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Ashfall #0.5
Darla's Story
Darla Edmunds has faced a lot of challenges in her seventeen years: Her dad died in a farming accident when she was fourteen. Her mother retreated into hyper-religiosity, leaving Darla to run the family farm almost single-handedly. But those struggles pale in comparison to the one she faces after the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plummeting the world--and Darla's small corner of Iowa--into a cataclysmic natural disaster.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2013
47 people are currently reading
2437 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mullin
17 books1,675 followersMike Mullin’s first job was scraping the gum off the undersides of desks at his high school. From there, things went steadily downhill. He almost got fired by the owner of a bookstore due to his poor taste in earrings. He worked at a place that showed slides of poopy diapers during lunch (it did cut down on the cafeteria budget). The hazing process at the next company included eating live termites raised by the resident entomologist, so that didn’t last long either. For a while Mike juggled bottles at a wine shop, sometimes to disastrous effect. Oh, and then there was the job where swarms of wasps occasionally tried to chase him off ladders. So he’s really hoping this writing thing works out.
Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. ASHFALL is his first novel.
Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. ASHFALL is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
November 25, 2023
Darla is a young woman who does everything she can to keep the family farm running with the help of her mother. And then a volcano erupts under Yellowstone National Park. She hides in the cellar with her mother as ash starts to fall from the sky. Darla realizes her whole life has changed quite abruptly and permanently. But she’s not ready to give up just yet.
A short and fast-paced character-driven read with a very memorable concept. We see how quickly life can change for the worst. How quickly a life in peace and relative luxury can turn into a struggle to survive. And it’s the protagonist’s can do attitude, her drive and her will to survive even under the most impossible circumstances that shines the most here. Will admit, it also helps that the protagonist happens to have the same name as a Goodreads friend of mine.
It’s a prequel to a series. And it does what it needs to do. It’s a teaser that gives us just enough to whet our appetite for the rest of the series. Because if the prequel is a good indicator, this should be a pretty interesting series. The only downside of this story is that it’s very short, so not a lot actually happens in terms of plot.
A short and fast-paced character-driven read with a very memorable concept. We see how quickly life can change for the worst. How quickly a life in peace and relative luxury can turn into a struggle to survive. And it’s the protagonist’s can do attitude, her drive and her will to survive even under the most impossible circumstances that shines the most here. Will admit, it also helps that the protagonist happens to have the same name as a Goodreads friend of mine.
It’s a prequel to a series. And it does what it needs to do. It’s a teaser that gives us just enough to whet our appetite for the rest of the series. Because if the prequel is a good indicator, this should be a pretty interesting series. The only downside of this story is that it’s very short, so not a lot actually happens in terms of plot.
January 15, 2014
i realized the other day that i had only read books by female authors since the turn of the new year. that day, i decided to make a month out of it and continue the streak. that was also the day that i learned that this short story existed. had, in fact, existed since OCTOBER. which, thanks for the heads-up, mike mullin. so - a dilemma. do i continue the streak, or do i make an exception since this story only contains female characters, and since darla is one of the most fantastic teenage girl characters in all of literature? you know what i did.
and i don't feel bad about it at all.
this is just a little tease - something to tide us over until the publication of Sunrise, but it was a very welcome addition to the trilogy. this is, as you have no doubt guessed by the title, darla's story. the story of where she was and what she was doing when the supervolcano erupted while she was on her farm with her very religious mother and still mourning the death of her father. darla is the most capable girl that has ever been written - she can fix a tractor, build a water pump, repair just about anything, and she is level-headed and practical all around. so, while she is not unfazed when the electricity goes out and ash starts falling from the sky, blocking out the sun and leaving them isolated and with no idea what is happening in the greater world, she is at least able to pause, take a moment, and then get shit done.
and she gets so very much shit done. and you will hear about it in more detail than you believed possible. that is one of the great mike mullion trademarks: if you needed to, you could probably recreate the water pump darla builds, if you had the right materials at the ready. he has never been one to shy from details both technical and scientific and while it is unusual to have the teenage girl stepping up and taking charge while her mother is more or less helpless and deferring to her daughter for both the answers to "what is going on??" and the hands-on necessities of getting them into survival mode, this is darla we're talking about here. she is going to be in the leadership role no matter who else is around. she is just that badass.
i loved having this backstory insight, and i wish there were more stories like this available, or that this one had been longer, but i suppose i can wait until april to get my hands on the conclusion.
but i am tapping my foot. impatiently.
okay, back to the ladies!
