Ashfall by Mike Mullin 
 Thanks to NetGalley and Tanglewood Press for letting me read this book. 
 Alex is you're average teenager, he thinks his little sister is a brat, argues with his mother and would rather play World of Warcraft than do his homework. When his family decides to go to his Uncle's farm, he stays home. A whole weekend home alone! It's not going to be as peaceful as he thinks. Out of nowhere something falls through his roof and knocks him out, when he regains consciousness he finds himself stuck under his desk, with his house on fire, he manages to escape, retreating to his neighbor's house for refuge. Once there he bunks down for a long and uncomfortable night. In the morning he discovers its pitch dark out and there's a weird white ash covering everything. They soon discover a super volcano in Yellowstone National Park has exploded. Electricity is out, water has stopped, and vehicles don't work. He stays at his neighbor's house for a while until resources get tight and intruders break into the house with deadly intentions, making Alex flee. He makes the choice to travel to Warren to his uncle's farm to find his family. Along the way he faces a homicidal lunatic name Target who cuts a gash into his side, and some gracious people along the way, including Mrs. Edmunds and her daughter Darla, who find him clinging to life in their barn. Alex is nursed back to health and he returns his gratitude by helping on their farm. When tragedy strikes again, they find Darla's mom dead, Darla decides to accompany Alex along the journey to find his family. Food runs low and in their search for food and water they come across a mother with her children, corrupted FEMA workers, abandoned houses, and communities coming together to help each other. 
 I could tell it was written by a man, not that it was bad or anything, I could just tell. This book is considered as a Young Adult book but I'd say it's for a mature audience. This book was disturbing in some parts, with all the gore, and violence. It was realistic and heartbreaking in other parts. If you're like me, an animal lover and don't care to eat meat, this book will turn you against eating meat all together. I don't normally cry in books but this one I did. It was hard to put down, the end of each chapter left me hanging, I didn't want to stop, not even to sleep, it kept me up most of the night. 
 The second book Ashen Winter comes out in October of 2012, that means I have to wait until next year for the second book?!?