Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Sorry, it's been so long since a review.  Things have been so hectic that I did have time to read but I just didn't have enough time to really sit down and write a coherent review.  But I am back now!  Ready and rearing to go!

 

 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. 

Description taken from Goodreads

My Review

Where to begin?  Now, I didn’t hate this book.  Let’s get this right out there.  I did not hate it, but I just really didn’t love it either.  The story is amazing and downright terrifying because it could actually happen.  I mean a super volcano erupting?  That could really happen!   For someone who is obsessed with post apocalyptic and survival stories, I was so excited to read this book.  I was almost downright giddy.  Don’t judge me.  But seriously, this was going to be my book.  THE book.  The one that I was going to talk about to everyone and shove in their faces, making them read it because it was just THAT good.  But sadly, I cannot do that now.  Good for them, bad for me.

The main character, Alex, was likeable but he seemed a tad unrealistic.  He is supposed to be fifteen years old.  Now, I don’t know about you guys, but if this happened to me at fifteen and I was home alone while a super volcano exploded, I wouldn’t even know where to start to be able to survive.  Maybe some of you would but I’m sure the majority of fifteen year olds wouldn’t have a damn clue.  But anyways, he was likeable, it was nice, for once being inside of a male protagonist’s head.  I really don’t think that there are enough of books with a male POV.

We then meet Darla on Alex’s journey to find his parents and little sister.  I am probably in the minority when I say this but I did not like Darla.  I found her to be extremely annoying and her attitude and the way she had a comeback for everything or got all huffy and puffy when Alex didn’t know how to do something reminded me of a thirteen or fourteen year old little girl.  When I found out how old she actually was, I was astounded and a tad bit embarrassed for her.

I did love the relationship between them though.  Not the romance but the relationship.  How they depended so much on each other and how well they worked together when they were on their own was amazing.  The romance though?  Not so amazing.  While it wasn’t insta-love (thank God) it still felt way too soon for them to start something and they both seem way too young.  I mean one minute they are practically starving and running out of food and then they make finding condoms their first priority over finding food. 

I just really couldn’t get over that.

Overall, I enjoyed the story.  Mike Mullin did a terrific job of describing everything and I do mean everything.  A lot of it was just so disturbing but also realistic in the aftermath of a tragedy like this.  Most of it was almost unbearable to read but I got through it and developed a respect for Mr. Mullin who had to write it.  I could definitely picture the destruction and the loss as if I was right there and I have to say that I hope nothing like this ever happens.

If you read and enjoyed Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts or This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers , then you would probably enjoy this book.  All of them share that post apocalyptic feel to them even though these two are more about zombies or zombie like things but they are all about survival.

3 out of 5 hearts 
Also, thank you to Bookworms' Avenue for the copy of this book.  Look out for my review posted on her blog sometime in the near future.  And don't forget to follow her as well, it's the nice thing to do!