Told from the perspective of a 17-year-old girl who just survived the "End of Days" within her cult, the story moves back and forth from "before" the End and "after" the End - where she sits in a psychiatric facility under evaluation and treatment for her awful experiences. A decent enough book with a plot that kept me reading. My main gripe was that it was really too long - the last chapters just dragged on and on like the editors forgot they were editing and left a bunch of extraneous chapters in there to stretch it longer. Chapters even repeated themselves, word for word, as if trying to employ some kind of literary device, where we come upon the same story after learning all this stuff from Moonbeam - but it just didn't work for me. By this time I was wondering why I was re-reading chapters when it was already much too long, and getting on towards obvious, monotonous activities seemingly like "filler."

I've also just begun the second season of "The Sinner" (tv show), which is also, coincidentally, about a cult - tis the season for cult tales, apparently. An okay book, but not the best.

Maybe I'm weird (I mean, obviously), but cults are fascinating. Of course, I mean fascinating in an absolutely horrible, morbid way. I think it's because I cannot begin to wrap my mind around how something like this happens. It's quiet insane to me.

While I have no intimate knowledge of cults, I feel like <i>After the Fire</i> paints a realistic picture. While these horrible things happen, the people at the center of it all aren't necessarily bad as much as they are brainwashed and manipulated. There's so many grey areas surrounding cults (though certainly less so around their leaders). It's disturbing and mind-blowing to think that these sorts of things actually happen (the author mentions at the end that the inspiration for this book was a real life event called the Waco Siege).

As far as the story, it was compelling. Even though there's no outrageous plot twist (thankfully), Moonbeam was a fantastic main character and I enjoyed reading about her time before and after the fire. The only thing I wish was that we got a bit more story at the end. While a fitting end for Moonbeam, I would have liked just a bit more.

Trigger warnings: Gun violence, child abuse, sexual assault, suicide

An intensely powerful story of survival after life in a cult.

The story is woven into Before and After. The events of the fire that ultimately lead to the death and rescue of various Holy Church of the Lord's Legion cult members. Events are slowly revealed by Moonbeam. She shares what she is able to speak aloud daily in therapy sessions so her story comes out a bit disjointed but the process is authentic and works well within the story.

Moonbeam is a survivor. During her years in the Lord's Legion her father dies, her mother is banished and she is promised to the cult leader as one of his many wives. The stories she shares about her life within the compound are horrific and involve neglect and abuse - sexual, physical and mental. Life within the cult was meant to cut each member down. Members were broken and brainwashed into blindly believing and following the teaching of the cult leader, Father John. It was especially heartbreaking to read about how the women and children were treated.

You can't help but feel intense admiration for Moonbeam. It's difficult to imagine a 17 year old girl having the strength and capacity to question her life and beliefs when she has been programmed to accept them without question since she was a toddler. Will Hill did an amazing job of sharing her inner struggles. Her inner dialogue was crucial to helping us understand how conflicted she was about her life and how much she grows with the help of therapy. Her therapy sessions afford us insight into the life of the cult, its members and of course its leader.

This story was inspired by the real events of David Koresh, the Branch Davidian and the Waco siege in 1993 which is what initially drew me to it. I have always been fascinated by cults. How people so fervently believe in its teaching that they give up their lives, families and worldly possessions. How these horrific men can be seen as Messianic leaders when they are really manipulators, taking advantage of people to satisfy their own desires and achieve their personal agendas. Hill does an amazing job weaving his fictional story with honesty and sensitivity. Moonbeam and her fellow survivors are vulnerable, honest and complicated. I was grateful for the ending. After reading about so much pain and loss, it felt right to close the book with a full and hopeful heart.

In the Afterword, the author explains how this novel was loosely inspired in the Waco massacre. He wanted to explore what happened to survivors in such situations, when you realize that everything that you ever believed in was a lie and you have nothing left. This is what happens to Moonbeam. She just survived a fire that destroyed her compound, or “Base” as she likes to call it and is finding out how the most important person in her life, father John, was just a selfish man taking advantage of other people’s faith. The story alternates between events that happened “before” and “after” the fire. In the “after,” she is being interviewed by a psychiatrist and we find out little by little what happened before, how her life was and what terrible secret she’s hiding. I liked how Moonbeam goes from frightened little girl in denial to strong, brave woman who doesn’t hide from the truth. My problem is that the book reminded me a lot of The Butterfly Garden, by Dot Hutchinson, even down to Moonbeam’s burnt hands. The structure and situation are similar, including a touch of Stockholm syndrome. Still, I liked the novel in its own right. Some parts were hard to read and the intrigue comes down to what happened to the compound and Moonbeam’s brothers and sisters. It did not disappoint.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Sourcebooks Fire!

