Ashfall

I couldn't put this book down!

Readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games and Matched will like this book, but it is the most realistic of the current young adult post apocalyptic genre. The violence is more graphic than in the dystopian fantasies and the central romance includes more than virginal kissing, but sex is implied rather than explicit. As an adult fan of the genre, I would recommend this book to my 14 year old son.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Love this Natural Disaster book!

I love stories that revolve around natural disasters, so when I saw that Ashfall was available on NetGalley, I had to request a copy! Ashfall is the story of what happens to a teenage boy living in Iowa--Alex--when the supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park erupts and turns his state into a disaster zone. The action starts immediately when a flaming rock from the volcano crashes into Alex's house, and it continues non-stop!

One thing that really stood out to me in this book was how well-researched it was. I could tell that Mike Mullin paid careful attention to the details (even when the details were gory) and that's important when writing about a volcanic disaster like the one that happens in Ashfall. Everything was researched and explained in a way that was clear to the reader -- one part that really stood out to me was when Darla had to butcher a rabbit and prepare it to eat. It was a very detailed (and not gonna lie, kind of gross), description, and reading those details made it apparent how much Alex's life had changed from when he could just go to the store and pick up pre-packaged sandwich meat.

Speaking of Darla, she was an awesome character, and I love how she and Alex brought out the best in each other. Darla was tough and resourceful, and Alex was a little more sympathetic to others (and also resourceful, but Darla was the mechanic of the two of them). His taekwondo skills were also quite helpful on their journey! Speaking of his journey, I liked how he not only completed a physical journey, but an emotional one as well. He changed so much through the novel, going from a boy who liked to play video games, complained a lot, and fought with his mom, to someone who was stubborn, strong, and stuck through the toughest of situations.

If you like natural disaster books, this is definitely one I recommend picking up. I also loved how in the authors notes, Mike Mullin talked about the facts behind the supervolcano. Very interesting to read!

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Exciting and Sucks You in Instantly!

Ashfall is hands-down the best book I've read this summer. I'm a fan of dystopian YA and love it when one of them really pulls me into the story so far that I can't think of anything else. From the very first paragraph, I made an instant emotional connection as Alex (the main character) explains how he can recall exactly where he was and what he was doing "that Friday" in just the same way his parent's recall 9/11. From that moment the book grabbed me by the gizzard and didn't let go!

What first drew me to the story was that the natural disaster that causes the calamity is something entirely possible: an eruption of the underlying supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park. I've seen the Discovery Channel and History Channel supervolcano programs and frankly, they scared the tar outta me! So of course I couldn't get enough of the intense details that Mike Mullin wove into Ashfall. And he doesn't disappoint.

Alex is fifteen and home alone in Cedar Falls, Iowa for the weekend while his parents and younger sister visit his uncle's farm in the next town of Warren, Illinois. His world turns upside down in a matter of minutes when it happens and though his town is more than 1100 miles away, the effects of the eruption are so catastrophic that he is forced to deal with nightmarish conditions while journeying to get to his family. Along the way he meets Darla, and together they work toward survival and the safety of friends and family. But their trudge through ashfallen Iowa is insane! With lots of action, scary but truly possible scenarios, and realistic relationships, Ashfall is a one action-packed dystopian YA book!

You'll definitely wanna buy/preorder this one.
You can also read the first chapters on Mike's website:D

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic Post-Apocalyptic Debut!

In this thrilling, debut novel of "cataclysmic natural disaster," Alex Halprin lives in modern-day Cedar Falls, Idaho, playing video games and arguing with his little sister on a regular basis. One day when his family has left for the weekend to visit an uncle, the unthinkable happens: Yellowstone erupts in a volcanic super-eruption, leaving thousands of miles under layers of ash and projectile rock with no modern form of communication and few resources for immediate survivors. Alex begins the harrowing journey to Warren, Illinois, where his family is--he hopes--safely harbored with other relatives.

Alex's journey is laborious and often heart wrenching as he cross-country skis through the ash. He makes his way through cities, towns, and open, desolated land, meeting friends and strangers alike and finds himself running from cutthroat murderers, looters, and others like him just trying to survive. At one stop, Alex passes out from injuries and ends up at a farm where strangers Darla and her mother nurse him back to health; a steady relationship begins to bond the two teenagers. When tragedy strikes again and forces them back on the road, Darla accompanies Alex on his journey to Illinois, and they continue to skirt danger, both environmental and man-made.

It's a realistic, post-apocalyptic thriller. By that, I mean that the thrills are quick and gripping, but they aren't on every page; Mullin doesn't cop-out to the Hollywood-ready scripts that a lot of authors (James Patterson comes to mind) throw at young readers. Instead, Mullin has created a storyline full of highs and lows with mature downtime rooted in the everyday difficulties of physical and emotional survival. It's the mix of action, science, thrills, romance, and the nitty-gritty details that make this book so gripping and good.

