Ashfall

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano.

A volcano 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 left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence.

Alex begins a harrowing trek to search for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.

Young Adult | 476 pages | Ages 14 & up
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-933718-55-2 | $16.95
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-933718-74-3 | $13.99
E-book ISBN: 978-1-933718-61-3 | $9.99
Lexile Level: 750 | Guided Reading Level: Z+ | Grade Level: 9 & up | Reading Recovery Level: NA

Meet Author Mike Mullin

Mike Mullin first discovered he could make money writing in sixth grade. His teacher, Mrs. Brannon, occasionally paid students for using unusual words. Mike’s first sale as a writer earned 10 cents for one word: tenacious.

Since then, Mike has always been involved with literature. One of his early jobs was shelving books at Central Library in Indianapolis. Later, he paid his way through graduate school in part by serving as a reference assistant for Indiana University’s library. Mike has worked in his mother’s business, Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore, for more than twenty years, serving at various times as a store manager, buyer, school and library salesperson, and marketing consultant.

Mike wrote his first novel in elementary school—Captain Poopy’s Sewer Adventures. He’s been writing more or less non-stop ever since, but fortunately for his readers, Ashfall will be his first published novel.

Other Books by Author Mike Mullin

Book cover for Surface Tension by Mike Mullin
Book cover for Sunrise by Mike Mullin
Book cover for Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

Ashfall Reviews

Ashfall made the shortlist for NPR’s 100 best YA novels of all time.

Ashfall is featured in this NPR Books article, “The Teens Are All Right: 2011’s Top 5 YA Novels

 Mike Mullin talked about Ashfall with Barbara Gray on Around Cincinnati, 91.7 WVXU. Listen to the interview!

“In this chilling debut, Mullin seamlessly weaves meticulous details about science, geography, agriculture and slaughter into his prose, creating a fully immersive and internally consistent world scarily close to reality.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“It’s The Hunger Games meets Dante’s Peak in this action-packed novel.”

Entertainment Weekly, “10 Teen Reads You Can’t Miss”

Ashfall is a thrilling modern quest that will draw in readers of all ages.”

Chicago Tribune

“First time author Mullin has a winner here!”

Library Media Connection, starred review

“The book is well written and its protagonists are well-drawn, particularly the nontraditional and mechanically inclined Darla…this is a riveting tale of survival.”

Publishers Weekly