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Alex and Darla are survivors in every way possible, but in a world that is dangerous in every way possible, it is hard to maintain hope of one day returning to living, not surviving. In Mike Mullin's Ashfall series finale, Sunrise, he brings the incredible story home in a way that couldn't be more perfect.
After setting off to find his parents, losing Darla to flensers (cannibals), being a prisoner in a FEMA camp, finding his parents, finding Darla, and losing his father in the battle to save her, Alex knows all to well how ugly this world can be. He has returned to his uncle's farm outside Warren with his damaged mother, Darla, and a few others in tow. What he returns to is just as grim as his travels. The neighboring town, Stockton, is being run by a ruthless maniac named Red. Red might be insane, but he smart. That level of intelligence combined with such insanity is a dangerous combination. When Stockton takes all Warren's food stock including enough pork to last the town for the foreseeable future, Alex knows he must get it back. Unfortunately, the mayor of Warren is more concerned with his own ego than a smart strategy, and he leads his people into an ambush. When Alex takes charge and manages to recover most of the pork, he has not only made an enemy in Red, but also in the mayor.
Alex understands his uncle's farm is too isolated, unprotected, and dangerous, but so is Warren. He tries to convince the town to protect itself, but he meets nothing but opposition. While he wants to protect everyone he can, he realizes he isn't going to risk his own life or the lives of those he loves trying to reason with people who don't want to listen. Alex is determined to find a way to increase his food production, create a surplus even, and find a way where they can survive without having to fear for their lives each and every day. What he doesn't expect is that in this new world, it doesn't matter how old you are. People look up to you, respect you, and put their lives in your hands if they believe in you. And it is hard not to believe in a young man like Alex.
When I first read Ashfall, I was blown away. Knocked on my literary behind! This story was absolutely phenomenal; in a genre full of stories just like it, it was a shining star. Ashen Winter was just as striking. And now Sunrise has left me devastated. It's over! Sunrise was such an impossibly perfect ending to this series that I am sobbing in my cocoa about the fact that we will never have another Ashfall story again! It is like Mullin knew exactly what I wanted from this story and delivered it like a true master. I mean, I knew this man was a heavyweight in the genre, but he just elevated himself to a class unto his own with this finale!
The progression of the story through the three books starts with Ashfall as the catastrophe novel. Then Ashen Winter is the survivor's novel. And finally, Sunrise is the novel of hope, healing, and moving on. That isn't to say there isn't a graphic and violent portrayal of life in this post-apocalyptic world, because this book is just as shocking and horrific as the first two, but it has a different message. This book brings the series full circle into a place where you wanted and needed it to go. It also allows the children of this new world to grow into their shoes the way they were meant to. Alex was just a bratty kid when the volcano blew. By the end, he is a man to be proud to stand beside. It was an amazing transition, and I feel honored to have witnessed it in this character, among others. But alongside Alex and Darla and the others you come to love and hold your breath when they find themselves in precarious situations, you are also confronted with the absolute worst examples of society. It is disturbing to see people act like these do, but you know as well as I do that they would be there, most likely profiting, in a post-apocalyptic world.
Mullin's prowess as a storyteller, however, is that despite the dark and ugly side of humanity, you still find hope and humanity around every corner. Sure people are skeptical, but they can still turn out to be good people, great even, when given the opportunity. As dark as this series can get, there is always that restored faith in humanity that brings you back for more. When I got my hands on this book, I was so excited I abandoned a book I was 2/3 finished with. This series has made such an impact on me that I refused to wait even a day before starting it. I waited long enough between the last book and this one, that I couldn't wait another minute! So, thank you, Mr. Mullin. You brought to our shelves a story that is sure to cause irreparable damage because nothing will ever be able to live up to its greatness!
Alex and Darla made it through the insanity following the volcano in Yellowstone blowing, but they were far from unscathed. In Mike Mullin's Ashen Winter, Alex and Darla will risk their lives again (and again and again) for each other and for a little sense of normalcy in the madness they now call life.
The world is cold. With a year long winter after the eruption, the snow continues to fall and people struggle to stay alive, let alone stay warm. Even though they feel relatively safe at their aunt and uncle's house, there is something missing: Alex's parents. Before he and Darla arrived, his parents head left to look for him, heading out into the post-apocalyptic wake left by the volcano. Now Alex is convinced he has to go look for them. Knowing all the dangers out there, he is terrified to think of his parents all alone searching for him. Despite trying to convince Darla to stay behind, she won't leave Alex's side. Together they set off on a fool's mission against all kinds of monsters and demons... unfortunately, these are the incredibly human variety.
