Sylvia longs to feel emotion again. Since the hit-and-run death of her husband, which remains unsolved, Sylvia has felt nothing. She has narrowed down the culprits, and the law is involved in the cover-up. She’s tightly wound, passing through each day, a ghost of her former self.
A comet is hurtling toward Earth and excites everyone except Sylvia. Even this pending disaster doesn’t change her focus from the murder of her husband. Until she meets the alluring astronomer who discovered the comet, Theo St. John, although he tries to play it down, the comet has been named in his honor.
This debut author has set a most unusual stage for us as we watch people do what they do best- make mistakes, feel inadequate, or on the other side of the spectrum- feel as if they are God and can lead the people. Each page is an unforeseen action, a microscope over an anthill, the erratic scattering increasing as the danger of extinction races across the sky.
I enjoyed this fresh voice, and hope Ms. Todd is working on another captivating read. Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 16, 2024.

Unfortunately wasn’t for me so I didn’t really finish the book as it was material that didn’t interest me. To no fault of the author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I actually liked this book quite a bit, it felt more poignant than a typical mystery type book, but it could definitely have been shorter. Even though the pace built slowly but steadily, at times I felt like I had to force myself to keep going. I am glad I did, the writing is really beautiful, and it was a compelling story.

Thank you to Simonbooksbuddy for this title! I devoured this novel. Incredibly amazing and unforgettable story! I loved every inch, every line, every word of this story. It really made me think and was quite emotional in its own way.

Recommend this to readers who enjoy introspective narration; reflection on cosmic events and the sway they have on people; and folks looking for an Australian read.

In Bright Objects, Sylvia Knight is adrift in the aftermath of her husband's unsolved hit-and-run death, her life clouded by grief and a growing sense of hopelessness. But when she meets Theo St. John, an astronomer who has discovered a rare comet, a faint glimmer of light pierces her darkness. The comet, soon to be visible to the naked eye, becomes a beacon of curiosity and intrigue, pulling Sylvia into its orbit.

As the comet brightens in the sky, it becomes a symbol of something larger—perhaps even divine. Local mystic Joseph Evans certainly believes so, viewing the celestial event as a sign from above, a divine message meant to guide or warn. Sylvia finds herself torn between Theo's scientific explanation and Joseph's spiritual interpretation. The small town where she lives begins to buzz with speculation, excitement, and fear as the comet's apex approaches.

Amid this cosmic spectacle, Sylvia remains haunted by her need for justice. The unresolved mystery of her husband's death gnaws at her, pushing her to the brink. The fervor surrounding the comet's arrival mirrors her growing desperation, and as the town becomes increasingly obsessed with the comet, Sylvia's quest for truth drives her to the very edges of sanity and safety.

With its masterful prose and intricately drawn characters, Bright Objects shines as a poignant exploration of the human condition, set against the backdrop of a celestial wonder that captivates and confounds in equal measure. This is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page, leaving you to ponder the mysteries of the cosmos and the complexities of the human heart.

I sat with book for a long time. After finishing it, I was very confused about how I felt. At the start of the book it seemed like a lit-fic, then eventually it was a romance, and then a mystery. Although when done right, this isn't an issue, I felt that it was difficult for me to connect with the characters and the plot because there were so many things happening at once. It seemed as if the author was confused where exactly she wanted it to go while writing it. However, the story if written beautifully. Todd's descriptions of each character and the setting, were the best part of the book for me. Specifically, her descriptions of grief and belief throughout the story. The sensitivity and rawness that Todd writes with when portraying the characters grief, immediately grips the reader and allows room for them to think deeply about these existential topics. For a debut novel, the story was really strong and I look forward to picking up more of Ruby Todd's books in the future!

I enjoyed this book and did not see the ending coming. It was a story of grief and new starts. I did enjoy the comet and the astronomy tie in. Give this a try, it is a different compelling read. Thank you NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
3/5

Set in a small town in Australia, and loosely inspired by the Heaven’s Gate cult and Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, this debut novel is about a young woman still reeling from the hit-and-run death of her beloved husband. Written as a literary thriller, with a slower pace and more reflection, it’s about obsession in many facets, including how it can overtake a psyche in the wake of searing grief. Main character Sylvia Knight does a lot of mind- and soul-searching via astronomy, art, music, literature, tarot, philosophy, geometry.
“My hope was that, if nothing else, the comet, like the celestial equivalent of a Rorschach inkblot, might cause me to face proof of a truth I had on some level long known, but been unable to see.”
The question, according to author Ruby Todd, becomes how to recover personal power, faith in life, and one’s place in the world.
I would recommend this to those who like slow-burn literary thrillers featuring astronomy, mystery, romance, and reflections on grief, humanity, and mortality.
[Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

“We rarely guess the significance of crucial moments in life while they are happening. For so much of the time we are steering blind.”

