The Comet's Curse

Confession time: When I was younger (okay, not that much younger) I thought about decorating my bedroom to look like the berth compartment of a moderately nice space liner. (That really doesn't pertain to the review, but I felt that was something about me you should know before I review this book about teenagers in space.)

Samples collected from the atmosphere during the pass through the comet's tail revealed microscopic particles unlike anything ever seen before. Something in the gaseous exhaust of Bahaktul had contaminated the planet, and its effect on human beings was fast...and fatal.

I actually found the basis for the plot quite frightening. (And not good for the part of my brain that obsesses over mortality.)

If you were older than eighteen, Bhaktul was coming for you.

Instead of eighteen signifying becoming an adult, it was basically a death sentence. And, I really think this book handled it beautifully.

First you need to know that the story starts with the launch of the Galahad - at least once the wisecracking AI gets done introducing himself. From there, the story is mostly told in rotating chapters with things in the past like how the plague spread and how the Galahad was commissioned and the ‘current' storyline of the teens aboard the Galahad. By the time the book ends, the two storylines have caught up with each other, so I'm really curious to see if something like this continues in the next book.

I love the way that's done because it doesn't give you a big block of background information to wade through to get to the point that we all know is going to happen from the synopsis - the launch. Also, each chapter kind of ties to the next one where neither the past nor the present chapters are totally disconnected from the others.

”[...]To doom the race to living out its existence in small, cramped domes would be brutal[...]”

This book know what story it's telling - and it's not a happy one. This is a story about the death of the human race as we know it. But...

“So, I will never say that this is ‘hopeless.' It's anything but hopeless, Tyler. It's the embodiment of hope.”

This is science fiction the way I dream it all would be: sounds depressing, but with a shiny, golden strand of hope that lights everything up.

Not enough of a reason to read the book? How about this:

Diversity!

There is a five member ‘council' aboard this ship. They're kind of the leader's (also a member of the council) advisors and heads of departments.

Well, of those five teens, we have one originally from China, one from Mexico, one from Sweden and one black from Britain as well as one white from the States. Of these five people, three are girls, two are boys. (There's also quite a few other nationalities mentioned: Japanese, Indian and Italian that I specifically remember.)

The characters are all different, but we haven't really delved into their personalities thoroughly yet. I'm very much looking forward to getting to, I tell you. And I also want to know if the rather abrasive, blunt Swede stays my favorite.

(Originally posted on my blog: http://pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com/)

I feel the need to have a slight fan girl moment. I've always been a big fan of the science fiction genre. The sad part is that it's tough to find younger aged science fiction that is appropriate but doesn't speak down to its fans. This, my friends, is great young adult science fiction. It is young adult science fiction that is engaging, unique, and so well written! I had only just picked up The Comet's Curse to skim the first page, and I found myself completely enthralled. A little over an hour later I set the book down and finally had a chance to breathe. Let me tell you, Dom Testa has my heart now.

Now that I have that out of my system, let's talk about the book. The Comet's Curse shows us a world that is suffering in the aftermath of a deadly virus. What's different about this story is that no human engineered this virus, nor was it a result of animals. No, it is a simple comet that has brought about the end of mankind. As the story opens, scientists are scurrying to find a way to preserve what is left of the population (the teenagers) before they too meet an untimely end. If that isn't a great way to start a book that will keep your interest, I don't know what is. Unless of course you add in the fact that the plan is to send these teens into space. Now do I have your attention?

What I loved most about this book, truly, was the characters. Each one of them was so real and deep. Dom Testa allows his characters minds of their own and, love them or hate them, the characters in this book act and think like real teens would. Triana (Tree) was without a doubt my favorite. Without any adult interaction, it falls to Tree to be the sound of reason during the mission. I just couldn't fathom having that much responsibility, no matter how smart she really was. I loved her resilience, her honesty, and most of all the way she sometimes just felt lost. I don't know how you could be millions of miles away from your planet and not feel that way. It's real, and it's wonderful.

As I was falling in love with the characters, I was also introduced to life aboard the ship. The descriptions are vivid, and there were points where I felt like I was actually there. When things took a turn for the creepy, I was pulled right on in. Personally I just adored being able to close my eyes and envision the setting. There is also a lot of room for the reader to think really heavily about what they would do in the situation that these characters are in. Sure, there is a certain amount of improbability to some of the story, but I think to enjoy science fiction you have to let go of reality and just get lost.

I'm rambling I know. I could go on for days about the cute romance that doesn't at all overshadow the story line. Or about the awesome technology that is created. I could even tell you about Roc, the coolest computer ever. However I'll leave that to you to find out when you pick up a copy of The Comet's Curse. Suffice it to say that this is a series that I know I'm going to love! Lucky for me I already have the next book in the series handy, because I'll be diving back in as soon as I can.