When the tail of the comet Bhaktul flicks through the Earth's atmosphere, deadly particles are left in its wake. Suddenly, mankind is confronted wi...
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Jun 08, 2011
Flannery
rated it: 
I can pinpoint the start of my obsession with space stories to a date: January 17-24, 1988. I was not even 5 yet but I remember watching Earth Star Voyager, a miniseries presented by The Wonderfuld World of Disney. We taped it and watched it over and over until the VHS started to get all crappy--well, crappier quality than VHS tapes already were. No worries, though, because mon frère got all of his sisters DVD copies off of ebay a few years back so I can watch it over and over as an adult. Any
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Jan 13, 2012
Inkbitten
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Judged By The Cover: Something I have never seen before
Many, many covers have a girl or guy with thier heads cut off, but this book actually has heads! Plus it has two people on the cover! Which is different from many covers that have that girl or guy with there heads cut off. I also like the angle of the characters on the cover, whom I assume to be the characters of Triana (Tree) and Gap. All in all, the cover has this science-fiction aura to it, but in a way that is the genre of th More...
Many, many covers have a girl or guy with thier heads cut off, but this book actually has heads! Plus it has two people on the cover! Which is different from many covers that have that girl or guy with there heads cut off. I also like the angle of the characters on the cover, whom I assume to be the characters of Triana (Tree) and Gap. All in all, the cover has this science-fiction aura to it, but in a way that is the genre of th More...
Jul 18, 2011
Tammy
rated it: 
My thoughts:
This science fiction thriller is set 200 years into the future. A comet has swept by Earth leaving deadly particles behind that are killing adults. Mankind's future lays in the hands of 251 teenagers that have agreed to man a space shuttle and travel to the great unknown. What a premise!
The Comet's Curse is the first book in a planned six part series. The story wastes no time introducing us to a cast of characters we are sure to hear more about in books to follow. The con More...
This science fiction thriller is set 200 years into the future. A comet has swept by Earth leaving deadly particles behind that are killing adults. Mankind's future lays in the hands of 251 teenagers that have agreed to man a space shuttle and travel to the great unknown. What a premise!
The Comet's Curse is the first book in a planned six part series. The story wastes no time introducing us to a cast of characters we are sure to hear more about in books to follow. The con More...
Oct 07, 2010
Margaret
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Jul 20, 2010
Julie
rated it:
Recently, I came into possession of an ARC copy of The Web of Titan, by Dom Testa. Finding that it was actually book two of the Galahad series, I searched out book one at the library.
Boy, was this a fun ride. It's not often you see YA sci-fi in the first place, but to find one as interesting and smoothly written as this is probably even more rare. I liked Testa's characters, the plotline was interesting, and I enjoyed getting the perspective of not only the kids on the ship, but the More...
Boy, was this a fun ride. It's not often you see YA sci-fi in the first place, but to find one as interesting and smoothly written as this is probably even more rare. I liked Testa's characters, the plotline was interesting, and I enjoyed getting the perspective of not only the kids on the ship, but the More...
Jan 10, 2010
Paige Y.
rated it:
At first it was just an interesting spectacle – a comet coming close enough to Earth to be seen clearly, its tail passing through Earth’s atmosphere. But then, mysteriously, adults on Earth begin to sicken and die. It’s soon determined that the tail contained a mysterious virus, a virus that only affected adults but that was deadly. It looked as though all of mankind was doomed. But then a scientist decides that the way to save the human race was to send 251 teenagers off to another planet w
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May 05, 2009
Brandi Rae
rated it:
Two hundred fifty one souls. None of whom is over sixteen years old. They are mankind’s final hope for survival.
The very existence of all mankind is at stake after the tail of the comet Bhaktul contaminates Earth’s atmosphere, infecting everyone over the age of eighteen. When he and his colleagues are unable to develop a cure, renowned scientist Dr. Zimmer proposes a radical plan: select and 251 of the world’s brightest, strongest and bravest teens and train them to undertake the dan More...