I am not into astronomy 🔭 and so that may be why I didn’t love this one. I soldiered on and finished, but the story will not stay with me.

Thank you @SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy for the free book!

I thought the synopsis sounded really interesting but I am the wrong reader for this story. From the beginning I just didn’t connect with the writing style and ultimately decided to DNF.

It’s 1997 and the newly discovered Comet St. John is about the grace the skies of the Australian city of Jericho. While the town is abuzz with excitement and cosmic predictions, the young widow, Sylvia, has her own plans for St. John, plans to end her suffering.

However, when Sylvia befriends Theo St. John, the astronomer who discovered the comet, and the spiritual guru, Joseph Evans, her understanding of the comet’s purpose falters. Is the comet’s arrival on the anniversary of her husband’s death a sign for her, for the world, or simply an astronomical event?

This story is truly full of twists and turns: a hit and run accident with several suspects, an eccentric mourner with plans of a grand funeral, a doomed love story, a Heaven’s Gate-esq space cult, and plot twists to give you whiplash. It reads like a mystery, an Alex Michaelides style mystery. For some, I could see this being perfect, but for me personally, it just wasn’t my style. I think the cult element drew me in the most, and this ended up being a less developed part of the plot. While I felt it started off strong, by the end, I had tired of plot twists.

That being said, Bright Objects is still an ambitious novel for its depiction of grief, obsession and group think. It’s plot forward and a wild ride, so if that sounds like your type of book, I’d say check it out!

Real Rating: 4.25* of five

A debut novel from a very accomplished author, one whose best gift is the deft touch of characterization. I felt very connected to Sylvia from the get-go, her fuddled and bewildered survivor's guilt, her unostentatious revenge-seeking against the one responsible for her loss, and her deep but unwilling fascination with a charismatic local cult leader.

The lovely patterns Author Todd weaves among these strands, spinning her threads from the ever-renewed internal structures of loss, guilt, sadness, and outrage, don't sag or drop. They're sometimes not as harmoniously tinted as a veteran writer might choose...the mother-in-law in particular is rather paler than I'd expected, Theo the astronomer a bit too intense...but these are quibbles. Not a line out of place, not a word (even when a not-American word crops up) wasted or obscured.

The lack of a full fifth star on my rating isn't because of some sense of disappointment. I got what I wanted. The plot...revenge-driven widow struggles to cope with her loss and her survivor guilt will catch me in its web every time...is consistent, is finished with an appropriate, yet unexpected, ending. What bothered me, and this is really a very *me* thing to be tangled up in, was the comet. A comet, one on a path to get this close to Earth, is not going to go undetected for very long. We're motivated, since Shoemaker-Levy 9 smacked Jupiter so very hard in 1994, to go looking for these kinds of objects.

Okay, so that's a half-star lost. A tiny smidgeon of the tarnish on my shiny loving cup of pleasure also traces to Theo and his own warping loss. It's a trope I find painfully Writerly, is the Conjunction of Damaged Souls. Theo's issues were understandably similar to Sylvia's; his response to her darkness was believable. His discovery of her, in Australia, where he happens to be for the confirmation of a career-defining discovery, is what rings false to me. As always I want this kind of other-directed man to exist; I suspect he isn't to be found in a man about to ascend to the heights of his ambitions. I also see the facile characterization of Joseph Evans, and honestly, since he's such a bell-end of a grifter, I just don't care.

Quibbles and crotchets aside, everything Author Todd does in this story fits. The mystery plot, the way it's rooted in the ugliness of revenge, the focus of the two leads on their personal quests, all works as a whole. The manner in which the ending's made manifest felt satisfying to me. I'm struggling with myself not to spoiler it (though I really want to!) because experiencing the event blind is a pleasure enhancer.

Tyro author does a fine job, will most likely do better next time, and very much deserves your treasure and time.

Bright Objects follows Sylvia Knight, a young widow on a uniquely believable journey. Two years after her husband's unresolved hit-and-run death, Sylvia’s grief coincides with the arrival of a rare comet. Intrigued by the comet’s timing, she meets Theo St. John, its discoverer, and is drawn into the beliefs of local mystic Joseph Evans, who sees the comet as a divine message.

As the comet grows brighter, emotions heighten in her town, and Sylvia's quest to uncover her husband's killer deepens. Todd brings this chaos to life in a blend of mystery, romance, and a healthy dose of astronomy and science. The comet, a celestial object whose very existence throughout history inspires assignations of meaning, reflects the fleeting nature of life. In and out of our lives these bright objects — people, events, places — arrive, leaving behind lasting impressions or brief flashes before fading away.

