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Monday, January 23, 2012

Review: Ashfall (Ashfall #1) by Mike Mullin

Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Published: October 11, 2011
Pages: 466
Source: Won from "That's Swell!" (thank you!)
Rating: 4 Stars


Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

In short: Ashfall by Mike Mullin presents a very real and scary post-apocalyptic setting, one which showcases the very best and the very worst of humanity in equal amounts, at every turn.
A supervolcano erupts, plunging North America into darkness and a deluge of ash. There is mass chaos as people struggle to find shelter and food in an atmosphere of so much destruction. This is something author Mike Mullin does very well in Ashfall: both the science behind such a destructive explosion and the actions people take in such an intense post-apocalyptic setting were very realistic and well done. Ashfall showcases the very best and the very worst in people; you are equally as likely to run into a good and honourable person as you are a bad and nefarious one.

I adored Alex, the protagonist of Ashfall. Though inherently nerdy and a bit ungrateful towards his family in the beginning, he soon learns after being separated from them that he shouldn't have taken them for granted and treks 100 miles across the country to be reunited with them. Alex is one of the most moral and noble characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. Even in the face of extreme danger and hunger, he manages to put others before himself and does the honourable thing. I was also pleased that Mike Mullin had written a male character with legitimate male feelings towards sex. Too often the male narrators I read about have only the very most chaste thoughts about girls and sex, which is frankly ridiculous.

My one quibble with Ashfall was the writing style. There were an excessive amount of details, everything from every step taken to prepare a rabbit for a meal to every bathroom break taken, which seemed unnecessary and pointless. At 466 pages, Ashfall was a lengthy read that could have easily been edited and made shorter, I feel. I will say this though: despite the excessive details, I was never bored. Mike Mullin maintains the action and intrigue throughout Ashfall, which I appreciated.

Overall, Ashfall was a very realistic post-apocalyptic read with a lovable and moral narrator. Ashfall is in stores now and the sequel, Ashen Winter, will be published in October 2012.

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Author Links:

*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge

36 comments :

  1. Sounds like an interesting book although I'm not into post-apocalyptic stories. The writing style would be frustrating. Especially if it's a "boy" book. So many boys are reluctant readers. It would be hard to get them interested in a book they might otherwise like if it's too wordy.
    Lovely review!

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    1. Hmm, yeah perhaps you're right. Though, I do know that my bf read it before me and liked it too (even though he had the same problem with the writing). Perhaps younger boys would have problems staying invested.

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  2. I love the cover of this book and it sounds really good !! I love post-apocalptic novels so I definitely should give a shot to this one :) !!
    Thanks for the review :)

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    1. I hope you like it! I like the cover too, though at no point in the book does that cover scene occur.

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  3. Great review Aylee I LOVED this book it'S one of my top reads of last year. Alex was a wonderful MC. Glad you enjoyed it too! :D

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

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    1. I'm happy people really seemed to enjoy this one too as the Mike Mullin seems like a really great guy. I wouldn't say it was one of my top reads of last year, but it was my favourite post-apoc of the year.

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  4. Yay! Happy you liked Ashfall! I agree with the imposing length but also with the incredible atmosphere. I could vividly see the ash clouds and frankly it was terrifying. So excited for Ashen Winter!

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    1. Yeah, the benefit of tons of detail is that the description was very detailed as well, making for a vivid atmosphere - and a terrifying one it was too. I didn't feel the length of the book too badly, thankfully. It seemed to move pretty fast, I thought.

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  5. I really enjoyed this one as well Aylee! I agree with you on Alex, I loved the realism of him and how he would sometimes have these random wayward thoughts that would just make me giggle! I agree with you on the excessive details, but like you I was never bored while reading them. Really outstanding review Aylee:)

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    1. Aww, I loved that about Alex too. So nerdy and adorable. And I loved his transformation into a true survivor, too. I don't think the excessive details needed to be there, but I was surprised that I never felt bored despite them. Thank you so much! :)

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  6. Very interesting review! I was one of the few people who only managed to get 100 pages in before giving up. But, you've got me wondering if I should pick it up again...

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    1. I enjoyed Ashfall too. It had one of the most interesting post apocalyptic premises, and I liked how even the easiest of chores became huge deals within one night. Alex was simply adorable, and there were scenes in the book where I found myself really rooting for him, really caring, which is sort of uncommon for me. Great review!

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    2. Hmm, yeah I would give it a go if you have the time. I do remember liking it quite a bit more than I did in the beginning once I'd gotten past the introduction.

