Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Ashfall is an amazingly written novel by Mike Mullin, about two lovers, both struggling to survive the apocalypse. No, not the one with zombies, but more realistic than that. The violent volcanic eruption from Yellowstone had left the state of Iowa buried in the ash. Every single human being was striving toward the one goal: survive.

Humans were no longer humans. We lost our root, the root that had separated us from other species. Humanity. Sure the eruption took away everything, destroyed the old world, the world of food and electronics, but our root was given up by us. We were no longer considerate, caring human beings that we used to be. We are no different from scavengers, from animals. We are all struggling to survive. Yes, but wouldn’t it be easier to put our brains together, consider the predicament, and work it out? But no. We lost our brains. We’d given up our humanity. What do we have to be fond of now?

“For the first time ever, I felt ashamed of my species. The volcano had taken our homes, our food, our automobiles, and our airplanes, but it hadn’t taken our humanity. No, we’d given that up on our own.”


Mike Mullin has an interesting way of writing. He really doesn’t describe the settings or characters that much, but as you read on, you can really sense that you know the characters or the settings and could relate. This book was full of non-stop action, with conflicts and problems around every corner. You can never guess the next situation, because the story is full of twists and action, enough for two books even. Not a single page bored me, and I was totally addicted before the first two chapters even ended. He was also able to add humor once in awhile to lighten up the gloomy mood.


A great book needs great characters to go along with it. Mike Mullin had done just that. He had created two very intelligent characters, both in different ways. Both are mentally strong, though both of their families are missing. One died, and the other was in a different city. Overall, both characters are relatable, easy to understand, and very carefully described.


Ashfall is way too real, especially under the great writing and description of the author. It will be a long time before we smell the reeking odor of sulfur, but Mike Mullin made the story feels as if it could happen any minute, any second. The scariest part ? It could occur some day.