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brendamichelllereads's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read many books with magical realism or emotional books that deal with loss but this book was very good. I loved how the author used comets to intertwine the lives of the main characters and their past. It was all so beautifully written. I will be looking into more books by the author.
kristyreadsalot_'s review against another edition
4.0
What a beautiful story! The lack of quotation marks threw me off at first, but I got used to it after a while. Overall a really wonderful book
Spoiler
I was not at all a fan of the incest though...bianca89279's review
3.0
I am afraid The Comet Seekers and I were not a good match.
While I appreciated the lyrical writing, it wasn't enough to sustain my interest.
Things were moving slowly, the many characters from past and present confused me, especially in the beginning. I never felt engaged with the story, never really cared for any of the characters. This novel was too melancholy and too ponderous and it felt much longer than it was.
The ghosts drove me insane, as I never quite got their meaning. I personally would have loved a lot more science and fewer ghosts. I can get my head around sciency matters, even though I'm illiterate when it comes to astronomy (not a subject that ever interested me), but ghosts and other such supernatural beings don't do it for me.
The narrator of this book did a great job, so I can't blame my lack of enthusiasm on the audiobook.
So this gets an indulgent 3 stars.
While I appreciated the lyrical writing, it wasn't enough to sustain my interest.
Things were moving slowly, the many characters from past and present confused me, especially in the beginning. I never felt engaged with the story, never really cared for any of the characters. This novel was too melancholy and too ponderous and it felt much longer than it was.
The ghosts drove me insane, as I never quite got their meaning. I personally would have loved a lot more science and fewer ghosts. I can get my head around sciency matters, even though I'm illiterate when it comes to astronomy (not a subject that ever interested me), but ghosts and other such supernatural beings don't do it for me.
The narrator of this book did a great job, so I can't blame my lack of enthusiasm on the audiobook.
So this gets an indulgent 3 stars.
alexvalpeter's review
3.0
3.5/5
Helen Sedgwick has a beautiful, poetic, and emotional style of writing that makes even some of the worst things seem beautiful in a way. The two stories of the two sets of main characters were expertly weaved together and I loved switching between them. There seems to be a focus on relationships (both familial and romantic) and decisions, and both themes are dealt with in a very poignant and thoughtful way.
This is a quiet, character-driven novel, which makes it a little slower to read and not exactly a "page turner." However, it is still written beautifully enough that it is engaging and I still wanted to see how these characters would handle their respective difficult situations.
Also, I really enjoyed all of the space/astronomy elements.
I took off a star because some of the fundamental background elements are never really explained (though in some ways this fits the feel of the story/writing), and for some pretty wild (almost unbelievable) coincidences. -.5 stars because it got off to a very slow start and there were some slightly confusing and/or boring sections.
Overall, a lovely novel.
Helen Sedgwick has a beautiful, poetic, and emotional style of writing that makes even some of the worst things seem beautiful in a way. The two stories of the two sets of main characters were expertly weaved together and I loved switching between them. There seems to be a focus on relationships (both familial and romantic) and decisions, and both themes are dealt with in a very poignant and thoughtful way.
This is a quiet, character-driven novel, which makes it a little slower to read and not exactly a "page turner." However, it is still written beautifully enough that it is engaging and I still wanted to see how these characters would handle their respective difficult situations.
Also, I really enjoyed all of the space/astronomy elements.
I took off a star because some of the fundamental background elements are never really explained (though in some ways this fits the feel of the story/writing), and for some pretty wild (almost unbelievable) coincidences. -.5 stars because it got off to a very slow start and there were some slightly confusing and/or boring sections.
Overall, a lovely novel.
juliannegern's review against another edition
3.0
This book had some good pieces, but overall, it was a miss for me. The good: I love magical realism and the ghosts tied to comets was an interesting idea. Also, the writing was lovely and there was some beautiful prose. What didn’t work for me: the main romantic relationship gave me the heebie-jeebies and it felt very unnecessary. It was also really slow. Finally, other people loved the end, but I don’t get why—either I’m missing something or I just didn’t think it was as surprising as other folks (either is possible!).This was a filler in between books I’m queuing for, so it did its job. But I don’t think I’d recommend it!
kathleenww's review against another edition
3.0
There are many things I really liked about this book many of the ideas and concepts the author introduces are truly wonderful and inventive. However, I felt like it got to be too repetitive and too rambling. I don't usually say I'd like a book to maybe be a novella, but I felt so much of this was a replaying of the same scenes over and over. This is NOT a novel for people who feel like things are constantly being left unexplained or unresolved.
mimothysmall's review against another edition
4.0
The Comet Seekers was an intriguing concept to a bookworm stargazer. The plot follows two characters, Roisin and Francois. We glimpse their lives, as well as their ancestors over the last thousand years, each time a Comet is visible to the main characters. Although these vignettes are only snapshots in time, we get a complete sense of the characters, as well as all the factors which lead to the present. It’s a poignant tale of love and loss, legacy and liberation, and a pleasing read.
emisnake's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I saw reviews critisising the incest. And it's cousins so like on the edge? Weird but fine I can get over that. But then at one specific point it got really preachy and in depth about how it was perfectly fine and honestly that completely weirded me out. Felt like the author was on the defensive within the book!
Only really cared for the mother/son part of the narrative.
I don't hate that I've read it, but probably wouldn't recommend it
Only really cared for the mother/son part of the narrative.
I don't hate that I've read it, but probably wouldn't recommend it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
anseo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
amiefw's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5