The Catholic Book Club discussion

7. Share your review of Comet Dust here.

This is the sixth book I have given five stars since the year 2000. I read all of its 300 pages in less than two days, and when the book ended I felt overwhelmed.

This is an apocalyptic novel in the strictest sense of the word. But I don't think the question is whether things may come to happen this way. I'd rather consider the whole book as a warning, telling us what could happen, in the same sense that the protagonist's Gina Applegate vision at the beginning of the book was a warning. And one must not forget that her second name is Magdalene. This is crucial to the story.

I promise I'll read it again shortly.

Here's the review I posted on Amazon -- unfortunately, since Amazon now highlights only "verified purchase" reviews, mine has sunk out of sight.
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To be honest, I usually stay away from speculative fiction tales about a Biblical apocalypse, because they are generally way too preachy and, frankly, lamely written. That is certainly not true of this book.

I found myself reading until the wee hours of the morning to find out what would happen next. Gina Applegate is a pretty ordinary college student who finds herself living in extraordinary times -- the kind of times that put one's character to the ultimate test. And for much of the story it looks like Gina is going to fail the test. Although she indulges in the vices that many college students fall into -- sex, drugs, booze, yadda-yadda-yadda -- Gina believes that she is "basically a good person" (don't we all?). After a startling experience shows her that the Big Decider in the Sky does not share that opinion, she tries to prove Him wrong ... and fails miserably. Luckily for her, she has friends in high places who are pulling for her. (She also has some powerful friends in low places ...)

Although many readers will be attracted to this book because of its fictional account of the prophesied End Times, the story will also readers who may know or care little about Biblical prophecy. Verhoff supplies plenty of action, suspense, intrigue, and even touches of horror, as well as a satisfying conclusion after a truly apocalyptic climax.

The "social proof" reviews provide help both me and the customer who is trying to decide what to read next. Thank you very much for taking the time, Manuel and Lisa.

I dedicate with affectione this review to my friend Manuel Alfonseca, without whose enthusiasm i would have never read this novel.

The reading of this novel has been one of the most dificult challege of my reader career. Not only because i read in my computer`s screen (i sually to read on Paper), besides i read in his original language (i usually read the books translated to spanish). However it was a fascinaiting challenge. "Comet Dust" or "Dark Days" figures in the category of eschatogy novels, or parousistic novel, whose main examples would be "The Lord of World" was written by Robert Hugh Benson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Father Elijah`s novel was written by Michael D. O `Brien https://www.goodreads.com/series/6765...
The Trilogy of Kenth E. Knowell https://www.goodreads.com/series/1080...
The novel of argentinian and spanish writers "666" was written by Hugo Wast https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
"The papers of Benjamin Benavides" was written by the Jesuit Leonardo Castellani https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... and "Apocalypse: The day of Lord" was written by the spanish writer Jorge Saez Criado
The difference is that in "Comet Dust" inserts elements of the novel of catastrophes as a Third World War against the muslim, it is interesting the comparaison with the novel "The Lord of World" (it reminds me the Japanese Anime "Akira" very Philip K. Dickian, where in a future society there are a third world war https://www.goodreads.com/series/5744... ), and the collision of the comet against the Earth. It is interesting as the spanish priest Fortea mistress Verhoff try to explain the signal of the revelation with natural causes, or disasters.
Verhoff shows this image with the sight of an university student Gina Magdalene Applegate. An old catholic girl, who loses her faith. One of the best points, or advantages of "Comet Dust" perhaps it was that Misstress Verhoff offers the best spiritual portrait of a character and the risk of the atheism, although in this case the anger the main character against God it is most reasonable than the the Aidan MacCainech`s huff (the main character of "Byzantyum" was written by Stephen R. Lawhead https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... ). In this case the cause it was because God caught the brother, who died about cancer. It is a very Camus reaction that C.S. Lewis try to reply in their books "A grief observed" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... and "The problem of Pain"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
During the action of this novel Gina has characters positives to her return to the faith of their parents especially her grandmother, her classmate that at beggining atheist Kylie Huang, Miguel, Zachary Lombardi, and the men and women of God, who appears in this noel on the other hand the characters who try to go far to her objective, between them one of the most unpleasent, nerd, selfish and unsensitive character that i have met in my reader trip the boyfriend of Gina, erome, although it was not the worse villain that i have met this honor is for Amon Goeth "The Schindler Ark" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... , Roth/Rat "The Way of Shadows" was written by Brent Weeks, and Roger Van Houten "Die under your Sky" was written by Juan Manuel de Prada
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... a part of these characters we can add to the collection to Julie, and the Proffessor Langley, who is a seed of the age of sixties (spirit of May of 68 in Europe, woodstock generation in United States) he is the typical proffesor, who was not an authority proffesor, he want to be a buddy of the students, and he is more worried to indoctrinate and politicizes them than to teach or try to find a job. Of course he strikes the beliefs of their students (those they do not follow his theories). This is a custom in Europe (In Spain they have created a political party) and the rumors said to me that this evil are spreading by United States, including Christian, and Catholic Universities (case Anthony Esolen affair), but if the readers excuse me i am going back to speak about the characters of this novel. The female characters are better, and more developed than them (especially Gina, and her colleague Kylie Huang), although i must confess my predilection for Zachary Lombardi.
Other interesting element is analyzing the society destroyed by the war, chaos and the violence tribes of cannibal, that he reminded me to books "The Road" was written by Cormac MacCarthy https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... or movies as The book of Eli, or Judge Dreed (I am the law :-)). This is the ages for prophecies, warning, miracles, and priests more or less saints.
I must recognize that i am not a fan of universitaries, or adult sea of hormones that appear in movies as animal lampton, and the graduateor critics novels with the corruption in the campus "I am Charlotte Simmons" was written by the briliant Tom Wolfe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I must confess that in ocassion it was dificult for me continueing the reading but the end it is so good that i could not resist the temptation to rate with five stars. If you are not a very religious person, perhaps you can be interested in the overnatural thrillers were written by Dean Koontz, and Stephen King overall his novel "The stand" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... this novel has things in common with these novels previously quoted, r the people worried with the education of the Campus this is her novel. I also was conquered with the references of mistress Verhoff with popular classics the Chronicles of Shannara https://www.goodreads.com/series/4952... and Dragon Ball, although at this moment i preffer Doraemon Gadget cat from the Future (it is interesting Doraemon: Nobita's New Great Adventure into the Underworld)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doraemo... also the tribute to misstress Verhoff to the american writer Michael Novak, Ed said a quote to died writer (rest in peace). The novel has several echoes to "1984" was written by George Orwell, and "The Lord of Flies" was written by William Golding than "A Brave new world" was written by Aldous Huxley. However in one thing i disagree (it is my personal opinion) i think that the neuist did not need a coup to obtain the power, on contrary they will get the power without any violence, aclaimed by the people. I totally agree with the spanish writer Juan Manuel de Prada "The new tyranny"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
The new tyranny will give rights and their followers will pursuit in the name of tolerance, more in the line of Julian Felsenburgh was created by Robert Hugh Benson. About the newpagan rites of the brotherhood reminded me to the bohemians/sons of Cain of the american writer Val Bianco https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Despite this handicap i recomend enthusiastically the novel of this talentful writer, watching the action throughtout the vlogs of Gina. The purpose of these novels is not being sad, on contrary is joy. There is a tribute to the Virgin Saint Mary. PD. I apologize for the longitude of my review :-).

