Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

Published: October 2012

Publisher: Tanglewood Press

Pages: 576

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Review:

This is one of those series where you CAN'T just jump into book #2 and carry on as if you know what is happening.  Mr. Mullin has done a lot of character and story development with Ashfall and it would be hard to begin with this title.  That being said, if you haven't already read Ashfall, now would be a good time to do so.  This is  fantastic apocalyptic series and if this is a genre you appreciate, it is certainly not to be missed.  

SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ASHFALL, BE PREPARED FOR PLENTY OF SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW....

Ashen Winter picks up right where Ashfall ends and Alex feels the desire to look for his family.  Darla, even though she is fully accepted with his family, cannot let him leave on his own and accompanies him back into the fray.  I'm not sure I would have the courage to do what he does in this novel.  He is constantly thrown into impossible situations and has to dig deep to make decisions that are not always in his best interests but are morally correct.  Alex and Darla are a team to be reckoned with when together but when they become separated, Alex will stop at nothing to get her back...all the while, opening themselves up to more and more dangers.  

At 576 pages, this was an incredibly long book for me but at the same time, Mike Mullin jam packs the second book with so much action and so many new characters that I flew through the pages, wanting to devour more.  I came to really appreciate Alex and his level of courage.  For a teenager, he has developed some incredible character skills.  I do want to mention that as the need for food and medicine wears on, the level of survival escalates and Mr. Mullin introduces the idea of cannibalism into the novel.  Not a great topic for a younger audience but realistic (and a little disturbing) nonetheless.  This would make for an excellent ISU title series (obviously not for someone who doesn't like to read long novels) and I would highly recommend it for all genders.  

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!