February 10, 2019
Darla is an amazing human
July 1, 2016
SO. MUCH. ANGST.
And it's not even angst, it's RAGE. I fucking hate Ruth like I've not hated a character since... god. Maybe Levana? But Ruth's not even a VILLAIN, okay? She's an idiot. My brain seriously paints her as that one aunt who has taken to technology so wholeheartedly that she literally cannot function without it. BEYOND no common sense here. I honestly have no clue how Ruth has lasted as long as she has, because she can't even stop to think things out.
ALL THAT NONSENSE ASIDE --
This story is fantastic. I loved getting to see where Darla came from, how she and her mom dealt with the ashfall, and just get that peek into her life that we don't see through Alex's eyes in the first book. Character backstories are something I LIVE for, and I didn't think it was possible for me to love Darla more than I did after reading the Ashfall trilogy. I was wrong. This girl is one of the best characters I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in fiction.
And it's not even angst, it's RAGE. I fucking hate Ruth like I've not hated a character since... god. Maybe Levana? But Ruth's not even a VILLAIN, okay? She's an idiot. My brain seriously paints her as that one aunt who has taken to technology so wholeheartedly that she literally cannot function without it. BEYOND no common sense here. I honestly have no clue how Ruth has lasted as long as she has, because she can't even stop to think things out.
ALL THAT NONSENSE ASIDE --
This story is fantastic. I loved getting to see where Darla came from, how she and her mom dealt with the ashfall, and just get that peek into her life that we don't see through Alex's eyes in the first book. Character backstories are something I LIVE for, and I didn't think it was possible for me to love Darla more than I did after reading the Ashfall trilogy. I was wrong. This girl is one of the best characters I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in fiction.
March 14, 2018
Darla and Alex were each caught in the aftermath of the Yellowstone supervolcano eruption, but Darla had a few advantages. She wasn't alone, for one; Alex had to ski one hundred forty miles through ash-clogged streets in search of his parents, while Darla was on the farm with her mother when calamity struck. Darla was also better informed about the disaster descending upon the United States. Alex heard a few tidbits and theories from his neighbors before leaving to find his parents, but Darla received a clear explanation via her radio before all transmissions ended. The future has never been on shakier ground, but Darla is luckier than most.
After the earthquakes, the same ear-splitting noise that Alex endured in the first book assaults the area where Darla lives. The roaring cacophony lasts hours, through the night and into the next day. Darla and her mother huddle in the basement wearing headphones, not knowing if the noise will ever end. The scenario worsens to doomsday proportions after the sound abates. Thick ash rains from the sky, completely blocking the sun. The first time Darla wanders out to check on her rabbits in the barn, she gets lost a few feet from the house, a mistake that could have proved fatal in the toxic ashfall if her mother didn't find her right away. Realizing the situation might not improve anytime soon, Darla stockpiles batteries and candles. Recalling what her father taught her before he passed away some time ago in an accident, Darla uses the farm's assets to her advantage. She even rigs the well to pump manually, providing fresh water that few others within 1,500 miles of Yellowstone have. Darla and her mother are doing okay until Darla accidentally runs over an old woman with the tractor.
The woman, Ruth, isn't badly hurt. She has family in Omaha, Nebraska, three hundred miles from where Darla lives in Iowa, and wants to go there as soon as possible. Darla doesn't recognize Ruth's desperation until too late, and tracking down a renegade with a stolen tractor is beyond difficult with miasmic ash pouring from the sky. Darla's good luck may be running out, especially when another stranger stumbles toward the farmhouse, grievously injured. What Darla doesn't know is that this moment might determine the direction of the rest of her life, however long it lasts.
Darla's Story doesn't add a lot to the Ashfall series. Most of what Darla survives, we already went through with Alex in Ashfall, but it felt more exciting because we didn't know what to expect. There are a few novelties in Darla's situation because she lives on a farm. The best part of Darla's Story is what's revealed of her relationship with her father, how he showed his love by teaching her all sorts of mechanical skills. They would save her life more than once on the road with Alex, the practical legacy of her father's adoration. He tried to keep her from becoming a tomboy by giving her a dollhouse and hand-carving furniture for it with her, but Darla didn't always appreciate the gesture. The hours she invests now in taking care of the dollhouse as a way to feel close to her father is the main emotional connection of this book. If you're a fan of the Ashfall series, pick up a copy of Darla's Story. It's only seventy pages, and you'll know Darla better for reading it. It's worth the time.