The very existence of all mankind is at stake after the tail of the comet Bhaktul contaminates Earth’s atmosphere, infecting everyone over the age of eighteen. When he and his colleagues are unable to develop a cure, renowned scientist Dr. Zimmer proposes a radical plan: select and 251 of the world’s brightest, strongest and bravest teens and train them to undertake the dan More...
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Aug 01, 2009
Carter
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If it weren't for the sometimes-narrating computer, I think I would've enjoyed this a lot more. The story was pretty good and it definitely raised some good ideas. I do think it could have gone further. But as they say, review the book that the author wrote.
There were a number of leading characters in this book, but in some ways there were too many. We got a lot of back story on a couple of the characters that only appear every now and then. I would've liked to have seen the focus n More...
There were a number of leading characters in this book, but in some ways there were too many. We got a lot of back story on a couple of the characters that only appear every now and then. I would've liked to have seen the focus n More...
Apr 15, 2011
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
rated it:
The story is told from the point of view of the super advanced computer, nicknamed Roc. This storytelling device really didn't work for me. For one thing, he (I know he's an it, but whatevs) wasn't present for everything he describes, which can be explained by people having told him later but would have worked better in a normal omniscient narrator scenario (especially since Roc makes sure to point out that he can't be everywhere and see everything). The other problem with Roc is that, much as a
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Jul 30, 2010
Debbie
rated it:
A comet passing by Earth has deposited particles in the atmosphere which cause death in adults over age 18. Scientists race against time to send 251 teens into space on the Galahad to save mankind by colonizing a habitable planet 5 years away. Shortly after the launch a saboteur is suspected and the crew lead by a 5 member council must deal with the problem. I really liked this book. The plot revealed alternately by flashbacks and real time is good but takes a while to develop laying the groundw
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Jul 05, 2009
Thomas
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"The Comet's Curse: A Galahad Book" is about what happens when the particles of a comet causes all of the people on earth to start experiencing sickening symptoms... and eventually wither away and die. It affects people that are over the age of eighteen. So, after two years of extensive training, 251 teenagers are chosen to go aboard Galahad, a space ship that will be launched to re-locate the human race at a different planet. Among the main characters are Triana, the confident leader,
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Jul 16, 2010
Mike
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I’ve been on something of a YA kick of late. Having plowed through Catching Fire and put away the penultimate volume of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on audio (The Battle of the Labyrinth) I remembered Dom Testa’s entertaining talk as part of the Science Fiction and Fantasy: Informing the Present by Imagining the Future
event hosted by Tor and LITA at ALA 2010 the swag bag for which contained the first of Testa’s Galahad books: The Comet’s Curse.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of The More...
event hosted by Tor and LITA at ALA 2010 the swag bag for which contained the first of Testa’s Galahad books: The Comet’s Curse.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of The More...
Mar 28, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
I have to admit, I was more than a little skeptical about the premise of this book. A giant ship filled with fifteen and sixteen year olds sent out into space in an effort to save the human race wasn’t high up there on the plausibility scale. But it’s fiction after all and I like me some good escapism so I dove in with both feet.
I can tell you with confidence that I’m glad I did. Testa created a compelling story filled with an engaging cast of characters. It was difficult not to More...
I can tell you with confidence that I’m glad I did. Testa created a compelling story filled with an engaging cast of characters. It was difficult not to More...
Jun 27, 2010
Lexie
rated it:
Prelim review: In a lot of ways this book was filled with more 'telling' than 'showing'. The chapters alternate between the 'present' (that is the Galahad traveling through space) and the 'past' (the years leading up to the departure) until they finally converge to one time in the last few chapters.
Interspersed is commentary from the ship's computer core 'Roc', who is acting as the container for this message. In many ways these aren't teenagers; they act and behave and rationalize in More...
Interspersed is commentary from the ship's computer core 'Roc', who is acting as the container for this message. In many ways these aren't teenagers; they act and behave and rationalize in More...
Aug 09, 2010
Kelly
rated it:
In the not-too-distant future, a comet passing near earth has released a microbe that is infecting everyone in the world over the age of 18. In a desperate bid to save humanity, 251 teenagers are chosen to carry on the species by boarding a life boat headed for an Earth-like planet five years away. Chapters alternate between the present, beginning when the ship Galahad has just launched, and two years prior, at the beginning of the Galahad project. The read is a little slow due to the alterna
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Apr 22, 2009
Suzanne
rated it:
I'm giving this one a four more because I think it will speak to a nice audience of the sci-fi or action/adventure loving teen and tweens than because I personally adored reading it.
