Book Review: Ashfall

Ashfall (Ashfall #1)
by Mike Mullin
Hardcover, 466 pages
Expected publication: October 11th 2011 by Tanglewood Press
Source: NetGalley

Summary:

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.

Review:

Ashfall was a real shocker for me. Reading this was a spur of the moment decision, so I wasn't really expecting anything from it. Plus, I kind of didn't like the cover. It looked to me like a MG book. (And I don't dig MG.) So you can only imagine my surprise when I read it and actually really, really, really loved it! I was even reading this while eating! o.o

Ashfall was told from Alex's point of view. (Male POV, yay!) The book starts with a narrative from Alex about how he regretted having a fight with his mom before she, along with his dad and younger sister took off to visit a relative's place, leaving him alone at the house. Later, we find out that the reason why he regretted this was because of the eruption of a supervolcano.

Before the volcano erupted, Alex came off as very bratty and immature. But as Alex became closer to his family, he grew to become mature and responsible. The road to find his family wasn't an easy one though. Along the way, he met a lot of strangers who were driven by hunger and desperation to survive. This was quite violent, really with some reference to cannibalism and rape. I don't dig violence, but I still thoroughly enjoyed Ashfall.

Recommended to older teens and lovers of dystopian/post-apocalyptic books!

Rating: 5/5 stars!!!

Disclosure: This e-ARC was received from the publisher (Tanglewood Press via NetGalley) for free in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Near Witch

The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab
288 pages - Hardcover
Published August 2nd 2011 by Hyperion Books CH
Source: NetGalley

Summary:

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

Review:

This book reminded me of Ally Condie's Matched. Not in terms of characters and plot because they have zero in common. But in terms of writing, both books have SUPERB writing style. (Major, majot emphasis on superb.) But as far as the content goes, Matched and The Near Witch kind of bored me.

The plot was quite slow, and the story has a gloomy atmosphere. Not really my kind of YA. But the dark, mystifying world that Schwab created fit perfectly to the gloomy feel of the book. It was also rather hard to connect with the characters. The plot was a little predictable too. I was hoping that Schwab would use some twist toward the ending, but alas, the book finished with how exactly I thought it was going to be. The only thing that was keeping me from ditching this was Schwab's gorgeous writing style.

If you're into books with fluid, eloquent and superb writing style, I seriously recommend The Near Witch. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Disclosure: This was received from the publisher (Hyperion Books via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

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