After the earthquakes, the same ear-splitting noise that Alex endured in the first book assaults the area where Darla lives. The roaring cacophony lasts hours, through the night and into the next day. Darla and her mother huddle in the basement wearing headphones, not knowing if the noise will ever end. The scenario worsens to doomsday proportions after the sound abates. Thick ash rains from the sky, completely blocking the sun. The first time Darla wanders out to check on her rabbits in the barn, she gets lost a few feet from the house, a mistake that could have proved fatal in the toxic ashfall if her mother didn't find her right away. Realizing the situation might not improve anytime soon, Darla stockpiles batteries and candles. Recalling what her father taught her before he passed away some time ago in an accident, Darla uses the farm's assets to her advantage. She even rigs the well to pump manually, providing fresh water that few others within 1,500 miles of Yellowstone have. Darla and her mother are doing okay until Darla accidentally runs over an old woman with the tractor.
The woman, Ruth, isn't badly hurt. She has family in Omaha, Nebraska, three hundred miles from where Darla lives in Iowa, and wants to go there as soon as possible. Darla doesn't recognize Ruth's desperation until too late, and tracking down a renegade with a stolen tractor is beyond difficult with miasmic ash pouring from the sky. Darla's good luck may be running out, especially when another stranger stumbles toward the farmhouse, grievously injured. What Darla doesn't know is that this moment might determine the direction of the rest of her life, however long it lasts.
Darla's Story doesn't add a lot to the Ashfall series. Most of what Darla survives, we already went through with Alex in Ashfall, but it felt more exciting because we didn't know what to expect. There are a few novelties in Darla's situation because she lives on a farm. The best part of Darla's Story is what's revealed of her relationship with her father, how he showed his love by teaching her all sorts of mechanical skills. They would save her life more than once on the road with Alex, the practical legacy of her father's adoration. He tried to keep her from becoming a tomboy by giving her a dollhouse and hand-carving furniture for it with her, but Darla didn't always appreciate the gesture. The hours she invests now in taking care of the dollhouse as a way to feel close to her father is the main emotional connection of this book. If you're a fan of the Ashfall series, pick up a copy of Darla's Story. It's only seventy pages, and you'll know Darla better for reading it. It's worth the time.
July 25, 2014
Also posted at Sporadic Reads
Mike Mullin's Ashfall Series , is one of the best dystopian stories out there. After picking up the first book, I had to read the next. Unfortunately, the last book, Sunrise, is set to be released on April 2014! It's a wonderful thing that Mullin gave us this novella whilst waiting for said book!
Darla is the best person that Alex, the male protagonist of the series, met! In this book, we learned more about Darla's background and family life. We get to have a peek in the mind of Darla, whose reaction upon seeing Alex for the first time, was justified. Now, I understand why she reacted the way she did when Alex collapsed in their barn during book 1.
Darla isn't your typical teen. She's got a lot of sass. She works hard. She knows her way around tools and machinery. Her dad taught her well. She's the opposite of girlie, and she loves her Mom very much, even though they don't agree on everything. It was so obvious that their relationship is really strong.
Mullin took us to where Darla was when the super volcano erupted. Amidst all the chaos and uncertainty, Darla was able to maintain a clear mind, and had a list of things to do to make sure she and her mother survived whatever it was that was happening at that time. All the things that her father taught her paid off. She was able to tinker and build stuff that made their lives better, if not easier.
This made me love Darla even more. This is a great companion for the Ashfall series, and you can read this novella before starting off with Ashfall because it doesn't contain any spoilers about the next books. At $0.99 it's a steal!
Read from December 03 to 04, 2013
Review featured at : Mike Mullin's Official Website
Mike Mullin's Ashfall Series , is one of the best dystopian stories out there. After picking up the first book, I had to read the next. Unfortunately, the last book, Sunrise, is set to be released on April 2014! It's a wonderful thing that Mullin gave us this novella whilst waiting for said book!
Darla is the best person that Alex, the male protagonist of the series, met! In this book, we learned more about Darla's background and family life. We get to have a peek in the mind of Darla, whose reaction upon seeing Alex for the first time, was justified. Now, I understand why she reacted the way she did when Alex collapsed in their barn during book 1.
Darla isn't your typical teen. She's got a lot of sass. She works hard. She knows her way around tools and machinery. Her dad taught her well. She's the opposite of girlie, and she loves her Mom very much, even though they don't agree on everything. It was so obvious that their relationship is really strong.
