Ashfall (Ashfall, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Nov 05, 2011 D.G. rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, reviewed, post-apocalyptic

**4.5 stars**

I'm not much for survivalist kind of books but I loved this one. It scared the hell out me though - I'm really not ready for a situation like this. Thankfully, it's not bound to happen in my lifetime. :)

This is the story of Alex, a typical teenager who has to grow up fast when he finds himself alone in the midst of the biggest natural disaster of his lifetime. He's separated from his family (by his own choice) and now that he doesn't have them, he finds that he misses them terribly. **4.5 stars**

I'm not much for survivalist kind of books but I loved this one. It scared the hell out me though - I'm really not ready for a situation like this. Thankfully, it's not bound to happen in my lifetime. :)

This is the story of Alex, a typical teenager who has to grow up fast when he finds himself alone in the midst of the biggest natural disaster of his lifetime. He's separated from his family (by his own choice) and now that he doesn't have them, he finds that he misses them terribly. He then decides to trek 150 miles to find them and is confronted with the best and worst of humanity.

Although Alex is just 16, this is a really mature sort of YA. The horror of their situation is not glossed over so we know when they are hungry, dirty and even how they manage their bodily functions. There's a lot of fear and the realization that the world as they knew it has ended and that they must be wary of strangers in a way they never were before.

It really touched me how Alex decided to follow his heart and not let himself be swept away by fear. It would have been really easy for him to just look out for himself but he realizes that he's alive because of the kindness of others and he pays it forward when he can even when that's the hard thing to do.

This is not a romance but it has one of the most tender and romantic relationships I've seen in a long time (both in YA and adult fiction.) Physical attraction is not even the first thing for them because really, they are not looking their best. Their relationship is about sharing the good and the bad and just being happy of every minute together, knowing that someone they love has their back and always will. However, they are teenagers in love so of course sex is part of the equation and I loved, simply LOVED, how sex is addressed as something natural and normal. Alex is not the type of asexual teen that can kill a person but never feels anything below the belt like we see in a lot of YA. Instead he's a normal young man who reacts at the proximity of a pretty young woman even in dire situations. :)

I'm really excited to read the sequel...I don't know how much I'll be able to wait before I learn what happens next.

(Provided for review by Tanglewood via netGalley.) ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: nature, young-adult, library, concierge, strong-women, survival, illinois, iowa, post-apocalyptic

3.5***

From the book jacket: Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption. For Alex, being alone for the weekend means freedom from his parents and the chance to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the supe ...more

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Sep 21, 2013 Melissa Wehunt rated it really liked it

I wasn't sure if I should 3 star or 4 star this one...I liked it, I really did. But there was something about it during the first 1/3 of the book that turned me off. I can't really put my finger on what it was...maybe just getting used to the tone of the book...more on that later. I perservered after reading several reviews and I'm glad I did.

The thing is, for the most part, I like almost everything about this book. I like the premise (not just the same vague 'the world is coming to an end but ...more

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Jun 21, 2014 Barbara ★ rated it liked it

Shelves: zz-cover-grey, read-2014, young-adult, post-apocalyptic, challenge-books, x-set-in-usa-iowa

I don't really like post-apocalyptic fiction nor dystopian but I needed to read this book for a challenge (which is how I get stuck reading a lot of stuff I'd rather not read). So please take this review with a grain of salt...a small grain.

I very much enjoyed the first quarter of the book with 15 year old Alex Halprin finally getting to stay home alone for an entire weekend while his family went out of town to visit relatives. His mini-vacation is cut short on the very first day when something ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Samantha rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, fiction, paranormal

It took me awhile to read the last 50 pages, reguardless I really liked this one. I love the growth everyone goes through but especially the main character. Its like this could be future end of the life as we know it thing and I think the author did a great job given that the only supervolcanoes happened before we kept records. read it!

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