The only downside for me, preventing a 5-star rating, was the overlay of real-life events from 1997, which I found distracting. I had a similar issue with Euphoria by Lily King ("too similar to Margaret Mead to be anyone else, yet too dissimilar to be a biography"), though Todd handled it better, so it didn't impact my reading quite as much.

Bright Objects is one of those gorgeous debuts that has you repeatedly reminding yourself it's a debut. Between the excellent writing, the beautifully paced, careful unfolding of the plot, and the characterizations that strikingly balance the benign and the extreme, Todd already has me on board with whatever she publishes next.

Sylvia became a young widow two years ago when a hit and run accident took the life of her husband. She despairs of ever receiving justice for her deceased husband since she believes the police chief was the perpetrator.

However, the approach of a once-in-a-lifetime comet disrupts the little life Sylvia has made for herself. She's concerned for her mother-in-law, who seems to have fallen under the spell of mysticism tied to the comet. And Sylvia is concerned for herself as she begins to fall for the brooding American astronomer who discovered the comet -- which she fears betrays the memory of her husband.

Unseen forces will converge and secrets will come to light as the sky brightens in the comet's trail.

This book is wonderful, but I do feel compelled to offer a few words of caution. First, the pace of the book is a very sure boil. The first half of this book is very heavy as it is laden with Sylvia's grief. I had to take a break from the book for a bit due to the weight. However, the final third of the book is a white-knuckle thriller that had me glued to the pages.

My second caution pertains to the themes and content of the novel. Please check trigger warnings and take care of yourself as you read this book. That it loosely echoes true events dues not make the gravity of the situation any easier to bear.

That said, this literary crime thriller will appeal to readers who enjoyed the balance that Bright Young Women brought to these genres. The book is a heavy read, but certainly a worthy one.

This review will be posted to Goodreads on July 28, 2024 and to Instagram on July 29, 2024.

𝑺𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.

Whether it is bright objects like comets or other omens, people have been looking for messages, meaning for human existence since the dawn of time. This novel is about trying to make sense of the events in our life, especially life altering tragic ones. For Sylvia Knight it is the horrific death of her husband Christopher after he is killed during a hit-and-run. The car accident is a blur in her mind, and Sylvia is consumed with poisonous rage, believing in her gut she knows exactly who the person behind the wheel of the other car was. It is a dangerous obsession, and while the legal case is closed, she refuses to see the monster who destroyed her world walk away free. The story takes place in Australia, a small town that is bubbling over with excitement over a comet said to be bigger than Haley’s. A cult of people under mystic Joseph Evans believes the universe talks to us in signs “for those with eyes to see,” that the comet is a divine event. His magnetism pulls people in, but is this new age priest trustworthy? American astronomer Theo St. John, who discovered the rare comet named St. John, has arrived to track its course. Sylvia finds herself drawn to him, inviting herself to the observatory, asking him to show her the comet. What she sees behind the lens triggers the night she lost all the years she should have had with Christopher. But if there is an answer in the stars, glorious wisdom about what fate has stolen, what she has planned for justice, the sky is silent. Shipwrecked in her grief, Sylvia is shocked by the emotions stirred when in Theo’s presence, as if being in his orbit is reminding her what it means to feel alive. Why then does his own face express fear? She cannot be distracted from her mission, an appointment with dark destiny, not even by the possibility of a new love.

There is something broken within Theo, a loss that mirrors Sylvia’s own. She thinks she understands his wounds, but he has his own dark night. Sylvia’s quest for justice and her former mother-in-law Sandy’s own path for healing collides, but neither is leading them where they hope. Joseph and his ilk can be a soothing sleep, an escape from the cold realities of life. Just like the comet that is growing brighter and brighter, so is the truth that is hiding in the blind spots of Sylvia’s vision. Justice, they say, is a double-edged sword, salvation is too. This is a beautiful, heart-breaking novel about the stories we invent to cope with personal tragedy, the ways we blind ourselves to the truth and what we must confront to move on. The cult is fascinating, how we fall under the spell of hope, hunger for a prophet, escape. The same could be said of the comet, that harmless bright object that enchants us, that we project onto.

It is about the loyalty we feel we owe our loved ones, even after death. How righteous anger clouds our judgement. It is the rebirthing that occurs within us, through every hardship we face, if we have courage. Yes, read it.

Published July 16, 2024

Simon & Schuster

Since her husband died in a hit and run accident, Sylvia Knight, a funeral home assistant in a small Australian town, has languished in grief. Her despair over losing Christopher is almost matched by her anger that the perpetrator is unknown and free to evade justice.