Mullin took us to where Darla was when the super volcano erupted. Amidst all the chaos and uncertainty, Darla was able to maintain a clear mind, and had a list of things to do to make sure she and her mother survived whatever it was that was happening at that time. All the things that her father taught her paid off. She was able to tinker and build stuff that made their lives better, if not easier.
This made me love Darla even more. This is a great companion for the Ashfall series, and you can read this novella before starting off with Ashfall because it doesn't contain any spoilers about the next books. At $0.99 it's a steal!
Read from December 03 to 04, 2013
Review featured at : Mike Mullin's Official Website
April 2, 2016
This was an excellent novella that gives you more background on Darla, who is a very strong and interesting character. If you loved the Ashfall trilogy, you'll want to read this novella, just to have a bit more time in that world. I have also heard that a 4th book might be added to the trilogy in 2018, so I am very hopeful.
It's a very dark, gritty, violent, and fascinating post-apocalyptic story, so if you can't handle violence or gore, you might want to pass on this. However, the depth of the ugliness of the world after a super volcano explodes and coats the world in ash is fascinating, and the terribleness of humanity is offset by the beauty of it. The two are always at odds with each other, but it makes for an interesting, if dark and intense, read.
Pages: 70
It's a very dark, gritty, violent, and fascinating post-apocalyptic story, so if you can't handle violence or gore, you might want to pass on this. However, the depth of the ugliness of the world after a super volcano explodes and coats the world in ash is fascinating, and the terribleness of humanity is offset by the beauty of it. The two are always at odds with each other, but it makes for an interesting, if dark and intense, read.
Pages: 70
October 3, 2016
This was the first time I tried reading a book, actually a novella, in English. How to say, it was really an exciting experience!
In this novella, you will find Darla's life right after the supervolcano until the moment Alex appeared on her door. Once again, Darla appeared to be a clever girl since she figured out how to go to the barn, which was just 10 meter from her house, or made a pump to take water from the well, or fixed the tractor. She was a good-hearted girl, but a stupid selfish woman then caused her suspection, unfriendliness and indifference to Alex.
It's just a short story and there's nothing to write here. But I have to say that I love Darla since the trilogy (I've already said in those reviews in the trilogy that I hate super-dumb Alex who brought all dangerous situation to Darla and left her deal with it when he was facing hopelessness, one of which even nearly got her life), I even love her more in this novella <3
In this novella, you will find Darla's life right after the supervolcano until the moment Alex appeared on her door. Once again, Darla appeared to be a clever girl since she figured out how to go to the barn, which was just 10 meter from her house, or made a pump to take water from the well, or fixed the tractor. She was a good-hearted girl, but a stupid selfish woman then caused her suspection, unfriendliness and indifference to Alex.
It's just a short story and there's nothing to write here. But I have to say that I love Darla since the trilogy (I've already said in those reviews in the trilogy that I hate super-dumb Alex who brought all dangerous situation to Darla and left her deal with it when he was facing hopelessness, one of which even nearly got her life), I even love her more in this novella <3
February 16, 2016
I'm a big fan of the Ashfall series and had already read this when it first came out but I decided to try the audio and see. Well I loved it!! Sarah Chevalier did a great job with Darla. She really captured her spirit and drive. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.
The story is from Darla's POV from the eruption till when she meets Alex. Now there isn't anything new in this that we didn't already know from the first book but I loved seeing it actually from Darla's POV and not just told by her. You truly get a sense of how tough and resilient she is and it just makes me love her character more.
If you're new to the Ashfall series, I urge you to read it. Mike Mullin is a very talented author and the series as a whole is phenomenal. If you're unsure then start with Ashfall and then read this, you won't be sorry!!
The story is from Darla's POV from the eruption till when she meets Alex. Now there isn't anything new in this that we didn't already know from the first book but I loved seeing it actually from Darla's POV and not just told by her. You truly get a sense of how tough and resilient she is and it just makes me love her character more.
If you're new to the Ashfall series, I urge you to read it. Mike Mullin is a very talented author and the series as a whole is phenomenal. If you're unsure then start with Ashfall and then read this, you won't be sorry!!
January 14, 2014
I love Darla! Awesome little story.
I wished Darla had of run over Ruth a little more thoroughly too.
I wished Darla had of run over Ruth a little more thoroughly too.
September 3, 2016
Darla is a badass! Love how clever and sassy she is!
