Title: AshfallAuthor: Mike Mullen
Series: 1st in series
Pages: 466
Published: October 11, 2011 by Tanglewood Press
ISBN: 9781933718552
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Description: 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.
I Give This ...
If your looking for your run of the mill dystopian, this isn't it. Now if your looking for what life might really be like after a catastrophic event, look no further. But, be prepared. Ashfall does not gloss things over for it's young adult audience. Humanity comes to the brink of insanity and chaos in this book.
I really liked Alex's situation for the start. He's a teen who is really trying to push for his independence. He's first real test is being left alone for the weekend while the rest of his family visits relatives 2 hours away. Which shouldn't be that far. But, when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, that 2 hours might as well be in another country. He character goes through an amazing transformation throughout this book. He's forced to grow up literally before our eyes. I think his first moment of truth came when he decided to leave the comfort of his town and travel to find his parents. I wonder if he had known what lay on the road in front of him if he would have made the same choice.
While I enjoyed Alex's character, what I enjoyed even more was the story itself. I loved the descriptions of what it was like during the eruption. While the we obviously don't know what it would be like if a supervolcano did explode, I think the author doesn't a fantastic job of of making it seem real. The deafening noise and the blackout from the ash never really occurred to me. I also wasn't expecting winter so quickly after. Once the reality set in, I was expecting the complete human decent into chaos. But, it was still hard to read about it all. I was pleased to see that some people still acted human. You would hope that more people would behave that way, but it seems civilization goes out the window.
I'm pleased to see that this is a series. I would love to read what happens to Alex next. I'm also looking forward to see what the people to when the volcanic winter sets in.
I really liked Alex's situation for the start. He's a teen who is really trying to push for his independence. He's first real test is being left alone for the weekend while the rest of his family visits relatives 2 hours away. Which shouldn't be that far. But, when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, that 2 hours might as well be in another country. He character goes through an amazing transformation throughout this book. He's forced to grow up literally before our eyes. I think his first moment of truth came when he decided to leave the comfort of his town and travel to find his parents. I wonder if he had known what lay on the road in front of him if he would have made the same choice.
While I enjoyed Alex's character, what I enjoyed even more was the story itself. I loved the descriptions of what it was like during the eruption. While the we obviously don't know what it would be like if a supervolcano did explode, I think the author doesn't a fantastic job of of making it seem real. The deafening noise and the blackout from the ash never really occurred to me. I also wasn't expecting winter so quickly after. Once the reality set in, I was expecting the complete human decent into chaos. But, it was still hard to read about it all. I was pleased to see that some people still acted human. You would hope that more people would behave that way, but it seems civilization goes out the window.
I'm pleased to see that this is a series. I would love to read what happens to Alex next. I'm also looking forward to see what the people to when the volcanic winter sets in.
I really liked this one too! And am excited for the sequels!
ReplyDeleteAnd, can I just say, that after reading this book, I'm glad that I have zero chance of survival if Yellowstone DOES erupt. I think I will be happier dead than trying to live through all that ;p