They don't make it far before they encounter trouble. The world has taken a deep turn for the worse and the reality of that fact doesn't take long to soak in. They don't take unnecessary risks, but still, it isn't long before Alex's inability to sit by and watch an ambush of cannibals against innocent people leads to an accident where Darla is shot, falls off an overpass, and lands on top of the cannibals' truck. Alex will do anything to get Darla back, even if it means abandoning hope of finding his parents. But his travels are dangerous and give him an unwanted view of the way the world is, complete with kidnapping, rape, slavery, and most repulsive, the trafficking in human meat. Will Alex save Darla, or is he doomed to lose everyone he loves in this frozen, ash-covered world?
I must warn you that if you aren't prepared for a dark post-apocalyptic story, this isn't the series for you. It is brilliant and realistic, but it is certainly mature. If you question a student's ability to handle this dangerous and violent world, I would save it for when they are a little bit older. That being said, this is an amazing portrayal of what could really happen if the supervolcano were to blow. Do you think it would be all kittens and tulips? Then you would probably be one of the first to go at the hands of flensers or bandits. So, I have to say that while I would choose the student to pass this series onto carefully, I would be sure the right student would be just as enthralled with it as I was.
Since the first book, the situation has gotten worse. And why wouldn't it? Are our governments really so selfless that they wouldn't tuck and run as everything swirled down the toilet? But the thing I love the most is these characters. Even though Alex wants nothing to happen to Darla, he can't seem to help himself from sticking his neck out for other people. And there are others, too. People they come across who are willing to help others, and it is those people who will struggle with this new world the most. They will crave teh morals of a world that has passed and despise the new world order that makes them a dying species. It is a terrifying and fascinating examination of the human species, and I will bet you won't be able to stop thinking about it when you finish the book. I know I couldn't. So if you are a fan of serious post-apocalyptic literature, pick up this series. You won't be sorry. But you might be terrified. I certainly was.
On the front cover of this book, Michael Grant is quoted as saying, "The scariest apocalypse is one that could really happen." He is so terrifyingly correct. When we think about an apocalypse, we like the comfort that it won't happen. With Ashfall, by Mike Mullin, you won't have that comfort. In fact, it will make you incredibly uncomfortable and terrified all in one fell swoop... and you will love every minute of it!
Alex is excited for a weekend in the house alone while his family goes to his uncle's farm in Illinois. What he doesn't expect is a chunk of flaming rock to be hurled 900 miles from Yellowstone National Park where the supervolcano has finally blown. What was supposed to be a fun, independent weekend has become the end of life as Alex knew it. After he escapes the burning wreckage of his house, he stays with his neighbors while the terrifying explosions of the volcano continue. But after a few days, when looters attack the house and his neighbor kills them, Alex knows he must find his family (and hopefully escape the madness). Unfortunately, with ash falling steadily and crushing buildings and cars, the couple hour car ride seems like an eternity away. Alex grabs his father's old cross country skis and starts his journey.
Along the way he encounters some kind people, lots of terrified people (many with guns) and a few maniacs. When Alex is attacked by a madman with a hatchet named Target, he gets away but is gushing blood from his ribcage. He falls into a barn, and luckily it was the right barn. Darla and her mother find Alex and put him back together. He stays with them for a while, but when Target returns, Alex knows he must go back to his journey to find his family. With nothing left, Darla joins him on the terrifying journey, but will they make it back to Alex's family?
This was an amazing example of post-apocalyptic literature, and a boundary breaking example of young adult literature. The circumstances of the story are of course terrifying, but Mullin doesn't hold back when he tells the tale of what will really happen to a lone teenager when the world falls apart. There is rape, starvation, accidents, violence, and all of it could and would really happen. This book grabs the reader from the first page and doesn't let go even as you finish the last page. It is a book young adults will appreciate because it speaks to them like adults. There is no sugar-coating in this story, no fluff. Just cold, hard reality that will put a knot in your stomach. We all know teenagers can smell condescension from a mile away, and this book is anything but. It will make young readers feel adult and mature while still being accessible for young adult reading levels.
The book is very mature and might be best left for grades 10 and up. I would give it to a younger student only if I was sure they could handle the mature subject matter. Nothing in the book is gratuitous or melodramatic. It is just stark, simple and realistic. Yes there are rape and murder scenes, but they are handled tactfully. Don't ignore this book because it is mature. Pick it up or give it to a student because it is written with respect to young adults as people- not kids- who can handle mature situations. This is one of the best PA stories I have read in a long time, and waiting until October 2012 for the sequel is going to be pure torture!