Throughout this entire book, my mind was filled with images of Waco. I was only a kid when it happened, but it’s one of those moments in American History that burns itself into your memory. I think this book was a really great book. It was completely different than what I thought it might be like when I read its blurb. The characters are charming and relatable. The story does have dry spots and could probably be shrunk down a bit, especially to entice younger readers to try it. Overall it’s really good though and I’m very grateful to have received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

If there's a documentary or a novel about a religious cult, I'm probably going to pick it up and read it. This one had me immediately hooked and I was suprised by how emotionally involved with the characters I got. Chapters alternate between Moonbeam's life before the fire, when she was forbidden to leave the compound or interact with the outside world, and her new life after the fire, when she's confined to an institution and being interviewed as part of a government investigation.



The Holy Church of the Lord's Legion is a fictional group, but when you compare it to real world religious cults it's all too realistic. People like Father John's followers are out there.

An unputdownable YA thriller perfect for fans of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly. A must-buy for YA collections where mysteries and thrillers are popular.

Very gripping! As someone who lived nearby and remembers well the events that this story is based on, I thought the author did an amazing job of staying true to the voices of his characters. I couldn’t put it down! #netgalley #afterthefire

Wow this book! This book is about religious cults. I wasn't sure what to expect but this book was riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourebooks fire for the ARC copy of after the fire by author Will Hill. I enjoyed the suspense and puzzling parts of this book, and the characters were developed great. Review and link to come when the publishing date approaches!

Since I basically never read synopses (or even titles apparently), I went into After the Fire not knowing it was more a psychological expose on cults and the aftermath than a thriller. This is in no way a bad thing, just worth a mention in case you are like me and pay attention to nothing. But yeah, I have wanted to read this book for ages, since before it even came out in the UK. And it definitely delivered, so now I will tell you why!

•Handles the cult aspect well; no sensationalizing for the sake of the story. This could have gone another way, let’s be real: it could have been a huge melodrama that accidentally glorified cults. That didn’t happen here. It’s messy, it’s raw, it’s emotional, but it is in no way glamorized. After the fire (ha) Moonbeam and the others are basically in a dreary psychiatric center, not writing tell-alls and visiting Ellen. And to me, that might have been the most important thing for the author to get right, and he did.

•Brings the concept of a religious doomsday cult to life. A lot of you were perhaps too young to remember the news event that was Waco and the Branch Davidians. I,however, am not. I won’t lie, this is where my morbid fascination of cults began (gaining tons of speed during the Heaven’s Gate mess), and the Waco seige is the event that inspired the author to write this book. It’s not a replica, nor does it try to be- the author makes clear that this is a fictional account- but there are certainly similarities. (Also, you’re welcome for the Wikipedia rabbit hole you’ll find yourself down.)

•Very sympathetic, yet realistic, main character. Moonbeam isn’t perfect, she’s not some martyr that you just cry for. Yes, you feel for her because she’s a decent human being who had a really tough and unfair go of things. But she’s likable for me because she is not portrayed as a helpless martyr. She’s so strong, stronger than she knows. She’s smart, and brave, and stubborn as all hell. And since most of this book takes place inside her head, it’s pretty important that the reader comes to care about her. And I definitely did.

•Therapy is handled positively and appropriately. Obviously there is a lot of therapy taking place in this book- individual as well as group- and it’s pretty great to see how it’s handled. Is it always perfect? Absolutely not! Moonbeam doesn’t always want to talk, she doesn’t always like her therapist, but she absolutely makes progress and begins to see its value. And to me, that is kind of everything. Along those same lines, authority figures in general are humanized. Of course Moonbeam sees the authorities as a villain at first, but this agent has her absolute best interests at heart and it’s so clear.

•Definitely knew what the outcome was going to be, but that didn’t make it much less compelling. Okay look, this is my only one kind-of-negative, too. Because I did know exactly how this was going to end up. So was I on pins and needles by the end? No. But I was still completely invested in Moonbeam’s journey regardless, and a lot of her emotional breakthroughs were even more enthralling than a plot twist would have been.

Bottom Line: This is really quite well done, and if you’re interested in cults at all it should probably make an appearance on your TBR.

After the Fire was unlike any other YA Fiction I've read, with it's religious cult based story line and struggle with faith, trust and survival. I could not put this book down! Moonbeam's retelling of what happened to her After the Fire was captivating and raw. A complete emotional roller coaster. The author did an incredible job of making you feel like you were right there beside her, living through what she experienced. The fear, the anger, the uncertainty and everything in between.

I had nothing but compassion for the supporting characters in this story, from the individuals who shared Moon's upbringing to the staff that assisted in her recovery. Each and every character brought something unique and essential to the story.

I enjoyed the fact that the story came full circle and did not leave any loose ends or questions. I felt that everything was wrapped up nicely by the end of the read. I would absolutely read more work by this author. I enjoyed his writing style and voice as much as the story itself.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
After the Fire was such a unique read for me this year. I went into the book blind without reading the blurb. I just fell in love with the cover. This book revolves around Moonbeam, a girl who was the member of a cult. The story jumps back and forth between before the fire, when she was in the cult, to after the fire where she is in a psychiatric facility talking to a therapist about what she experienced. This structure was perfect for this story because it really allowed you as the reader to see Moonbeam in different lights: one as the devoted cult member to Father John, who is just a terrible human being, and after, where her faith is wavering and she is hiding a secret.
Moonbeam was a sympathetic character who I fell in love with. She is hesitant to trust the people at the facility at first, and you learn through her encounters in the “before” sections why. I was rooting for her throughout the book, and wanted to hug her so many times. Moonbeam is a survivor, and it’s harrowing to see how she reacts to the world after living in a cult for so long.
This book is a must-read. It’s a raw and emotional journey of a girl who survived living in a cult, and ultimately questions the faith that she is raised to believe in.

