Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Alex couldn't wait for his parents and bratty little sister to leave.  This would be the first time he'd be spending summer at home alone.  It was all about World of Warcraft and whatever he wanted to do.  No more nagging from his mom.  No more disinterested looks from his dad.  He couldn't wait....

But that was yesterday.  Today, all he can think about is his family.  His house burned down to the ground.  His eardrums are near to bursting with the sound filling the air for hours on end.  The unending ash from the sky.  No phones, no electricity....this is the new life he'll need to get used to.  A super volcano in Yellowstone erupted, and Alex is now in the red zone.

After seeing the horror of his neighbor defending his home from thugs, Alex has a target in mind.  He's decided to go from Iowa to Illinois to get to his Uncle Warren's home where the rest of the family is.  He has no idea who he'll meet, or what his obstacles are, but he's determined to do this.

Dangers await him at every turn, but the biggest danger of all is the threat of no water or food.  Ash has covered and killed everything, and armed only with a backpack of supplies, Alex knows what starvation feels like.  He also knows the dangers of people now desperate for any food, water or supplies - even if it means killing for it. 

Mike Mullin, welcome to the world of YA!!  For a first novel, this natural disaster adventure book will fill the spot of anyone looking for a thrilling read.  Although at times predictable, it nonetheless has the qualities of a thriller to keep the reader wondering what will happen to the main character.  Very much along the lines of Susn Pfeffer's trilogy, the first book of Mullin's series ends perfectly, without that
cliff-hanger ending that precludes to another book.  It is satisfying and stands on its own easily.  The plot as well as the science behind the super volcano is very well thought out and Mullin's imagination depicts the levels humanity will go to in order to survive.  Recommended

Booktrailer: Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

FINALLY....my internet has been blinking on and off ALL DAY!!!

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

c. 2008, Viking

Miles feels ambivalent about the changes in his life. One one hand, he’d love to stay in Chicago with his mother, but doesn’t want to be around her new husband and his four kids. On the other hand, he hasn’t seen his dad in a long time, but New Orleans?? Come on….
He doesn’t make the decision – his mother does – and Miles is sent to New Orleans to stay with his dad, a trumpet player in jazz bands throughout the city. Miles loves football, his dad loves his horn, and there is little love lost between the two. To make it even worse, the weather center has issued an evacuation of the city because of a hurricane, and Miles, his father and his dad’s buddy start out of the city, cramped in a rundown car.
When they can’t get out of the city, they find refuge in the Super Dome, a day before Hurricane Katrina hits. At first, Miles is amazed that he can play on the field – the same field as the Saints!! But that’s only on day one – Sunday, August 28. Three days later, Miles comes out a different person, after witnessing the horrors that have taken place inside the Super Dome, from the thugs, to the filthy living conditions; from the soldiers to people who are victims of crime, both self-imposed and unasked for. New Orleans is gone…but his father still remains. And their bond couldn’t be any closer after this ordeal.
The after-effects of Hurricane Katrina are slowly mending themselves in our world today, but Paul Volponi will take the reader back to the day it happened and allow us to witness what went on inside the Super Dome as well as what New Orleans, to both the people and the city. It’ll make the reader seriously think differently about the survivors not only of the hurricane but of the evacuation as well. Small book, great for reluctant readers, but packs a powerful punch. I couldn’t stop thinking about if it were me…..what would I do?