Review of Ashfall

This book is amazing.

I had written a long review but lost it due to an issue. So I will attempt this review again.

Having read books such as The Hunger Games Trilogy, Inside Out, The Maze Runner Trilogy, The Gone Series, and Divergent; I can honestly say that this book set a whole new standard.

I was hesitant to read this book due to the lack of reviews and having not seen this book referenced in other sources. This book was a find such that I have not found in any other contemporary literature associated with this genre. With references to BlackWater, World of Warcraft, Homeland Security, The EPA, ArmyCore of Engineers, FEMA, and the Red Cross, this book relates the issues to everything that is currently at the forefront of the headlines of today and the past 20 years or so. However that not to say that this book isn't timeless, quite the contrary. It could have been written during the Roman Empire or a thousand years from now and it would still have been a delightful and exemplary book.

Without giving too much away, I am going to sink my teeth into why this book is so amazing. The book revolves around a likable and well formed protagonist named Alex. Who has his fatal flaws and his own development through the book. I will say now that this book could be used in teaching contemporary literature. Alex, who begins the book with the immediate issue that sets the course of the book. The eruption of the volcano at Yellowstone National Park begins the novel. As with any individual facing a unpredictable natural disaster, Alex and his fellow survivors know almost nothing about what is going on. Being a survivor of hurricanes (such as Andrew, Floyd, Alex, and Isabel to name a few) and of other natural disasters (unavoidable living in the Southeast), I have been exposed to situations that are reflected in the novel. The power outages, food issues, and overall loss of daily stability are accurately reflected in Ashfall. While I have not dealt with any disaster even close to the scale that is shown in the book, I felt as though it is completely within the realm of possibility and disasters (such as the 2004 Tsunami, 2010 Hati earthquake, and the 1980 eruption of Mount St.Helens to name a few). This book clearly depicts a doomsday version of a natural disaster.

Having gone completely off topic, I will return to the novel in question. There is nothing particularly unique with Alex as introduced in Ashfall. Alex is a rebellious teenager who fights with his parents and younger sister, plays WoW, and is a black belt in martial arts. His constitution is shattered when he realizes the enormity of the task facing him when he decides to hike to where his family has vacationed at his Uncle’s house. Dealing with solidarity that is promoted by the horrors of his initial exposure to what it takes to survive at his neighbor’s house, he soon is faced with having to realize his need to have a companion on the trip and this is where Darla steps in to the picture. Without giving too much away, she becomes his travel companion once they encounter each other about ¼ of the way into the novel.
What I love about Ashfall is that Mike Mullin does not depict Darla or Alex as being too much of one extreme or another (a shortcoming in the Gone series and the Hunger Games). They both have their own talents that are balanced by the other. It is only at one point in the novel where one is required to be a typical travel buddy (at the FEMA camp). What I mean by a typical travel buddy is one that goes with the expectations of being either too weak or strong in moral character as is shown by many other authors (Maria V. Snyder and Michael Grant come to mind).
I cannot stress how amazing this novel is and highly recommend it.

I will also most likely edit this review seeing as it is my first attempt at a comprehensive review. Comments and flames are more than welcomed.