Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Title: Sunrise (Ashfall #3)

Author: Mike Mullin

Publisher: Tanglewood Press 2014

Genre: YA Thriller

Pages: 554

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; 52 Books - W33; Seriously Series; Chunkster

The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions.
When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever—and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.

While I've really enjoyed this series, the last book in the trilogy was a bit of a letdown to me. The writing and storyline were a bit uneven. I found my mind wandering during the story. Bad things keep happening to Alex and company. At a certain point, it almost becomes like a comedy. "Oh the cannibals are attacking again... didn't this happen last week?" And the problem of redundancy got to me at a certain point. I just wanted to find out what happened at the end. I did, and it was fairly satisfying, but wasn't the best book I've ever read.

Ashfall

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

Title: Ashen Winter (Ashfall #2)

Author: Mike Mullin

Publisher: Tanglewood Press 2012

Genre: Post-Apocalypse

Pages: 584

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: YA

How I Got It: Netgalley

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.

I have a major confession to make: I just didn't love this one as much as the first, Ashfall. It had ongoing adrenaline. It had suspense. It had heart. And yet, there was something wrong with it. After spending a few minutes thinking, I finally can down to the conclusion that Alex made one too many stupid decisions. I was excited to see Alex grow as a character throughout the first book. It was something you just don't see in many YA novels. I loved that aspect even more than the natural disaster parts (and I love me some natural disaster stories). So I expected Alex to continue growing throughout the second novel. But it just didn't happen. Starting with his determination to catch the wheat barges on the Mississippi, he continued to make stupid decisions. I just wanted to smack him way too many times. Don't get me wrong, overall I love this series. If there's another book in the series, I will definitely be reading it.

Ashfall

#1 Ashfall
#2 Ashen Winter
#3 Sunrise

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Title: Ashfall (Ashfall #1)

Author: Mike Mullin

Publisher: Tanglewood Press 2011

Genre: Post-Apocalypse

Pages: 476

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: YA

How I Got It: Library Loan

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 the supervolcano 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.

Wow! I think that was the scariest post-apocalypse novel I have ever read. It has everything you would want: romance, thrills, suspense, joy, mystery. I couldn't put it down. In fact, I sped through it in only two days. I didn't think I was going to finish another book for July, but I did. Now I have to revise my monthly wrap-up post. (Such a chore...) Anyway, back to the book. Mullin creates a crazily realistic world after the eruption of a super volcano. I can just imagine the horrors some people would inflict on others just as can imagine the kindness of others (like Elroy and Edna, loved them). It was also a great coming-of-age story. Alex starts the story as a sullen teenager quick to fight with his parents and focus on the trivial. Throughout his journey, every obstacle and accomplishment help him grow into a strong, determined young adult. I loved seeing his changes. Darla is a great foil for Alex. They are so different, and yet find they compliment one another. I can't wait to read what happens in the sequel, Ashen Winter.

Side note: Mullin lists a few great books on super volcanos in the back. I've actually read one of them, Krakatoa. It was an amazingly written account of the legendary eruption gleaned from a variety of sources. I added the other books to my never-ending TBR list.

Ashfall

#1 Ashfall
#2 Ashen Winter
#3 Sunrise