Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Series: Ashfall (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: adventure, cannibals, climate change, post-apocalyptic, survival, thriller, winter, love

Setting: Northwestern Illinois (Warren, IL, Stockton, Rockford…)

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Alex (male POV)

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 542 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover 

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing

Summary/ product description: “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.

This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.”

My Review: Wow, what an epic finale! This series has been so intense and I can’t believe it’s over. It’s chop-full of gruesome and thrilling events. There’s fighting and action. Survival is probably the most prominent part of this series. You can learn a lot about survival just by reading this series. If Yellowstone ever blew up for real, you’d probably want these books as a guide to surviving the volcanic apocalypse.

And even more awesome is that this book takes place in Illinois, where I live! I live in Warrenville, not Warren, which is close to Dubuque and Galena, not Naperville and West Chicago like I am. I’ve been in that area and this series has a personal connection. When a dystopian series takes place in Illinois, like Divergent did, I can’t help wanting to go to the places mentioned. The author is from Indiana, and I like that he took real towns and places into account and integrated it into the story. Below are Google Earth images of Warren.

I love Alex and Darla. I ship the so much. Alex is a great guy and narrator of the story. He’s realistic and never mean, but sometimes likes to tease. Darla is a genius at anything mechanical or engineering related. It she has the information and know how, she could do it. She’s very strong and independent and seems to be the one taking care of Alex in these books, but when she reaches a low point, Alex is able to cheer her up. They contrast each other, but they both are loyal and get along. I enjoy their banter and teasing the most though.

The book was never boring, even when long periods of time are skipped over and just explained in a diary-like way. It manages to have just enough information. All the survival information keeps us interested and we don’t get bored finding out about the greenhouses they build, or Darla’s Bikezillas. It add to the world building, even if this is near-future post-apocalyptic. We can relate to the characters. I also loved that the chapters were kept short. This kept the story moving faster. If it was all solid text with no chapter breaks, then a book this long would seem daunting and you might just skim it.

The pacing is perfect. I can’t believe it’s over. It ended at a good point, but I want to know what happens next. The book takes place over 2 years of time, so it’s a long timeline already. I can’t believe some of the stuff that happened. One event especially grossed me out. My hand started aching just thinking about it. That’s one thing I wish didn’t happen in the book, but it did add to the story. It’s realistic that bad things happen when people don’t get along with each other.

If you have not read Ashfall then you are missing out. This is the best apocalyptic/post-apocalytic dystopian series I’ve read about survival. If you read Life As We Knew (The Last Survivors series by Susan Beth Pfeffer) then this is similar, but from a male POV. Also if you read Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne, also similar. If you can’t get enough dystopian or sci-fi, then this series is a must read. Now with all three books out, you don’t have to wait to book binge the whole series! I

Cover Art Review: The cover is perfect for the book. The book actually mentions that Darla pictured Alex holding her left hand with his right and getting married.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

Series: Ashfall (bk. 2)

Genera: Dystopian Sci-fi (post-apocalyptic)

Subjects: Volcanic ash, climate change, survival, love, winter

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 567 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.95

Publisher: Tanglewood

Summary/ product description: “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.”

My Rating: êêêê 1/2

My Review: Though Ashen Winter is over 100 pages more than Ashfall, it’s still just as awesome and action packed. I love Alex and Darla’s relationship and not happy when Darla was captured. They are one of my favorite kick-butt couples in YA. I also love the setting. I live in Illinois and was easily able to picture the post-volcanic winter landscape (especially since that blizzard in Feb, 2010!). I’ve actually been to the area in the book. And I found out Warren, IL is real! I looked it up on Google Earth. I live in Warrenville, which is in Chicagoland. Now I want to go back and see Apple River Canyon (also real) and the Quad Cities This story hit close to home-literally. I just hope Yellow Stone never really erupt. I do not want to end up in one of those camps!

So Alex and Darla go looking for Alex’s parents. They run into about a million problems and set-backs along the way. Alex really should shut up and take Darla’s advice. She’s pretty freakin’ smart. They have a crazy time crossing the Mississippi. They have some bike with skis they call “Bikezilla.” The chase scene in the frozen river is really crazy.

Later on in the book, we meet some new characters. One of them know a ton about guns and military stuff. He gets Alex out of trouble a few times. Alex goes after Darla, and everyone is trying to stop him because they think she’s already dead. Alex is a tough fighter, so I believed in him. But even more adventures happen. This book is like some crazy epic saga. Like the Odyssey of a post-apocalyptic future. I love it so much. Did I mention the cannibal gangs? Yeah. Not zombies. People surviving by eating people.  I also hope that doesn’t happen for real.

And the ending is epic. The way they go after Darla. There’s a lot of spoilery stuff I’m not gonna mention.

I love this series also because of its realistic survival information. I learned enough from the first book (and now probably forgot it) and this book have even more information. The author make everything so realistic. From the setting, to the character to the things that happen to the characters. All the injuries and gory details. The fact that guns don’t always work right away because Alex keeps forgetting the safety or magazine. I remember a scene from in Camp Galena from Ashfall that grossed me out. The mass toilet. You know what I mean.

Overall, great sequel! Wonder if the next book will be the last book. I’m sure it will be just as epic either way. If Yellowstone blows up for real, I’ll be glad I read these books. But I may wish that I bought them/owned them. I think I’m gonna have to find some Kale seed just in case this 2012 stuff really happens. Lol. It won’t. I know it.

Cover Art Review: Not as good as the 1^st book’s cover. The hands are nice. The cover is very texture heavy. It’s fitting, but not as great as Ashfall’s cover.

 

~Haley G

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Series: Ashfall (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi, dystopian

Subjects: Volcanic ash, climate change, survival, love

Length: 456 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet. 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.”

My Rating: ê ê ê ê

My Review: The books started out well, but became slow once Alex set out on his journey. Mostly because the lack of dialog and the diary-like narration. It was always about was he ate, where he slept, what he saw…and it got interesting when he met people. Later on when Darla comes in it’s more exciting. Also, this story is pretty gruesome in parts. It talks a lot about bathroom needs and bunny killing…I was pretty grossed out a few times. This is not really a kids book, I’ll tell you that. The survival stuff is pretty interesting. I love Alex’s alternative way of travel: cross country skis. Who knew they’d be more use that a car during an ashfall? Obviously the author did. He’s pretty clever.

A bit about the setting. Cedar Falls, Iowa is by Waterloo. Yes, it is real and it is over 100 miles from Galena. Wow, what a long trek! But Warren, Illinois, seriously? There is no Warren, IL (just Warren, MI) I live in Warrenville, IL, and that's right near Naperville, not the Wisconsin boarder or Galena. It was kind of freaky to see Warren, Illinois and keep thinking Warrenville. If this ever happens for real, then at least I’ll know that’s it’s gonna be worse a state over. That’s another thing. This book is scarily realistic. Now I’m gonna be all paranoid about the super volcano. (And I’m already paranoid about nuclear explosions and the nuclear power plant that’s like 60 miles away. More things to be afraid of).

Let’s just say I enjoyed this book in the hanging-on-to-the-edge-of-my-seat-with-fear sort of way. (Kind of like Life As We Knew It, but that was about the moon, not a volcano). The book is worth a read if you’re into the post-apocalyptic genera. And sorry, no zombies. Lol.

Cover Art Review: When I fist saw it I thought it was a kid’s book and not YA. It looks like a painting, and the boys face in the mirror looks very young. But the new, real cover, it’s pretty well done, though. Lots of ash.
old cover:











~Haley G