Sunrise (Ashfall, #3)

by Mike Mullin

The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions. When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever--and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish. This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.

• ISBN10: 1939100011
• ISBN13: 9781939100016
• Publish Date: 1 May 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 15 August 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tanglewood Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 466
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

*cries*

*looks at cover and realizes what it symbolizes, cries some more*

Why do book series have to end?! UGH! Okay…review time….

Sunrise is the last book in the Ashfall series so if you haven’t read the previous two…there may be spoilers.

ANYWAY, it’s finally over and I’m really upset. We finally get our conclusion and it’s a damn good one. As the books progress the time skips become more frequent, which is a good thing because living in this sort of world where you are farming and building things nonstop things would get boring on the page quickly. We also get to see how well (or badly) things are progressing over the time and how bleak it sort of seems because winter is lasting so long. There are some pretty epic confrontations and some really nice private moments as well, and the last 3rd of the book had me scrambling to continue reading even though it’s really hard to read and get dressed/make food/skateboard.

Alex and Darla are the best duo I’ve seen in this type of novel. They are not perfect of course but they have each other’s backs, they don’t mince words (most of the time), and they make up for whatever the other lacks. I loved that Darla is the more hardened of the two, but I also love seeing those softer moments from her. One thing Sunrise does give you is plenty of people to hate, and even better it ties up all of those pesky loose ends and we get to see some reconciliation. I’m more than a little impressed with how well thought out and detailed this series is, and I think it shines the most in Sunrise. There are things most novels like this don’t seem to think of like military, political, justice systems, farming, etc. In fact I think I learned far more than I ever expected to when I went into this series. I honestly had no idea that filtered and distilled urine could be used to help crop yield, I’m not sure I’ll ever need that tidbit of info but if I do I’ll have this series to thank for it. There were a few moments where it lulled a bit, but it wasn’t too bad.

If you notice that I’m reviewing the series as a whole instead of just this book it’s because I don’t like reviewing the last book in a series. There tends to be so much that should be kept ‘secret’ so that you can fully experience it and I don’t want to ruin anything for you. So trust me when I say that this is the perfect conclusion to an amazing series.

[Angie]

Sunrise was a pretty great ending to this action packed and horrifying series. It's exactly what I was hoping Ashen Winter would be. It stars off the very next morning, and things do not turn out how Alex expected. It looks like his time in Warren is over, so he and his family pack up and start a new homestead. This is what I wanted to read about! Rebuilding society and how governments were breaking down. It is pretty slow in the beginning, and some parts in the middle, but overall I really interested in most of it.

Some pretty messed up stuff happens in Sunrise. This series definitely hasn't been sunshine and rainbows (literally) to begin with, but somehow things manage to get worse before they get better. I don't want to spoil anything, but wow, Alex and Darla pay a huge price for some supplies that they need for their new society. There's also more violence and death and despair than the previous two books, but this one also spans over two years. A lot can happen in a post apocalyptic world in that time.

It was really fascinating to read about all of the structures they were building. If there's ever a disaster, I'd want Darla and Uncle Paul with me! Those two can build anything! It was also nice to watch it go from one family to a whole town, complete with a crude form of government. Naturally, Alex ends up being voted as mayor, which was both a blessing and a curse. He has amazing ideas for how their town should be run, but he also felt trapped by all of the responsibility.

There were two plot points that I really didn't like in Sunrise. The first was everything to do with Alex's mom. She's awful and annoying and inconsiderate, and none of this made any sense. She's super hard on Darla, and continually forbids Alex from planning a future with her. She should know that she has no say in these things! Plus, she becomes a huge liability and the reason Alex has to found a new town in the first place! I just wish there had been a more solid reason behind her horrendous behavior. The second thread was Alyssa's secret admirer. Someone is leaving her gifts, she thinks it's Alex, but no one has a clue who. It's revealed at the end, and was kind of cute, but to me it didn't add anything.

Sunrise is a solid ending to this trilogy. It has all of the components that I wished for in the previous books, and it wasn't as slow and repetitive which was a plus. There was a super adorable scene near the end involving Ben and some flowers, and just aaaw! My emotions! I got a bit teary eyed at that.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[shannonmiz]

Another wonderful series has ended, and while I am satisfied with the ending, this is another I will certainly miss. This was a solid end to a great trilogy. I think I wanted it to be a little more exciting than it was, but it was certainly good.