Dear Fonch, you are very well-read and know your parousistic literature in and out. I so appreciate that you made the effort to tackle it in English even though you normally only read books in Spanish.

Coincidentally, a few weeks ago someone offered to translate it into Spanish at a discount, but it's still expensive though. I probably won't recoup the cost, so, I'm leaning toward no, but back to the review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your insights. The language barrier was no obstacle to your understanding the novel. I'm so impressed. Thank you!

You weren't the first reviewer to say something along the lines that the women in the novel were more likable and better developed characters. That's probably true and there is a reason for that . . .

There are prophecies that insinuate more women will survive than men. One way to interpret that would be that more women will be saved by God's mercy than men. In the end days, it will be easier to find a good woman than a good man.

St. Anna Maria Taigi (1769 - 1837)

All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms.

Three-quarters of the human race will be exterminated, more men than women. No one will escape the terror of these days.

Sorry, guys. : (

Dear Misstress Verhoff.

Well the responsabilty was of my friend Alfonseca. I was writting to him and he helps to me with the novel. The things that i did not understand he help to understand me.
It is truth that i have a bit effort to read it, but it was a big pleasure to read it, overall the ending i did not wait this awesome ending, although i must recognize that i love the the final 1/3 part of the novel after the human sacrifice the novel improve really much. I like very much that you insert anime, or manga in the story i am a big fan of Japan, and Dragon Ball was the favorite TV serie of my childhood, although i love much more Doraemon Gadget Cat from the future that it is more religious and better TV serie.
About the woman i like much more in the novels the females, than males. We must not think that my comment was a critic. In my case i love Mr. Lombardi.
The thing that i was very worried is my opinion about the Neuist, that they do not need a dictatorship to get the power, because the people will accept his theories enthusiastically. They would get the power democratically.
One thing that i did not say in my review is that this novel has an advantange respect The Lord of World and the novels about The Father Elijah is the important role of the Virgin Saint Mary in the savation of the chosen. In this thing your novel is better than "The Lord of World" and the stories of Father Elijah, although Benson died in 1914 and he could not know the events of Fatima.
Well bad luck for me (that i am a man) i will have to effort much more. The women has an especial role in the crossfix f our Lord. They have with him, and Rodney Stark in his book "The rise of Christianity: A sociology reconsiders History "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... he said that there were more christian females than christian males. Well i have two solutions to die before the last days, or i beg to the members of Catholic Book Club that they pray for me. I consider that it is a good solution :-).