At this sensitive juncture (in 1997), she meets Theo St. John, an American astronomer who discovered a bright comet that passes earth only once every several hundred years. The rarity and wonder of the St. John’s comet whips Sylvia’s town, Jericho, into a frenzy, with the local bakery selling space-themed pastries and the shop Sweet Mementos offering comet china, tea towels, and jewelry.

Joseph Evans, whose well-known mother just died, sees the comet as a spiritual watershed and begins holding meditation sessions at his farm, ultimately devoting the space to a festival to be held the day the comet is closest to Jericho.

Sylvia becomes caught in the tug-of-war between the man of science and man of faith as a new lead in the hit and run propels her on an obsessive quest for answers.

BRIGHT OBJECTS personally resonated with me on many levels but at times it was hard to read since given Sylvia’s job, many scenes were set in the funeral home or were about death and dying, something challenging since losing both my aunt and mother in the past eight months.

On the other hand, all the excitement and build up and questions about meaning preceding the comet reminded me of the solar eclipse in April (damn the cloud coverage!). How people respond to these phenomena is very interesting to me!

The beautifully written book is primarily character-driven, and Sylvia is often in her head. This works for me because she is sympathetic and because Todd’s writing is so musical. In the last twenty to twenty-five percent of the book though, it was one powerful wave of shock after another.

This was such a unique book. It felt…massive? I’m honestly not sure how to describe it, and this review is difficult to write.

Bright Objects is truly a genre defying novel. It encapsulates so many existential themes and examines them through a narrow lens of time that revolves around a comet’s arrival.

If you’re familiar with the film Melancholia, this book gives off very similar vibes. I found the style and language of Todd’s prose beautifully mirrored the atmosphere of grief, melancholy, and mysticism. The pacing of the book felt symbolic as well. Part one was a slow build, and it took me a while to get my mind around the story. Shortly after, this was a hard book to put down. The pace accelerates dramatically.

Overall, I’m glad I read it and truly did like it. I would recommend this to a specific audience who enjoys literary fiction, slower builds that accelerate quickly, and an even mix of character/plot-driven storytelling.
My rating: 4⭐️

TW: I don’t normally mention trigger warnings in reviews but suicidal thoughts are very prevalent throughout this book. Please read with care.

BRIGHT OBJECTS is the kind of novel one wants to read at least twice: on the first read, to bask in the glow, to follow the protagonist and also to follow the progress of the fabled and rarely-appearing Comet St. John. A second read is to immerse in the literary and metaphysical aspects, to savor the prose of this debut novel.

BRIGHT OBJECTS, as well as being Literary, Metaphysical, and Astronomical, is also a deeply human novel of emotions and grief and wonder.

This beautifully written debut literary mystery masterfully blends astronomy with mysticism, a tragic accident, a love story and a man with a shocking plan.

Sylvia is a young Australian widow, still reeling from the death of her husband Christopher in a hit and run accident two years ago. She was resuscitated and brought back from the dead, but her grief at losing Christopher, a young man with so much life still to live, has left her with thoughts of killing herself. The driver of the car was never found, although Sylvia has her suspicions of who it is and has become obsessed with proving it and bringing him to justice.

Sylvia works at a funeral parlour where she helps people with kindness and compassion to choose the type of funeral they want for their loved ones. One of her customers, Joseph Evans, a local mystic, becomes obsessed with the news that a newly discovered comet will soon be visible to the naked eye in the southern skies and believes there must be a connection between his mother’s death and the coming of the comet. He gradually draws in other believers in the comet’s power for change into a cultish group, including Sylvia’s mother-in-law, who is also still grieving Christopher’s untimely death.

At the funeral parlour Sylvia also meets Theo St John, the astronomer who discovered the comet, which has been named after him. Theo’s sadness evokes a feeling of an affinity with this man. She discovers he is monitoring the comet’s progress as it approaches Earth at the nearby observatory and asks if he will show her the comet through the telescope there. Once the comet becomes visible in the night skies, everyone in town is drawn to it and comet fever infects them all. A festival on Joseph’s farm is planned for August when the comet will reach its apex and Joseph and his group plan a special ritual for the end of the night.

Humanity has always regarded comets as something mystical and unworldly, bearing messages from outer space, and tried to instil meaning into their appearance. Todd’s writing is cool and objective which suits the subject matter very well, with its themes of grief, loss, loneliness and obsession. There is a splash of romance as well and while it took a while to warm to the characters and their flaws, by the end of the book I was deeply invested in their futures. This unusual, well crafted literary debut, with a mystery underlying its’ major themes, is both immersive and thought provoking, resulting in a compelling read.