Thursday, February 6, 2014

Ashfall by Mike Mullin


Published: October 2011
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Pages: 466
Copy Provided by: Borrowed
Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.

For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.

Review:

This was actually a pretty violent book.  It was very depressing at first and shocking how many instances of tragedy Mr Mullin managed to pack into this title but when disaster hits, people get desperate and start to leave part of their humanity behind as the environment becomes more of a "survival of the fittest".  

I felt that this title was well-researched with plausible scenarios and situations where the aftermath of a huge volcanic eruption and its continuous falling ash could actually occur.  We often see the apocalypse occur after a tidal wave or an earthquake or an alien invasion but this is the first book I've read about a volcanic eruption throwing such chaos across the nation.

I was shocked by how quickly the division between right and wrong was struck.  Alex encounters many things to make him toughen up and "grow up" quickly just like many soldiers encounter during war.  I grew to respect this character and his decision making skills.  


This was such a thought-provoking novel and I was so engrossed in reading it that I started book #2 right away - Ashen Winter.  I will have the review of book #2 up shortly.  This series is a definite recommended read.  It exemplifies the tenacity of the human spirit when faced with adversity as Alex trudges on in search of his family.  There are so many themes to draw from this title!  A definite ISU recommendation!  Well done Mr. Mullin!

1 comment:

  1. This is one of my TBR, look forward to reading it

    Blog hoppin through. Have a great weekend! =)

    Following you on Bloglovin. Appreciate the follow back:

    Opinionated Cupcakes

    Rinny & Kimmy
    Opinionated Cupcakes

    ReplyDelete