Ashfall

This is my THIRD time reading this book and I still couldn't put it down. This young adult novel is so intense and gripping because it's totally plausible. This could absolutely happen. Yellowstone is due to erupt anytime. Mike Mullin enters the young adult dystopian/apocalyptic genre with originality and managed to create one of the most realistic and haunting trilogies of them all.

Fifteen year old Alex is scared, bleeding to death, and lost when he winds up in Darla's barn. He's been journeying through ash and violent weather for days trying to make his way to Illinois where his family is. Ever since the volcano erupted and the world changed it's each man for himself. Alex has to find food and water, learn to trek through the deep ash without breathing it in, and defend himself from dangerous starving people. Will Darla be able to accompany him on this hellish journey? Can they make it?

For fans of the Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent. I will admit, this book is a great "how to" for whenever Yellowstone does erupt. It's full of practical advice and survival skills. Mullin really did his research! The other two books in the trilogy are just as good!