Review: Sunrise

Sunrise by Mike Mullin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review
By Aunt Meanie http://MoonShineArtSpot.blogspot.com

Sunrise ****
By Mike Mullin

Only survivors are allowed the luxury of sadness.

The eruption of Yellowstone Super volcano plunges Iowa and Illinois into darkness. All modern luxuries such as electricity and all forms of communication have been destroyed.
The population has been reduced to 25% or less. Everyone remaining is struggling just to survive in the resulting Nuclear Winter where many feet of snow covers everything and temperatures remain below freezing.

The details of life’s daily struggles after the disaster are very realistic. The author obviously put a lot of thought into what survivors would be faced with, the challenges, the short and long term needs.

I liked the main group of characters, even when it seems odd that a 16 year old (Alex) would emerge as leader over several adults. Girlfriend, Darla, is a powerhouse, super skilled, wonder woman. In fact, most of the improvements to the groups homestead would not have been possible without Darla's knowledge and skills. (behind every great man, is an even greater and more powerful woman).

Alex and Darla’s group of survivors' challenge is to create a sustainable future. When the neighboring town's food runs out, they turn against each other and attack. The other town's attacks and those random groups of survivors turned cannibal don’t help their odds.

I don’t usually read these apocalyptic type books. This is probably the 1st one I’ve read. I wasn’t aware there were 2 previous books; that this was the 3rd in a series. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. I wish I had read the previous 2 books. It would have added more depth to the stories for me.
It was a great read and I guess I’ll be adding this genre to my reading list – as long as there are no zombies.

I received this book free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my like/dislike or rating of the book.


BOOK DESCRIPTION:

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. (less)







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