From the Bookshelf of Erudite Readers…

Ashfall (Ashfall, #1)

Mike Mullin

Start date: January 1, 2013

Finish date: January 31, 2013

Discussion: Our Favorite Books!

Discussion leader: Jay

Why we're reading this: Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geyser…more
[close] 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.

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What Members Thought

Jul 01, 2011 Rose rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, action, sci-fi, needs-review, tbr-challenge, adventure, survival

Review to come. It took me a while to read this, but holy crud. This was very good. I loved the writing as well as the characterizations here, and...yeah, I'm going to meditate a bit on this before I write my full review. I can't settle on one rating just yet, but I'm definitely following Mike Mullin's series on this. Can't wait to read "Ashen Winter". ...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Jon rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia-post-apocalyptic, science-fiction

I was recommended to read Ashfall a while ago by my friend Jay and I'm really glad I picked it up. Ashfall was simply incredible and haunting novel that really scared the bejesus out of me. Ashfall is one of the most frightening dystopian novels I have read because it could really happen. After reading Ashfall I admit that I have a fear of supervolancoes and Yellowstone Park.

I loved everything about Ashfall! The characters in Ashfall were perfectly and realistically dev ...more

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May 08, 2012 Cee rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, apocalyptic, romance, dystopian

Dystopians seem to be the new vampires. I loved the new trend - but after a while they started to blur together. I think Ashfall which has been published last year is a breath of fresh air in the young-adult genre.

Alex is home alone when the biggest natural disaster of the century happens. He doesn't know it yet, but the Yellowstone supervulcano has erupted, shrouding the sky in darkness and covering the ground with ash. Will Alex be able to find his family? Or will he become one of the many vi Dystopians seem to be the new vampires. I loved the new trend - but after a while they started to blur together. I think Ashfall which has been published last year is a breath of fresh air in the young-adult genre.

Alex is home alone when the biggest natural disaster of the century happens. He doesn't know it yet, but the Yellowstone supervulcano has erupted, shrouding the sky in darkness and covering the ground with ash. Will Alex be able to find his family? Or will he become one of the many victims of the disaster?

Ashfall is a very realistic post-apocalyptic book with dystopian elements. It's one of those books that is so painfully real that it makes you uncomfortable. This could actually happen - there are some notes in the back about the facts that made up this book.

I loved how well-researched this book is. I watched Discovery Channel instead of Disney films when growing up, and a lot of details I encountered in the book made me think "ohh, good job incorporating that into the story!".

Young-adult books are very much dominated by girl point-of-view books. I was happy to see that Mr Mullin not only presented a likeable boy, but also one of the strongest girl love interests I've encountered so far. Darla is a wonderful character. She's literally stronger than Alex which I thought was brilliant, and she's a mechanic that can fix about everything. I'm impressed and a little sad at the same time that a male author writes a better female character than so many female writers.

I've read some complaints that Alex only thought about sex and that he just wanted to do Darla. I completely disagree. He truly cares for her, and sex is secondary to that. I found the relationship between Alex and Darla realistic. Which sixteen and eighteen year olds don't think about sex? In most YA girl point-of-view books sex takes a very background role. They don't think much about it, if at all. I'm not sure why. Is it (still) a taboo subject for girls? Are writers afraid they might come across as sluts? All I know is that the sex part was beautifully handled in Ashfall, and it's safe to read for a slightly younger audience, as the scene fades out before any naked stuff happens.

The dystopian elements is where it went a little bit down-hill for me. In fact, it's probably just a cultural difference between me, a girl from the Netherlands, and the intended audience over there in the States. I'm really not afraid that the government will restrict my movements and that the army kind of takes over the country. I'm not afraid that every person you meet has a gun, because to be honest nobody has a gun here. You would have to import it illegally, and I'm sure that's not going to happen if a volcano goes boom. I'm sure it might be scary for people from the USA, but it's one of those things that doesn't work so well for the people overseas.

I would recommend this book in a second for your son/brother or any other male in your family. About halfway into the book I started poking my boyfriend "Read this! You'll love it!". Girls that like their books dark and realistic, feel free to give it a try too. ...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Courtney rated it really liked it

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I must bow down to you Mr. Mullin, for it takes quite a bit to get my stomach knotting, and you good sir had done just that.

It is hard for me to find a good book with a mail protagonist that i enjoy. Just the feeling of trying to step into shoes that usually are much larger than my own (I have petite feet) is a challenge for myself as a female reader. Gender aside, Alex was an adoring character that had me rooting for him on the sidelines through all hi ...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Rikki rated it liked it

I love the idea of a super volcano, mad dash kick butt riots and all but...Have you asked the question in any book you've read and been all like where in the pickle do these people pee. This is one of the books that answered that question! Thanks Mullin for vividly describing where and how these people pee.... ...more

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