Ashfall by Mike Mullin Series: Ashfall #1
Published by Tanglewood Press on October 11th 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 466
Goodreads
Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.
Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.
Short and Sweet:
Ashfall begins with a bang as a super volcano erupts leaving destruction in its wake. Tsunamis… earthquakes, and those are just to start. Once the ash begins to fall, the world is forever changed into a place that is similar, but oh so different.
This book has been sitting on my shelf for a lot longer than I care to admit. Sadly, it just never felt like the right time to read it. So when I decided to finally dig in, I was excited to find that Ashfall was nothing like I expected. And for once, that was a really good thing. From the male POV to the just right amount of post-apocalypticness, Ashfall was full of surprises and a complete joy to read.
Final Verdict:
I do not think that I have been this happy with a post-apocalyptic read since Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It. Mullin crafts an addicting read with Ashfall. All the elements blend so nicely together. And as a final note, Ashfall has taught me more about skinning / eating a rabbit than I probably ever wanted to know in the first place. Therefore, Ashfall gets double points for being not only an entertaining read, but also one that was educational.
Crystal B.
Great review!! I’ve never heard of this one but the review and the great synopsis had me intrigued!!
Soma Rostam
I love the cover of this book, how the mirror is covered in ashes.
I love the synopsis, too.
And since Ashen Winter is out, I think that I will start reading this, soon enough.
LOVED your review, Kate
Glad you liked it,
Your constant reader,
Soma
http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/
Alexis @ Reflections of a Bookaholic
It reminds me of Life as We Knew It a bit and I enjoyed that one. I really want to get my hands on this one.
Madeline Webster
Thank you for the great review! We’ll post a link on our Facebook page! Feel free to come like the page too for more news on great YA reads.
–Tanglewood Press