Recommended for ages 14+ because of mature content.

(Full review online by Our Time in Juvie, kid's book reviews.)

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Genious=Mike Mullin

Expected publication: October 11th 2011(Arc review)

...I found myself yawning and sleepy only a few hours later. There was no point in fighting it-the nightmares that haunted my dreams would beat the waking nightmare my life had become-so I let myself drift back to sleep.

Mike Mullin= Genious!
Really!
It's one of the most amazing reads of this year and one you simply cannot miss!

There's no cake before the hit, no preamble as to what you'll witness-not see- but seriously witness in the next sentence. So obviousl by the time I was on chapter 3...let's just say that hyperventilation is an understatement.
The World as we know it seaced to exist that friday.
Alex thought it'll be one of hist greates weekends since he finally won an argument with his mom, he'll stay in the house when his parents along with his sister Rebecca went on a trip.
Making a promise to himself after the events on that friday, Alex goes on a journey that any other day would've taken 2 hours but now it didn't even seem likel he'd make it there alive.
Making friends and a few enemies on his way he learns to appreciate every breath he's able to take, ever blink of his eyes, every bite of food in his mouth, and even a face-even unfamiliar-to look at.
In the worst situation possible for an alone 15 year old, without your family and friends you get a real scoop of the true nature of the people yu thought you knew.

When I thought I could have peace and my heart rate slowed down BOOM! another chatastrophy!
At some point I thought wow this is a really big-large-book! and that I'd be reading more and more of the same but God!! was I wrong!

Mullin's writting kept my heart rate so high I seriously was scared for my health!
As for what I felt while reading this book?
-I cried for whole new reasons while reading the book.
- 2 times I jumped out of my skin and seat while reading due to little earthquakes here in my country!¬¬
-One of the most realisic, heartbreaking, cruel, and beautiful books I've ever read. The rawness of it all didn't let me relax for one bit.
-The first book ever that left me wondering WHAT IF???
-The enormity of the story crushed all the pages from the book!

I never thought I could get to dislike pork more than I do but I think Mullin got the job done pretty well.

All in all the characters all where perfectly described and written beautifully!!

And well what I kept from the book?
That life can change in the blink of an eye. That we all have craziness inside us it's just that nothing bad enough has happened for us to notice. That money is just paper; one day you have it, the next you simply don't. But above everything else to not EVER NEVER take anything from granted!

What will you be willing to do, give, and sacrifice when your survival is at stake? Will it include your humanity?

A book that's realistic in one of the most terrifying ways...
Do yourself a favor and don't miss this book for anything!

5/5

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Yellowstone Erupts - Follow Alex's Haunting Quest to Rejoin His Family

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don't realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the earth forever.

Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when Yellowstone erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away.

Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait-to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano.

For readers who loved HATCHET when they were younger; for teens who want kick-ass heroines; for those who want flawed heroes who make mistakes, live through them, and keep on trying; for readers who wonder if they'd be able to maintain their human decency in the face of nearly insurmountable odds.

This is the must read fall release of 2011.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

What if the volcano underneath Yellowstone erupted? I imagine th

What if the volcano underneath Yellowstone erupted? I imagine the US would fall into chaos and disorder and Ashfall by Mike Mullin is that story.

To start off, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I love it so much that I refuse to loan it own to anyone because a) I'm afraid I'll never get it back and b) people should own their own copy, it's that good. Since reading The Hunger Games I've read many dystopian YA novels, hoping to find something that would match the intensity and anxiety you get from THG. I would have to say that this book IS that book. This book is fast paced, heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching, hilarious, terrifying and exhausting. It will make you so eternally grateful for water, food and shelter. It will make you want to prepare a survival pack just in case a volcano does erupt near your house. It will make you want to learn Taekwondo in the event that you'd ever need to protect yourself. It will make you want to never forget condoms in your survival pack, because it's something we never really think about when fleeing to safety, but once you find the love of your life (and you know that's how it always works during the apocalypse) condoms will come in handy.

The best part about Ashfall besides the rich, epic details and scenery is the characters. Even though they are thrust into an unlikely and far fetched situation, they remain completely believable. They aren't perfect, they make mistakes, they suffer, they endure, but they grow and learn which is why this is such a great story. It's not only an adventure/survival story but definitely a coming-of-age one as well.

This is a little more graphic and raw than I was expecting, so I'd recommend it for an older teen audience but I definitely think adults will enjoy this one too. This is an utterly terrifying apocalypse story, mostly because it really isn't that far out of the realm of possibility.....there really is a volcano under Yellowstone people.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ashfall

Reading this book right now. Mike visited our school too. He is definitly a good author and great person. I cant put this book down and our school is still talking about it. A must read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved it. A must buy for apoc Loved it! A must buy for post apocolyptic fans.

The feeling was interesting and exciting. It has everying to glue the readers eyes in the book.

