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Suzie and the Comet of Chaos
224 pages, Paperback
Published August 3, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 2, 2025
Once again the child is saving the whole team. I honestly don't know how they survived without her, no one seems to have critical thinking apart from Suzie.
Was great to wrap up the mystery on 5 eyed Frank.
Was great to wrap up the mystery on 5 eyed Frank.
March 19, 2025
Firstly, this is a fab little story, with a nice conclusion at the end, with a focus on family. The illustrations are gorgeous and fun, the little critters and animals are adorable, and the mystery is interesting, and the twist surprising.
I love the educational bits, and the authors have made that a fun and interesting part. I think this is a great read to give little readers more confidence with their reading.
However, one thing I struggle with is that there seems to be a bit of a repetition of the same problem of the previous two books, which is that Suzie hasn't joined a team who saves people/the world..., but that she, on the team, is the one who does the saving. The opening chapter starts with: 'Have you ever had to make a REALLY big decision that could change EVERYTHING?...Like the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Maybe this isn't the most relatable experience. But I'm pretty sure most people have felt like that at some point, even if it wasn't LITERALLY the fate of the entire universe (like it was for me). Maybe it is deciding who you want to talk to on the first day at a new school... Or, maybe, just maybe, it's being trusted to decide what to do when suddenly the entire universe is falling apart and you're the ONLY one who can find the solution.'
Now, you may say that lots of books have the main character being heroic and saving others. My problem here is that Suzie has joined a group of supposed heroes, and they sometimes seem useless without her, and even at times unmotivated to actually help and save others. This group has two adults, both of whom could be showing Suzie some really admirable traits and problem-solving skills that she'd never come across before. This is how Suzie introduces one of them to the reader: 'He's always ready for an adventure and thinks he is the is who saves the day. But really, he is usually the one getting us into trouble! I think he has a good heart, even if sometimes he is a little bit distracted by being the star of the show!'
I do find it sad when adults are depicted in this way in books for children. I'm happy for stories to have goofy characters and for them to make mistakes, but because Suzie doesn't have any flaws, it seems off. It would be nice for Suzie to go through some character development, to mess stuff up, to be helped and guided every now and then by the characters who seem goofy or useless, and to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of her team. And for them to have their time to shine, to show their unique skills and perspective, and grow themselves.
Now, the adults do teach her a lot of new science that she has questions about, so that part is really good, and I was glad to see that Spaceman Jack gets some time answering her questions, to show he is actually clever. But when it comes down to applying their intellect to the main problem in the story, Suzie is always the one to shine. I guess at least they did have to come to her rescue at the end, with the help of her siblings. I do think Captain Jane has time to shine with her piloting, but she could definitely do more generally.
I do love the focus on science and invention, and all the little facts, and I think lots of kids will love that. I also think the illustrations really bring it to life perfectly.
I actually do think this series is a great little series, but I do think it could really benefit from the adults having more opportunities to shine, and solve all the problems together.
CW:
- Lang: replacement curses: "thunderin' asteroids", "jumpin' jupiter", "thank the snow lords", "what in the black hole...?" Some might not be bothered by that, but it still feels jarring to me in a kids book, even with no actual swearwords.
I love the educational bits, and the authors have made that a fun and interesting part. I think this is a great read to give little readers more confidence with their reading.
However, one thing I struggle with is that there seems to be a bit of a repetition of the same problem of the previous two books, which is that Suzie hasn't joined a team who saves people/the world..., but that she, on the team, is the one who does the saving. The opening chapter starts with: 'Have you ever had to make a REALLY big decision that could change EVERYTHING?...Like the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Maybe this isn't the most relatable experience. But I'm pretty sure most people have felt like that at some point, even if it wasn't LITERALLY the fate of the entire universe (like it was for me). Maybe it is deciding who you want to talk to on the first day at a new school... Or, maybe, just maybe, it's being trusted to decide what to do when suddenly the entire universe is falling apart and you're the ONLY one who can find the solution.'
Now, you may say that lots of books have the main character being heroic and saving others. My problem here is that Suzie has joined a group of supposed heroes, and they sometimes seem useless without her, and even at times unmotivated to actually help and save others. This group has two adults, both of whom could be showing Suzie some really admirable traits and problem-solving skills that she'd never come across before. This is how Suzie introduces one of them to the reader: 'He's always ready for an adventure and thinks he is the is who saves the day. But really, he is usually the one getting us into trouble! I think he has a good heart, even if sometimes he is a little bit distracted by being the star of the show!'
I do find it sad when adults are depicted in this way in books for children. I'm happy for stories to have goofy characters and for them to make mistakes, but because Suzie doesn't have any flaws, it seems off. It would be nice for Suzie to go through some character development, to mess stuff up, to be helped and guided every now and then by the characters who seem goofy or useless, and to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of her team. And for them to have their time to shine, to show their unique skills and perspective, and grow themselves.
Now, the adults do teach her a lot of new science that she has questions about, so that part is really good, and I was glad to see that Spaceman Jack gets some time answering her questions, to show he is actually clever. But when it comes down to applying their intellect to the main problem in the story, Suzie is always the one to shine. I guess at least they did have to come to her rescue at the end, with the help of her siblings. I do think Captain Jane has time to shine with her piloting, but she could definitely do more generally.
I do love the focus on science and invention, and all the little facts, and I think lots of kids will love that. I also think the illustrations really bring it to life perfectly.
I actually do think this series is a great little series, but I do think it could really benefit from the adults having more opportunities to shine, and solve all the problems together.
CW:
- Lang: replacement curses: "thunderin' asteroids", "jumpin' jupiter", "thank the snow lords", "what in the black hole...?" Some might not be bothered by that, but it still feels jarring to me in a kids book, even with no actual swearwords.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews