'Ashfall' by Mike Mullin

Length: 466 pages (hardcover)
Expected publication: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Source: netgalley.com
Overall rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Lately I have really been into stories of survival in crazy situations and this is no exception. 'Ashfall' follows the story of Alex after a supervolcano erupts at Yellowstone National Park. As ash covers the ground and threatens to destroy everything, Alex travels through it all, hoping to reach his parents. He travels hundreds of miles, coming across situations he never thought he would have to deal with.

I really loved the concept of the this story, it was a great depiction of what people will do to survive. It brought out the real sides of the character and let the reader see who they really were. I really liked watching the progression of the main character Alex and seeing how he changed and adapted to an environment he wasn't ready for.

Another character I really enjoyed was Darla. I found it very refreshing that she was a strong person on her own and knew how to take care of herself. She took charge and stood up for herself, a great change of pace from many other teenage female characters.

I also really enjoyed the research Mullin pulled into my this as realistic as it was. I had never even heard of a supervolcano before and loved that he decided to dedicate a part of the book to giving some information on them. I had never even read a book about a eruption, so I was glad to have some background to help me understand things like the darkest and high pitch noise in the story.

One aspect that I wasn't in love with had to do with the rate of progression of the story. About half way through I started to feel that nothing had really changed and he may have been closer to where he was going, but the same things would continue to happen to him. He would travel on the ash and then right when he ran out of resources, he would come across a house or church that was willing to help him.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book, just wish a wider variety of things happened early on. The second half was very good though and I would recommend it to dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories. This definitely one to get your hands on soon.

[An ebook copy of this book was provided by the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for my honest thoughts, opinions, and overall review. I received no compensation for this review.]