Hot ash falls from the sky. Burning chunks of stone plummet to the ground and explode on impact. Tsunami waves over 100 feet high wash everything away, tearing apart churches, homes, and businesses. No, it's not the latest box office smash - it is an actual historical event, the eruption of Krakatau in the Dutch East Indies in August of 1883. This is the backdrop for the story or Katrien and Brigitta, two teenage girls living in the town of Anjers on the coast of Java.
At the beginning of the book things are not going well between the two girls. They had been good friends until a misunderstanding at Brigitta's 10th birhtday party. Now they seem to enjoy sniping at each other and trading insults. It doesn't help that they seem so different; Katrien is a budding scientist and spends her time collecting samples in the jungle, while Brigitta surrounds herself with other girls and never gets dirty. To make matters worse, Katrien's aunt and the other adults in town constantly hold Brigitta up as an example. Ugh! Adults can be so obtuse sometimes.
But when disaster strikes, the two girls have only each other to depend on for survival. Suddenly their disagreements don't seem so important. But can two 13-year-olds make it out of the jungle alive when their entire town has been flattened by a natural disaster?
Readers who enjoy historical fiction, especially stories like the "I Survived" series, will find After the Ashes a fascinating survival adventure based on true events.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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