It has a hard-to-suspend-disbelief premise that I think kids can buy: a disease caused by a meteor's near brush with Earth eventually kills off everyone who gets it--and that all adults. A plan is hatched to build a massive space ship to be manned by the best and brightest teens from around the world. S More...
It has a hard-to-suspend-disbelief premise that I think kids can buy: a disease caused by a meteor's near brush with Earth eventually kills off everyone who gets it--and that all adults. A plan is hatched to build a massive space ship to be manned by the best and brightest teens from around the world. S More...
Feb 23, 2010
Cheryl
rated it:
This book was much better than I thought it would be. It has a great plot. A comet passes near the Earth shedding a bacteria that causes illness in adults. To save the human race, scientists decide to send a spaceship full of teenagers into the galaxy to settle a new planet. Tension is created almost as soon as the spaceship launches and the teens discover someone is onboard who shouldn't be there, someone with sabotage on the brain. The characters are likable, too, but I would have liked m
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Sep 30, 2009
Cornmaven
rated it:
I gave this 3 stars because the story/premise was good, but the guy really needed an editor. The words coming out of the teenagers' mouths were just not real - way too wordy, way too philosophical. I loved, loved, loved the passages by the ship's computer. Exciting, enjoyable, a little flippant and sarcastic. If he had done the whole book like that it would have been wonderful. I think he should have had the ship's captain be the principal narrator, rather than do it in 3rd person.
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Feb 27, 2009
Diana
rated it:
A comet brings the apocalypse to Earth but children and younger teens are immune so a project is undertaken to send 251 teens to a planet orbiting a distant sun. Soon after launch strange things start happening on board and fifteen-year-old Tree, the leader of the expedition, along with a cadre of other leaders tries to find the source. Great adventure science fiction, page turning suspense, and just the right amount of possible romance. The jumps in point of view may make it not the first choic
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Jul 23, 2011
Lori
rated it: 
I did not think I would like this book because it was science fiction, but Dom Testa changed my mind in regards to the genre!
A killer virus spreads across the world and infects only human beings above the age of 18. So it only makes sense to send a spaceship with 251 young people no older than the age of 16 into the universe to re-establish life elsewhere. Triana is the head of the council and a lot like Katniss from "Hunger Games." I was excited to learn that "The More...
A killer virus spreads across the world and infects only human beings above the age of 18. So it only makes sense to send a spaceship with 251 young people no older than the age of 16 into the universe to re-establish life elsewhere. Triana is the head of the council and a lot like Katniss from "Hunger Games." I was excited to learn that "The More...
Jun 23, 2011
Irvington Public Library
rated it:
A comet leaves particles that slowly kills adults, so people on the Earth decide to send teens into space to keep our species alive. Pretty quickly, things start to go wrong, as the crew and Roc (the ship's computer that's embedded with adult human traits and a sense of humor that's quirky) try to figure out what's really happening. The novel focuses on the leaders who were chosen by adults before leaving Earth, and the teens wonder if they "have what it takes" to be leaders! Imagin
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Aug 26, 2011
~eddyk
rated it:
I thought that this was an excellent book. Being the first of a great series, it wasted little time with explanation and was quite detailed when explaining the conflict. Not only that, but there was an excellent plot the entire way. The plot consisted of many different genres thrown together like spices and blended to make an excellent flavor (excuse me for referring to cooking). Mystery, perhaps Action, Sci-Fi, Comedy, and even Romance. I really enjoyed this book, and in the end I was literally
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Oct 02, 2011
Snow
rated it:
This book is amazing. It is thought-provoking, has witty characters, and it was extremely well-written. I love the fact that the romance, while ever present as it is with YA books, wasn't what the book revolved around. It would make for great discussion and is a mmust read for sci fi fans.
Just some background: 251 young teens are launched into space after a comet brings a nasty disease on Earth. They're pretty much what's going to be left of mankind after the disease ahnnialates all More...
