Monday, August 15, 2011

Review: Ashfall by: Mike Mullin



ReadingNook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
It has taken me a few days to be able to put my thoughts together enough to write this review, and I still don't think i'll be able to do this book justice. Mike Mullin made me reminesce to my past of why I fell in love with reading in the first place. I'm sure you guys have all heard of/read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. This book had that feel for me, and as a young girl that book had a huge impact on my love for reading. The theme of survial of the fittest, and going to extreme measure to survive captivated me from the very first page. This book also reminding me of the movie, Dante's Peak which growing up was one of my favorite movies. Now let me say this book is extremely original and i've never read anything that came close to the subject matter of this book.

This book follows a young boys journey through the devastating aftermath of a supervolcano that has erupted in Yellowstone National Park. As soon as I heard the synopsis for this book, I knew I needed to read it, because anything dealing with natural disasters and disasters in general always peak my interest and I love learning about them. Mike Mullin captivated me from the first page, to the very last sentance, and even then I didn't want it to end, and cannot wait for Ashen Winter, which is the sequel due out in Fall of 2012.

This book is not for the faint of heart, and honestly if the protaginists weren't teenagers I would say this book is an adult book strictly because of the content, parts of this book are extremely graphic, but in my opinion extremely neccesary to the overall impact of the book, he makes you really understand the struggles that these survivors go through, and although parts of this novel shook me up, it never felt like it was forced or put into the story simply for dramatic effect.

Mike Mullin literally blew my mind and rocked my socks off with this book. Hands down the best debut i've read all year, dare I say best book i've read all year, and definitely in my top ten books EVER!! This is not a book to pass by. Mike Mullin is a literary superstar and i'm sure he'll be around for a long time to come in the literary world!!


Preorder Ashfall here: Here!!

4 comments:

  1. Wow, great review, thanks Laura! By the way, you can add me to your 2011 Debut Authors Challenge if you like. I'm on the October list. Best -- Mike

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  2. I've seen mixed reviews of this one, but I'm really intrigued by the cover and synopsis. I might just check this one out - thanks for the review!

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  3. I honestly though this book was brilliant!! i loved every minute of it, I would say you should def. read it!!

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  4. It seems all I read lately are zombies, vampires, or, for some reason or other, militarized governments making life unbearable for the masses. A post-super-volcanic dystopia is a new take on what is becoming a crowded genre. The characters are likable, relatable and even lovable. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
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