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    3. Varsha: Yeah, it truly was a unique premise when it comes to post-apocalyptics (at least, I don't think this subject has really been explored before...). Ah yes, the trials and tribulations of even the most simplest tasks in in post-apocalyptic setting. That was done well. I seriously would not be able to survive. I look forward to seeing Alex again in Ashen Winter! Thanks for reading!

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  7. Hey Homefry! Where ya been?

    I couldn't help snorting about the bathroom break details...since readers are usually not privy to that amount of information, and for good reason.

    But if you adored Alex, then I have no doubt I will too. It's a rare treat to read about a male protag in YA, so I'm looking forward to trekking through bathroom breaks with him. ;)

    On second thought, that just sounds gross, so ignore me.

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    1. Busy! I know, I know, lame excuse because everyone's busy and yet somehow people who lead busy lives still manage to post multiple times a week. I will try for one post a week, how about? That seems like a good goal (even if it's a lame one by other people's standards).

      And LOL! Funnily enough, I was willing to trek through bathroom breaks with him. If he had been an unlikeable protag, I would definitely not have been so tolerant.

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  8. Sounds like a good read! I kind of appreciate Mike Mullin's attention to detail (I do find myself curious about when characters get the chance to go to the bathroom or take a nap), but sometimes it can get to be too much. :P Great review, Aylee!

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    1. I know what you mean. Sometimes it's like, "Wait, when do they have time to take bathroom breaks within all this action?", so it was nice to see that Mike Mullin had sorted out that problem.

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  9. I think I had heard of this one before, but never read a detailed review.
    I think it sounds really interesting, but I can see how the excessive use of detail can make the read feel a bit lengthy

    Reading about the Volcano would probably freak me out though because I live somewhat near a couple of volcanos and actually once when I was in middle school we had an ashfall that reached the city and it was WAY weird. .

    LOL.

    =)
    Anyway, sorry for the rambling and thanks for the review.

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    1. Interesting! That would be cool to witness... if you were a safe distance away. But otherwise, that would really freak me out, especially after reading this book! I like your rambling! :)

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  10. All the reviews I've seen have mentioned how Mullin has done a good job of depicting people at their best and worst. I'm not much of a post-apocalyptic fan but this sounds worth a read despite its length and excessive detail. Plus, you mentioned the science is realistic - that's always something I like seeing in a book.

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    1. If you can find time for it, then I would recommend it. It does fly by pretty quickly despite the length. There are some pretty serious scenes - as you might expect from a post-apocalyptic - but I was pleased that Mullin included some truly heart-warming scenes as well. It took me aback, because I wasn't expecting people to react so nicely, but it was a nice break from the stress of the novel.

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  11. I have been itching to read this one. It kinda terrifies me though because with all the earthquakes and tsunamis and volcanic eruptions we've had in the last decade, something like this seems eerily possible.

    Still gonna read it, tho!


    Smiles!
    Lori

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    1. The vivid atmosphere described in Ashfall is truly terrifying. But as I understand it, the odds of the supervolcano erupting are actually pretty unlikely. At least in our - and indeed, humanity's - lifetime. Thank goodness! :)

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  12. I really wanted to read this one when I first read the synopsis but was quite intimidated by the page count. I didn't know if it would be a good enough story to keep my attention for that long. I think I will give it a shot now. Sounds really good and I do love a good post-apocalyptic story.
    Thanks for the review :)

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    1. I wasn't sure it was going to be able to hold my attention for so long either and was pretty reluctant going into it. But I was very surprised how fast it moved and how fast I made it through it. I do recommend it! Thanks for reading :)

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  13. I'm glad you enjoyed Ashfall. I can't wait to see what the author does with the rest of the series. :)

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    1. Yeah, me too. It was upsetting when he finally reached his destination and his parents weren't there!

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  14. Thanks for linking up my review. It always flatters me. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

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    1. Aw, it's no problem. I love linking up reviews that I enjoyed and found helpful.

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  15. You are my go-to blogger for dystopian and post-apocalyptic books. :) I have a copy of this, so I'm happy to see you rate it so high.

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    1. Aw, thanks. I'm not so confident that you'll absolutely love this one. I think there's a possibility that you might be put off by the writing style and might DNF it early on if you don't have patience...

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  16. A friend gave me her copy last week and said I had to read it because it's so good. I'm glad you liked it, too. Guess that means I better get on that! lol

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    1. I hope you love it too! It's so nice seeing it get so many great reviews. Though I can think of a few people who didn't like it so much though.

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  17. Another novel I wasn't sure I would ever want to read. But I am curious about the transformation you describe in your review. Maybe in the spring once school is done.

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    1. You don't have to make this one a priority, certainly. You could try it out if you have the time, otherwise it would not be a huge deal to skip it, I think. Take it or leave it.

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