I really didn't like this book, it was not interesting to me and

I really didn't like this book, it was not interesting to me and the sexual part was weird and it was like 'Hey lets just have sex in my relative house while the world is filled with ashes" like the book to me was weird! :( Sorry

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Absolutely great! Being a huge fan of apocolyptic/dystopian boo

Absolutely great!

Being a huge fan of apocolyptic/dystopian books, I ate this one up. Read it in a few days! Mike does a great job personalizing the characters, and i could picture the ruined world perfectly through his thorough descriptions.

Read this book!

I'm a librarian, This is a wonderful story.

Ashfall is written with the young adult audience in mind but this book will appeal to all ages.

i didn't really get into this book 'til i got to the part where

i didn't really get into this book 'til i got to the part where alex met darla... after that, i can't put this book down. it's a very good read! i can't wait for the second book! i like darla, she's pretty bad-a**!

Hands down one of the best and most realistic reads about an apo

Hands down one of the best and most realistic reads about an apocolyptic event in the near future. Extremely well researched. All I can say is in the event of a supervolcano erruption, find yourself an Alex and Darla to hang with, they're awesome! I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed the marvelous Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi or Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, it's that good!
Eagerly awaiting Volume 2!

Woooooaaaahhhhh

This book had an anexpected start, wich really shook me into wanting to read this, but then i gog more into it and some of it really should have had more og an unexpected, spectacular part that was still realistic

Loved Ashfall

Loved this book....can't wait for Ashen Winter!!

Sarah Smith, Salisbury, md

!!!!!!

Hey guys there actually is a supervolcano under yellowstone national park. No lies. My teacher showed us a video about it. Lookil it up on youtube ir something if you don't believe me.

AMAZING!

The details are perfect! You will be on the edge of your seat the entire time. I read this after completing The Hunger Games Trilogy and this book was perfect! I would highly recommend and alReady have to my own friends, if you liked Hunger Games, this is a must read!!!!

Not what I was expecting!

The action started right away and carried through the book. I read it in a weekend and I look forward to the sequel.

An Amazing Book that is a must read for any reader

This book is amazing.

I had written a long review but lost it due to an issue. So I will attempt this review again.

Having read books such as The Hunger Games Trilogy, Inside Out, The Maze Runner Trilogy, The Gone Series, and Divergent; I can honestly say that this book set a whole new standard.

I was hesitant to read this book due to the lack of reviews and having not seen this book referenced in other sources. This book was a find such that I have not found in any other contemporary literature associated with this genre. With references to BlackWater, World of Warcraft, Homeland Security, The EPA, ArmyCore of Engineers, FEMA, and the Red Cross, this book relates the issues to everything that is currently at the forefront of the headlines of today and the past 20 years or so. However that not to say that this book isn't timeless, quite the contrary. It could have been written during the Roman Empire or a thousand years from now and it would still have been a delightful and exemplary book.

Without giving too much away, I am going to sink my teeth into why this book is so amazing. The book revolves around a likable and well formed protagonist named Alex. Who has his fatal flaws and his own development through the book. I will say now that this book could be used in teaching contemporary literature. Alex, who begins the book with the immediate issue that sets the course of the book. The eruption of the volcano at Yellowstone National Park begins the novel. As with any individual facing a unpredictable natural disaster, Alex and his fellow survivors know almost nothing about what is going on. Being a survivor of hurricanes (such as Andrew, Floyd, Alex, and Isabel to name a few) and of other natural disasters (unavoidable living in the Southeast), I have been exposed to situations that are reflected in the novel. The power outages, food issues, and overall loss of daily stability are accurately reflected in Ashfall. While I have not dealt with any disaster even close to the scale that is shown in the book, I felt as though it is completely within the realm of possibility and disasters (such as the 2004 Tsunami, 2010 Hati earthquake, and the 1980 eruption of Mount St.Helens to name a few). This book clearly depicts a doomsday version of a natural disaster.

Having gone completely off topic, I will return to the novel in question. There is nothing particularly unique with Alex as introduced in Ashfall. Alex is a rebellious teenager who fights with his parents and younger sister, plays WoW, and is a black belt in martial arts. His constitution is shattered when he realizes the enormity of the task facing him when he decides to hike to where his family has vacationed at his Uncle’s house. Dealing with solidarity that is promoted by the horrors of his initial exposure to what it takes to survive at his neighbor’s house, he soon is faced with having to realize his need to have a companion on the trip and this is where Darla steps in to the picture. Without giving too much away, she becomes his travel companion once they encounter each other about ¼ of the way into the novel.
What I love about Ashfall is that Mike Mullin does not depict Darla or Alex as being too much of one extreme or another (a shortcoming in the Gone series and the Hunger Games). They both have their own talents that are balanced by the other. It is only at one point in the novel where one is required to be a typical travel buddy (at the FEMA camp). W