The Best Reader + weekend

Ashfall — Mike Mullin

"I can't recommend this book enough. I loved absolutely everything about it and can't wait for the second book!" — Miss Remmers

Release Date: October 14th, 2011
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Challenges: Dystopian Challenge, 2011 DAC, 100+ Challenge,

"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."

Wow. Can I just start by saying this book rocked my socks off! I mean, WOW! Captivating from the very first chapter, this book is unlike any other I've read. While it's dystopian, it has nothing to do with a dystopian government (until the corruption begins) and centers around the environment. The pacing of the novel is complete perfection; whenever a scene track would become dull or lose it's intenseness there was twist or surprise. The character growth was fantastic and believable and the plot progression was completely realistic and heartbreaking. It's crazy how quick society can turn against each other isn't it!
And Darla! Oh, how I loved Darla! Plus, you can tell Mike Mullin is a complete romantic. The book is dedicated to his own "Darla" and in the acknowledgements there is a very sweet and heartwarming note as well. I love real-life love stories!
Anyway, back on track — this book was absolutely fantastic. I will be purchasing a copy for the husband as he will just devour it and I've already emailed the school librarian to get copies on hand as this book will be featured during my classes today during Recreational Reading. I mean, I can't recommend this book enough and it seems I can't stop talking about it to anyone who will listen. I loved absolutely everything about it and can't wait for the second book!
If you loved "The Day After Tomorrow" — this is your book!:)
-Visit Mike around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
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To the FTC, with love: eARC from Netgalley

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Ashfall — Mike Mullin + weekend