November 10, 2018
I savored each page of this book. The Ashfall series is one of my favorite. It is a terrifying, post-apocalyptic world that envelopes me every time I delve into the pages of one of the books. This book was no different. I am amazed at Darla's creative, mechanical mind and her strength, just as I was in the other 3 books. If you enjoyed the Ashfall series, spend an hour or two with this short story.
January 9, 2023
This wasn't needed at all. It gave me nothing to add to the Ashfall trilogy story.
January 14, 2014
2.5 Stars
To see my full review:
http://wp.me/p1jhaj-4om
Fans of the Ashfall series will be happy to note that Mullin has indeed written a novella that focuses on the life and times of Darla and her mother prior to the volcano and their meeting of Alex. However, as it is a novella, it is extremely short and, in my opinion, a bit redundant for readers who have already picked up the series. For those who have read Ashfall, we already have a good knowledge base of Darla’s story as she’s told it before; all this novella does is give a birds-eye view as it all unfolds.
Truth be told, I wasn’t as impressed with this novella as I had hoped to be. As I said before, it was a bit redundant for me as I’ve already read the other books in the series (this novella having just recently released as a prequel), and while I was interested in the novella, I didn’t feel like I learned anything knew. Perhaps it would be a good jump off point for those interested in starting the series, but I certainly wouldn’t want readers to base their impression of the whole series on this novella, because the full books themselves have much more going on and leave readers on the edge of their seat in anticipation. This novella, however, falls a bit flat, and Darla comes across as a somewhat boring person with a real chip on her shoulder—and while she is smarter than all the adults around her, the novella is too short to really show her true colors, and she puts a bad taste in the readers’ mouth. Because I read Ashfall and learned to really like her, I had no issues with Darla in this novella, but I can foresee her attitude being a turn off for potential readers of the series… so I honestly don’t suggest reading this prequel prior to the first novel in the series, Ashfall.
To see my full review:
http://wp.me/p1jhaj-4om
Fans of the Ashfall series will be happy to note that Mullin has indeed written a novella that focuses on the life and times of Darla and her mother prior to the volcano and their meeting of Alex. However, as it is a novella, it is extremely short and, in my opinion, a bit redundant for readers who have already picked up the series. For those who have read Ashfall, we already have a good knowledge base of Darla’s story as she’s told it before; all this novella does is give a birds-eye view as it all unfolds.
Truth be told, I wasn’t as impressed with this novella as I had hoped to be. As I said before, it was a bit redundant for me as I’ve already read the other books in the series (this novella having just recently released as a prequel), and while I was interested in the novella, I didn’t feel like I learned anything knew. Perhaps it would be a good jump off point for those interested in starting the series, but I certainly wouldn’t want readers to base their impression of the whole series on this novella, because the full books themselves have much more going on and leave readers on the edge of their seat in anticipation. This novella, however, falls a bit flat, and Darla comes across as a somewhat boring person with a real chip on her shoulder—and while she is smarter than all the adults around her, the novella is too short to really show her true colors, and she puts a bad taste in the readers’ mouth. Because I read Ashfall and learned to really like her, I had no issues with Darla in this novella, but I can foresee her attitude being a turn off for potential readers of the series… so I honestly don’t suggest reading this prequel prior to the first novel in the series, Ashfall.
February 8, 2014
While shorter than I wished it would have been, this novella from Darla's perspective provided amazing insight into what happened to Darla and her mother Gloria when the Yellowstone Super volcano erupted, during the timeline of ASHFALL, just prior to Alex trekking across country on his skis and stumbling into Darla's barn before passing out from blood loss.
I had hoped it would continue, providing me Darla's POV of Alex when they first met and got to know each other. And, given the contents of the story, it was interesting to see what had caused Darla to be standoffish toward Alex in the first place. Ruth's story makes that abundantly clear.
Now all I have left is SUNRISE to read of this fantastic ASHFALL series. While I'm afraid of the imminent death and destruction, twists and turns that Mike is famous for, and enjoys far to much for his own good, delighting in the torture of his readers, I am a glutton for his kind of punishment. Thanks a lot, Mike.
I had hoped it would continue, providing me Darla's POV of Alex when they first met and got to know each other. And, given the contents of the story, it was interesting to see what had caused Darla to be standoffish toward Alex in the first place. Ruth's story makes that abundantly clear.
