Sunrise (Ashfall Trilogy)
Gr 9 Up—Alex and Darla are still together and still fighting for survival in a postapocalyptic America in the third and, sadly, last book of this trilogy. Following a cataclysmic volcanic eruption and a devastating plunge into an ice-age, the teens have established a core group of survivors. Darla, with her gift for engineering, has cobbled together greenhouses, and the additional food and shelter have attracted both potential friends and enemies. In spite of his youth, Alex has developed into a charismatic leader but lacks the support of the older members of the community. Living on the knife-edge of extinction has taken its toll on the pair physically and emotionally, and enemies from within and without besiege them relentlessly. Themes of cannibalism, torture, sexuality, death, and emotional anguish may distress some readers, but more mature teens (and many adults) will find this series a worthy addition to the postapocalyptic literary pantheon.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK