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| Tanglewood Press GREAT COVER! |
by Mike Mullen
4 Scribbles
In this second installment of the Ashen series, Alex and Darla have found a home on Alex’s Uncle’s
farm. The first chapter starts with
action and the excitement doesn’t pause until the end. The farm is attacked by
bandits, and while Darla and Alex fight the bandits off, they discover that one
of the bandits is in possession of Alex’s Dad’s gun. With renewed hope that his
parents might still be alive, Alex and Darla decide to embark on a new quest to
find them.
About a year after the volcanic eruption that sent the world
into chaos, the environment beyond the boundaries of the farm have further deteriorated.
Food is nearly non-existent. Cannibals, aka, “Flensers” have become the norm, and
girls are being captured by gangs to be raped and used as slaves—all circumstances
proving that humanity will descend into depravity given the direst of
conditions. Yet, Alex and Darla continue to believe that a future is possible,
a future with family and morality, despite the gruesome happenings they see as they
follow the clues to Alex’s parent’s whereabouts. And it isn’t just the
ex-convicts that have gone rogue. At one point, a former bookkeeper admits to
his sins, and without spoiling too much, Alex even discovers that members of his own family have become ruthless to
the point of brutality in order to protect their own. This bedlam rings true;
no doubt the world would descend into such base actions if starvation and want
ruled. However, what does not ring
true in the novel is Alex. Alex continues to make choices that endanger Darla
out of his idealistic need to do what’s right; this works. Alex feels guilty for
putting Darla in danger; this works. Alex becomes a foil to the world around him
and a model for what we’d all like to be in such conditions; this works. What
does not work is Alex’s superhuman
body. Indiana Jones step aside. At one point Alex, despite having a recovering
bullet wound in his shoulder, hangs by his hands from beneath a moving vehicle
from one town to the next. And the fun doesn’t stop there; time and time again
Alex performs feats that are physically impossible for a guy in his poor condition.
After a few of these stunts in a row, I caught myself sighing and rolling my
eyes, wishing I could suspend my disbelief just a bit longer. Additionally, Darla’s
survival without molestation after being taken by the gangs does weaken the
believability of the plot. Perhaps the author chose to avoid this outcome given
the violence in the rest of the novel. Despite
these weaknesses however, I still stuck with the story. Alex is loyal land
kind, Darla is street-smart and strong, and I am totally invested in the lives
of both. Let’s face it—I wanted to know how things turned out! I wasn’t disappointed
in the exciting cliffhanger conclusion, and I look forward to the next
installment, which, by the looks of things, will be just as exciting as book
one.
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