The night of the comet

I wasn't looking forward to a book that has “coming-of-age story” slapped on the cover. I've done coming-of-age stories. To death, I think. But this little book surprised me. Don't let that hackneyed phrase prejudice you against reading this book. Yes, it is a “coming-of-age story.” But the characters are completely fresh and the story is compelling. I loved this book.

Night of the Comet is a story about a man, a family, a town waiting for Comet Kohoutek. Alan Broussard, Jr. tells the story of Alan, Sr., a science teacher in a small town in Louisiana, a man who has always felt like he was meant for greater things. As the comet approaches Earth, Alan, Sr. is thrust into the limelight he's always longed for. It isn't long before everyone in town is waiting for the comet to arrive.

That's the plot, but there is so much more in this little book; I don't think I can possibly tell you how good a read it was for me. Just thinking about it now, a month after I finished it, and I can still feel my insides twist, with all the feelings that little book stirred up...it's that good.