Just some background: 251 young teens are launched into space after a comet brings a nasty disease on Earth. They're pretty much what's going to be left of mankind after the disease ahnnialates all More...
Jun 14, 2011
BGirl
rated it:
I actually really liked this book. I wasn't even going to read it, but I had run out of books to read so I started it. I immediately was sucked in. I love the idea of 251 teenagers on a space ship with no adults. It reminds me a little of the Gone series by Michael Grant. The only thing was that it was a little confusing, I wasn't always sure if it was talking about earth, or if it was on the ship, or if it was a flashback. Also there were just a lot of characters and it was a little tricky to k
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May 28, 2010
Janeen
rated it: 
Maybe 2.75.
I liked the topic of this book since it reminded me of one of my favorite childhood reads: the Young Astronaut series. Like YA, Galahad features a diverse group of young adults (including, in a both cases, a skater) off to start a new colony. They may also both be written at about the same level. However, I sadly enjoyed this one much less.
The dialogue just did not ring true for me, and one of the characters who was supposed to be very amusing did not amuse m More...
I liked the topic of this book since it reminded me of one of my favorite childhood reads: the Young Astronaut series. Like YA, Galahad features a diverse group of young adults (including, in a both cases, a skater) off to start a new colony. They may also both be written at about the same level. However, I sadly enjoyed this one much less.
The dialogue just did not ring true for me, and one of the characters who was supposed to be very amusing did not amuse m More...
May 26, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
On one hand, the computer is a little bit annoying. On the other, it is well explained that artificial intelligence has evolved to the point where I believe that a slightly annoying computer scientist could make a computer act like himself. Fortunately, although the book is supposedly from Roc's point-of-view, he doesn't talk nearly as much as he could (and if you skip his last little speech you might even escape not rolling your eyes out of your head). I can safely say that the stowaway was not
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Jan 02, 2010
Karin
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Comets aren’t generally greeted with much fanfare – there are so many in our solar system that even astronomers can’t count them all. But, when a rogue appears named Comet Bhaktul the scientists stand up and take notice. At first panic ensued when scientists thought Bhaktul was on a collision course with the North Atlantic ocean, but soon it was confirmed Earth would coast through the comet’s tail. The only thing the inhabitants of Earth should expect from this astrological event would be so
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Nov 29, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by alisharo for TeensReadToo.com
THE COMET'S CURSE is about survival and 251 teens sent to save mankind.
When the Bhaktul comet passes through the Earth's atmosphere, many think it is just another beautiful light show. Never would anyone have guessed the devastating outcome this comet would cause.
The tail of the comet leaves deadly particles behind it in the atmosphere, creating a killer virus that affects the adult population of the world. Anyone 18 an More...
THE COMET'S CURSE is about survival and 251 teens sent to save mankind.
When the Bhaktul comet passes through the Earth's atmosphere, many think it is just another beautiful light show. Never would anyone have guessed the devastating outcome this comet would cause.
The tail of the comet leaves deadly particles behind it in the atmosphere, creating a killer virus that affects the adult population of the world. Anyone 18 an More...
Jan 13, 2010
Robbie
rated it:
In the future, Comet Bhaktul passes through Earth's atmosphere on its way through the skies. Six months later, a deadly new disease, Bhaktul's Disease, begins striking anyoe over the age of eighteen. It's up to 251 of the bravest, smartest, and most exceptional teenagers to set sail in the starship Galahad to planet Eos and preserve the human race. Unfortunately, there's a stowaway on Galahad, and he'd be happier if the kids never reach their destination.
The story ping-pongs between More...
The story ping-pongs between More...
Jan 08, 2009
J.A.
rated it:
The Comet’s Curse is the first book in the Galahad series by Denver DJ Dom Testa. The series has been acquired by Tor Books, which will release The Comet’s Curse on January 20th. This is a science fiction series for young adults about 251 teenage colonists who depart Earth after particles from a passing comet pollute the atmosphere, poisoning all inhabitants over the age of 18. With the little time remaining to the human race, a scientist leads a mission to construct a spaceship, the Galahad,
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