reading it. 

My favourite character was MC2 because he is a pro at his job and does it in style. My favourite parts of the book were the cliffhangers because they left me hanging on to every word. 

I did not like the beginning as much, and how it overwhelms you with information, and how not a lot of it is explained for a long time. But I loved everything else about the book. 

If The Infinite is made into a movie, I would love to watch it. I would recommend this book to people who love a good, enthralling action story.

Charlie W, age 11

‘I was a little confused at the start’

Elle goes on a trip in 2048 to find missing Leaplings. I like how the book slowly builds on details. 

I was a little confused when you are jumped into an unknown moment, at an unknown section of time and an unknown location. I started to understand what was happening around the fourth chapter.

I would recommend the book to anyone who likes action and heist stories. I think this book is suitable for age 9 or older.

I rate this book four out of five stars because I really enjoyed the story and I thought it had some good twists.

Ethan M, age 10