Now all I have left is SUNRISE to read of this fantastic ASHFALL series. While I'm afraid of the imminent death and destruction, twists and turns that Mike is famous for, and enjoys far to much for his own good, delighting in the torture of his readers, I am a glutton for his kind of punishment. Thanks a lot, Mike.
July 2, 2015
Heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyy, what was this, Mike? Really.
There wasn't really anything about Darla that we didn't know except the old lady thing. What a waste of publication money.
I was expecting Darla's point of view when she met Alex and all.
There wasn't really anything about Darla that we didn't know except the old lady thing. What a waste of publication money.
I was expecting Darla's point of view when she met Alex and all.
Want to read
November 9, 2013Loved Darla in Ashfall. So glad we get to learn more about her.
May 24, 2022
A fine short story
The price wasn't bad for a short story but it turned out a lot shorter than I expected only occupying the first 75% of the kindle text. The other 25% is actually the first two chapters of the initial book of a trilogy. This story covers the events of one of the two protagonists in the brief interval before they meet in book one with the novel covering the second protagonists initial period before they meet early in the first novel. I liked it, however I strongly dislike the main characters mother as she is a bit cardboard as the person with all the wrong reflexes to survive a disaster who insists on having her way despite knowing her daughter does have the survival mindset needed under their circumstances. I am not planning to buy the trilogy right now but if it gets a better price in the future I will read book one to see if the whole set is worth the effort.
The price wasn't bad for a short story but it turned out a lot shorter than I expected only occupying the first 75% of the kindle text. The other 25% is actually the first two chapters of the initial book of a trilogy. This story covers the events of one of the two protagonists in the brief interval before they meet in book one with the novel covering the second protagonists initial period before they meet early in the first novel. I liked it, however I strongly dislike the main characters mother as she is a bit cardboard as the person with all the wrong reflexes to survive a disaster who insists on having her way despite knowing her daughter does have the survival mindset needed under their circumstances. I am not planning to buy the trilogy right now but if it gets a better price in the future I will read book one to see if the whole set is worth the effort.
July 27, 2025
I looked forward to reading this for a very long time. My state library does not own it. I ended up taking a free month offer from Audible and getting this audio book for free. I have enjoyed most of what the author has created with this series. Darla is by far my favorite character. She is smart, strong, resilient, clever and also amusing at times. This "book" is more of a short story. I wish it had been longer, yet I am glad I finally got to read it. I wish there were more strong female characters like Darla in YA fiction.
January 30, 2022
After reading Ashfall and not really realizing where this fell in the series, it is a great start to Darla that I was wondering about when I read Ashfall for the first time.
Great easy read and would recommend to read this either right before or right after Ashfall.
Ps...Ruth is a jerk...marked as spoiler
Great easy read and would recommend to read this either right before or right after Ashfall.
Ps...Ruth is a jerk...marked as spoiler
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2018
Darla's Story - must read for Ashfall fans
Darla's Story gives great insight into Darla's experiences with the eruption and ashfall before Alex collapses into her barn. I loved it. Fans of the series should definitely read this novella.
Darla's Story gives great insight into Darla's experiences with the eruption and ashfall before Alex collapses into her barn. I loved it. Fans of the series should definitely read this novella.
April 9, 2020
Awesome! One caveat however (spoiler alert). There's no way Ruth can figure out how to drive an old tractor! No possible way. Plus, she would have stolen the truck. Faster, more comfortable, familiar and easy to drive. Am I missing something here?
May 11, 2020
didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the rest the series. This was full of too much technical jargon in my opinion, and perhaps since i already read the series i found the story line about Darla to feel repetitive despite the fact it was a story line not covered in the trilogy.
March 14, 2025
I loved it! This is the best best book so far in the Ashfall series. Completing the beginning of the timeline. Writing about Darla's life leading up to and after the Volcano. Darla is amazing and she is my hero.
December 28, 2025
Darla and her mom have to survive on their farm after the Yellowstone Volcano explodes. This was exactly what I wanted from the second book in the series, Darla’s perspective. I will finish this series.
September 10, 2017
Great quick read! Loved the back story on Darla.
September 30, 2017
Oh, Darla, you're going to fall so helplessly in love later with that stupid, softhearted boyfriend of yours.
He's a keeper.
He's a keeper.
January 19, 2020
Short and sweet.
September 15, 2020
4.5 stars. It's scary to think that this stuff could happen in real life in my lifetime. I can't wait to see what happens and how the story will pick up. We're just getting started.
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November 12, 2020A book with a noun in the title
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews