From Goodreads: 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.

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Tanglewood Press has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley, and I must say that I am in LOVE!  This is a wonderful story; it’s a very scary depiction of what could happen if the supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park actually erupts, and Mullin, with his vivid prose and enticing characters, draws the reader in from the very first page.  Unable to call his family, unaware of their well-being, Alex decides to done a pair of skis and sets off for his uncle’s house, a mere three hours by car, and a lifetime on foot.  I found myself captivated by this novel, living the story alongside Alex, rejoicing in his fortunes, and cringing in his defeats.

I honestly felt like I was a part of this novel, that Alex was a friend and we were on the road together.  With ash and snow constantly falling around him, covering the earth and trees in its thick layers, I felt Alex’s pain as he tried to breathe clean air, scrounged for food and clean water, and attempted to stay warm amid the sudden climate shift.  There were times when the situations Alex found himself in sent shivers through me, and times when I was so thankful to have running water, an abundance of food, and heat and air-conditioning… this novel really makes you think and feel, and that’s why I love it so much!

Alex is also an amazing character, he’s kind and compassionate, and I truly enjoyed reading about him.  His companion, Darla, who he meets along the way, is another great character, and I truly loved them both.  This is a phenomenal debut novel—one I think everyone should read, and one I think everyone will enjoy.  I cannot wait for the sequel, Ashen Winter, to be released next fall.  Five stars.  

I was given this novel by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.