Library's review
NOTE: This review covers the first two books in the trilogy.
A young adult dystopia series about what happens when the (real) supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park erupts and sends a huge ash cloud drifting eastward. The main character is Iowa teenager Alex, who is home alone when the
The first book, Ashfall, follows Alex's desperate attempt to travel solo to Illinois to reunite with his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives when the disaster struck. The sequel, Ashen Winter, finds Alex and his mechanically inclined girlfriend, Darla, setting off again on another search-and-rescue mission.
This series illustrates one of the hazards of reading YA fiction when you are no longer YA yourself: Telling the story from a teenager's point of view meant that too many elements that would have truly interested me, like the science of how the ash cloud affected the region's weather, and more mature interpersonal dynamics, were sacrificed in favor of a pretty lame romance that didn't even have the redeeming quality of being spicy.
My main interest in reading these books was for their Iowa setting, since that is where I have lived for lo these many years, but the descriptions never gave me a true sense of place that seemed familiar. Also, while I realize that part of the whole point of YA fiction is to show kids being all smart and savvy without adult supervision or help, the notion that two teenagers would be able to do what Alex and Darla did without getting killed in the first five minutes of any one of their various adventures strained credulity to the breaking point.
Having said all that, there is apparently a third and final book in the series coming out next spring, and I'll probably look for it at the library. If you like dystopias and YA fiction, you may find this series worth your time.
A young adult dystopia series about what happens when the (real) supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park erupts and sends a huge ash cloud drifting eastward. The main character is Iowa teenager Alex, who is home alone when the
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eruption disruption occurs. The first book, Ashfall, follows Alex's desperate attempt to travel solo to Illinois to reunite with his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives when the disaster struck. The sequel, Ashen Winter, finds Alex and his mechanically inclined girlfriend, Darla, setting off again on another search-and-rescue mission.
This series illustrates one of the hazards of reading YA fiction when you are no longer YA yourself: Telling the story from a teenager's point of view meant that too many elements that would have truly interested me, like the science of how the ash cloud affected the region's weather, and more mature interpersonal dynamics, were sacrificed in favor of a pretty lame romance that didn't even have the redeeming quality of being spicy.
My main interest in reading these books was for their Iowa setting, since that is where I have lived for lo these many years, but the descriptions never gave me a true sense of place that seemed familiar. Also, while I realize that part of the whole point of YA fiction is to show kids being all smart and savvy without adult supervision or help, the notion that two teenagers would be able to do what Alex and Darla did without getting killed in the first five minutes of any one of their various adventures strained credulity to the breaking point.
Having said all that, there is apparently a third and final book in the series coming out next spring, and I'll probably look for it at the library. If you like dystopias and YA fiction, you may find this series worth your time.
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Series
Collection
Description
After the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister, trying to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.
Awards
Soaring Eagle Book Award (Nominee — 2016)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2014)
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Honor Book — 2014)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2014)
Gateway Readers Award (Nominee — 3rd Place — 2014)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Recommended — 2014)
Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists (Finalist — 2012)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2015)
Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers (Nominee — 2014)
Delaware Diamonds Award (Winner — Grades 9-12 — 2013)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2012)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Teens (Fiction — 2011)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2012)
Language
Original publication date
2011-09-27