Alex and Darla are just amazing. They compliment each other perfectly, and are probably the most compatible and believable young adult couple I have read about. I could actually picture seeing them in life, and that is pretty spectacular character development.

I found this book to be quite different than its predecessors, both in positive ways and a couple of negatives. While the first books had our characters traveling around the Midwest, this book takes place in a fairly small radius, focusing more on the long range survival efforts.

The focus on the various relationships was pretty great. I loved seeing Alex and Darla evolve, both together and separately. I loved Alex and Ed's interactions, and the progression of Alex's relationship with his uncle. And I loved that some of the relationships didn't just wrap up like a nice little gift- it was refreshing to see some "real" relationship dynamics, especially in relation to Alex, Darla, and his Mom.

I liked that the characters had real concerns that one would expect to see in a post-apocalyptic world. They were struggling with hunger, living conditions, illness, injury, and even mundane daily issues like plumbing and sleeping arrangements. I feel like a lot of books gloss over these things, and the detail that Mullin puts into it helps the whole situation feel more realistic to the reader.

When there was action, it was pretty intense. I was horrified by some things that happened in the book. The flensers (cannibals) alone are horrifying, but there were a few plot twists that had me staring at the pages in shock. But to me, that is a definite mark of a good book.

The only part of the book that moved slowly for me was the parts with the more technical aspects of preparing their homestead. I think that it might just be my own personal preference, or maybe my disdain for science in general, but I kind of felt myself thinking that if I didn't have a Darla in the apocalypse, I'd be a goner, because I could not care less how to build stuff, or make stuff work. The only other minor issue I had with the book was that it seemed sometimes that people were a bit too team-oriented. I felt like it was a bit unrealistic, and while some people would have been cooperative and helpful in real life, there would have been those who were complaining and not helping, those who had their own opinions, etc. It seemed like no one here is lazy.Who knows, maybe all the lazy, irritating people are already dead because of their own negligence?

The ending worked for me, which I was quite happy about. I loved these characters, so I wanted them to reach some peace, even though their road has been and will be long. The only gripe I had is that there were a few things that we never really got answers to, but I suppose our characters probably wanted to know those same answers, so I can live with it.

Overall, a wonderful book and a wonderful series that I would highly recommend.

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

About a year ago, my friend and author, Jade Eby, introduced me to the Ashfall series by Mike Mullin. The trilogy takes place in eastern Iowa and northern Illinois after the super volcano that sits under Yellowstone Park explodes burying the Midwest in ash and triggering an extreme winter. For me, this series is gut-wrenchingly realistic.

Read the rest of my review of the series on my blog, Second Run Reviews.

[Ashley]

Nose Graze — Book reviews & blogging tips

4.5 Stars

I'm thrilled to say that I LOVED Sunrise! I was a tad nervous going into it. Although I adored Ashfall, I wasn't completely happy with Ashen Winter. But Sunrise brought the epicness back!

Mike Mullin did an excellent job recapping the first two books. It was done slowly and subtly (rather than info dumping), and he only gave you the information as you needed it. As a result, I had no problem slipping right back into the story. I was very subtly reminded as to who all the characters were, and what events had taken place. It felt so easy!

I think what I liked most about Sunrise was that it was a bit different. Ashfall was all about trekking across the country and trying to avoid gangs. Then Ashen Winter felt exactly the same, which was largely why I didn't like it as much. But Sunrise had a different focus. It was more about settling, building communities, and planning for the future. It was fascinating to see how one small group of people grew into almost a small town, and seeing how their structure and politics developed.

Of course there was still a little bit of trekking and a little bit of gang action, but it didn't feel like the focus of the book this time around. But there were certainly a few truly horrific events that had me regretting reading Sunrise right before bed! Like when Alex and Darla get their hands cut off... my god... THE VISUALS!!

I think my one criticism would be the lack of information we get about the government. We sort of get vague statement like, "When we walked 150 miles we didn't see any sign of government" But that's not really a clear cut answer as to whether or not the government still exists in some form, and I was curious! I guess in the context of the book, it makes sense that the characters wouldn't be able to easily find out. But as a reader, I was a bit disappointed that my curiosity wasn't satisfied.

But otherwise, I really loved Sunrise! I immensely enjoyed the slightly different tone and the focus on politics and settling rather than trekking across the country. The book felt new and exciting rather than just a rehash of events from the previous books. And I like how the ending left me with a sense of hope, which I'm sure was exactly what Mike Mullin intended!