This is a hard book but so eye opening and riveting.
The very first page is chaos, Moonbeam is running through fire and bullets to unlock a building a let kids out. You have no idea what’s going on, but it slowly all unravels through this book. And man what unravels is rough, but it’s such a strong story too. Moonbeam is so strong and goes through so much healing during her sessions and I truly enjoyed that she not only had a therapist but also a federal agent. So there’s two reactions to her stories and two different questions and personalities she’s having to deal with. I really enjoyed this story, I was waiting for some super dark dark stuff to happen or come to light, and I never really got that from the story like I was hoping but it’s also plenty dark enough as it is.

Amazing story just go in with an open mind and strong guarded heart!!

This book! A mess of emotions and confusion and pain, I swear, but if you're up for the journey and some highkey messed up people, then it's all yours.

I've been seeing this running theme between books I've been reading recently. A surge of previously less well-used narrations, that is. After the Fire is told in a past-present alternating way, with the past scenes revealed in a not necessarily effortless way. At times, I did find myself focusing more on the structure of the gradual revelations than the revelations themselves.

Nonetheless, the plot building and storyline were terrifyingly haunting. The awfulness of everything that happened in the compound, the aggravation that came naturally to Moonbeam's audience, and the face of innocence associated with being brainwashed from birth were all pretty compelling elements of this book.

Originally, I was mildly confused as to why the Church was portrayed the way it was, but learning of the basis of some of the more scream-worthy aspects of the religious sector after the conclusion of the novel really stuck with me in an unpleasant kind of way.

The general course of this book was actually really predictable; it's just that some of those really specific details were purely magnetic.

Sigh. I'm still not super sure of how I feel about After the Fire and how overboard the whole thing was, though I do very much appreciate an early early morning read!

My thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC.

Thanks @netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the advanced digital galley copy.

What if everything you’ve been taught to believe is wrong? A 17-year-old girl confronts reality in this suspenseful young adult novel from the author of the popular Dept. 19 series.

Not a coming of age, but more of a coming to consciousness for a teen girl living inside what initially seems to be a benevolent cult and the effects on her psyche in the aftermath of a fire that destroys the world she’s become accustomed to. Moonbeam is aware that things changed, where once she and other believers shared the word, Father John closed the gates. Outsiders were turned away, believers accused of not having true faith were banished, and then the fire came just as Father John predicted. Moonbeam is the only one talking, but even she doesn’t want to share what she did during the fire.

Author Will Hill takes the basic details of David Koresh’s Branch Davidian cult of the 1990s and builds on the idea of how life might turn out for young survivors of such an event. Hill writes of a cult where people are heavily controlled by both faith and fear in a way that young adult readers can understand and yet not be completely terrified by. Will Hill is no stranger to good writing, so he keeps the violence and terror at a minimum to focus on characters. The set-up of interview sessions with a psychologist and a criminal investigator allow Moonbeam to open up not just to the outside world, but also to admit to herself how she feels and what she believes.

A good book, this stands firmly in the YA category, which explains why I wanted even more from it. As I’m accustomed to reading mostly adult thrillers, I continued to imagine what the author could have done at that level with the same engrossing story. 4 stars!

I love, love, LOVE religious cult books and stories, so I was in heaven to receive this ARC. It took me by surprise that the MC was only 17 years old - from the opening, I assumed she was at least in her 20s, but I suppose being in a cult makes you talk like an adult to an extent, huh? This story is super nuanced and fascinating - it didn't occur to me until I had finished and was reading the blurbs on NetGalley that it kisses the story of Waco, Texas and drags that out a bit - duh, me. The world building was excellent and in general I greatly enjoyed my time with Moonbeam. Not so much with Father John, though. That guy can bite me.

Outsiders are bad and they cannot be trusted. Moonbeam has known this most of her life since it has been drummed into her by Father John and he knows what is right and what is wrong. But what if HE is wrong? Even just thinking this could get Moonbeam in trouble and she doesn't know who she can trust, who else might be thinking like her.
The majority of the story takes place in the aftermath of a government raid, when Moonbeam and some of the other children are being kept in a secure facility as they are interviewed by a doctor an agent.The book kept me guessing all along and was full of suspense in both of the story lines.
I just did not want to put this book down! I have read a lot of good books recently but this really has to be one of the best in some time.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Will Hill for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of After The Fire.
I was a fan of this author from his Dept 19 novels, so when I saw this book, I jumped at the chance to review this offering. I am so glad I did.
This book is centered on a religious cult. I thought the storyline was engrossing and well written. My heart went out to Moonbeam and all she had to endure.
Would definitely recommend this book.