The first book in Testa’s Galahad series is part science fiction, part mystery, and part coming of age story. The 251 teenagers (ranging from 15 to 16 years old) are without adult supervision, have been given the monumental task to travel to another world and save the human race–plus they’ll be spending the more hormonal years of their life all crammed together in a ship as large as a mall. They’re all highly gifted children skilled in engineering, medicine, agriculture and fitness, but they are still just that: children.

Between their heightened intelligence, two years of arduous training for the mission, and the knowledge that they are leaving behind everything, they are all extremely mature. They rationalize and act in a way more befitting someone twice their age, but moments of their age flash through. Gap Lee prefers to joke to break the tension and stress of the situation. Channy is bubbly and enthusiastic. Lita is warm and comforting. Bon prefers to brood and work alone. And Triana, the leader of the mission, is introspective and contemplative.

Going into The Comet’s Curse, I was expecting a science fiction novel populated with immature, inexperienced teenagers. Instead I found a novel that tackled the weighty issue of how to prepare a generation of people to be mankind’s last hope. The book alternates between showcasing the “present” time on board the Galahad and the past two years leading to the ship’s departure. Interspersed is commentary from the ship’s onboard computer system, Roc, as he acts as the “container” for their “message in a bottle.” The last few chapters are running nearly concurrently, following events aboard the ship and the dawning realization happening on Earth.

I admit a lot of the science talk went over my head. There’s a whole lot of tech talk, psychology talk, and medical talk as Testa lays out the groundwork for the end of mankind, but also its last great hope. I found it more interesting whenever Roc would interrupt with his hilarious and quirky dialogues regarding the crew of the Galahad. The crew is very large, but we really only get to know a handful of them, the Council Leadership on board. Their interactions and divergent personalities fuel a lot of the story developments, but they’re also treated almost as contrivances for the plot at times. Triana and Gap are given more time than the other 3 council members (Bon, Channy, and Lita), but we’re told about a lot of their development rather than shown.

Triana writes journal entries to summarize the day, but also has a lot of silent dialogues with herself second-guessing and worrying about what she is doing. Gap spends a lot of his time dishing out his problems by talking to others; many of the personal realizations he comes to are first spoken by a second party. I couldn’t tell if this was because the book felt broken up everytime it would go between the “present” and “past,” or because I was looking for more information than a first book should give.

The mystery on board is, quite frankly, sinister. Most people will guess who is behind the disruptions early on, and guess the motivations behind them, but that doesn’t lessen the grave problem this person represents. Testa doesn’t allow the narrative to dumb down the possible threat to the crew members’ lives. In this, like everything else, there is a momentary sense of panic, but it’s quickly dealt with by the Council. Sometimes this efficiency felt more artificial then realistic, but the situation is a unique one, and the vast majority of the crew is an unknown commodity. A few are given names, or appearances, but very few have more than a brief flash of personality.

As a young adult science fiction novel this is wonderful. It’s engaging; there are likable characters, and a circumstance that is close enough to possible to give the reader pause. The book worked best when it dealt with the very human reactions to the situation, not just the teens but the adults being affected as well. ( )

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. ( )

Enjoyed this! Though it felt more like just the start of a story. But I am a big fan of "teens in space" (see also EARTHSEED and the EARTH STAR VOYAGER tv show) and this fit that bill admirably. Nice to see a diverse cast of characters too!

I look forward to reading more in the series.

I loved the adventure and action.it was cool how they stiched the story of every chapter from the past and then to the present.The Roc was funnny:) ( )

Eh. I liked the premise more than anything else about this book - a worldwide meteor-borne virus attacks adults so they send 251 teenagers (16 and under) into space to colonize (oops, was I supposed to notice that?) some other planet and "save the human race." Again I have to wonder why every single YA science fiction book has to have a straight romance tacked on. I mean, I don't have to wonder; I just have to read Publishers Weekly; that's what publishing houses are buying I guess. Wait! I also liked that the teen captain of the ship was a girl. That was pretty cool. And that the publishing house had the good sense to show a character of color on the jacket. There are going to be sequels, and I might consider reading them, if only because I like an ensemble cast of characters on an adventure. But I might not, because I dislike cheesy villians (as I imagine many actually-young adults also do). ( )