A teenage girl named Jaye and her mother leave their California home to move in to the Lamb's compound. Jaye is a smartass kid who doesn't care for rules, much less religion, and can't understand what her mother saw in the Lamb – a landscaper who wanted to be a guitar god and became an actual god instead. But when she meets Roy, the sheriff's son, the two teenagers are drawn to each other, even as they careen toward the fulfillment of the Lamb's final, violent visions. The brief chapters that alternate between Jaye’s and Roy’s points of view heighten this rising tension.

Set in Waco, Texas in 1993, this book tells the story of lovers from different worlds amidst a doomsday cult. Inspired by true events, it explores faith and family. In the novel, there are excerpts from a podcast three decades later that features interviews with surviving cult members, law enforcement officials, and others familiar with the tragedy at the ranch. There are episodes of vivid drama in the story. I found this novel very interesting.

Im sorry I couldn’t finish this in time. It just didn’t work for me at the moment because I was in the mood for something else.

I enjoyed the novel and its alternating voices but found it a slower read than I expected. That said, when I came back to it each time, I was easily drawn in again. Interesting, well-drawn characters and a sense of urgency, that might have been stretched out a bit too long. Overall, would recommend.

This was an excellent fictionalization of the siege in Waco in 1993. I liked how the story was told while it was happening in 1993 from the point of view of two young teenagers in love and present day in the form of a podcast with key figures from the siege. It was very well written and researched.

Synopsis: Waco, Texas, 1993. People from all walks of life have arrived to follow the Lamb’s gospel—signing over savings and pensions, selling their homes and shedding marriages. They’ve come here to worship at the feet of a former landscaper turned prophet who is preparing for the End Times with a staggering cache of weapons. Jaye’s mother is one of his newest and most devout followers, though Jaye herself has suspicions about the Lamb’s methods—and his motives.
Roy is the youngest son of the local sheriff, a fourteen-year-old boy with a heart of gold and a nose for trouble who falls for Jaye without knowing of her mother’s attachment to the man who is currently making his father’s life hell. The two teenagers are drawn to each other immediately and completely, but their love may have dire consequences for their families. The Lamb has plans for them all—especially Jaye—and as his preaching and scheming move them closer and closer to unthinkable violence, Roy risks everything to save Jaye.
I want to start off by saying, that I enjoy reading true crime novels, and this being loosely based on the events that took place in Waco, is what initially drew me to request this. Bret Anthony Johnston does an amazing job with character development for all that are included in this story. With great detail of the backdrop of this intense story. I recommend this to all who enjoy fiction, based on fact-based storylines. I could not wait to find out what happened to the star-crossed lovers of this tale. I truthfully had no idea what lay in store for Jaye and Roy. Or their family members. Thank You to the Author, Publisher, and Netgalley for the e-galley.

It's a rare book when the book's premise held up to the storytelling. I was hooked on the Romeo and Juliet romance set in the context of the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, TX. The characters seemed well-fleshed out and the tension was gripping (especially in the latter half). I would definitely recommend this book to friends and would read books by this author!

This was a very interesting read. We Burn Daylight is the first recent-time, cult-like book I've read and I'm still thinking about the characters. This is set in Waco, TX, and based on the events that happened with David Koresh and Branch Davidian compound in the early 90s. The writing of character emotions is pretty incredible. In one of the later scenes, I swear I felt just as claustrophobic as Roy. There is a lot going on here, though, with his brother and his buddy and Jaye's dad, etc., but I would absolutely recommend this to a friend.

I was intrigued by the premise—Romeo and Juliet set during the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX—but the execution was pretty lackluster. Something about the writing left me feeling emotionally disconnected from the story, and for a book described as a “heart-pounding literary page turner” it was lacking in narrative tension. By the midway point I lost interest and had to force myself through the second half.

This book could have been a five star for me but it lost a couple of stars for two reasons. One being that the character of Jaye was written to act way older than she was stated as being. That was ok and made it a four star until I read the acknowledgments. The fact that the author says it was not about David Koresh. If he would have said it was loosely based on Koresh and the town of Waco, TX that would have helped. It was very much indeed about that horrific event. Yes in fiction form but it should have said "based" on. That is my humble opinion.

I was entranced by this story. I remember when the cult and awful events of that time happened. How horribly it was addressed. The FBI, cops, and whatever other law enforcement was there messed things up horribly. Yes the main character, Perry, should have been brought down. But according to this story and the real life story, he was in town and having gun shows all the time. They could have taken him at any time without causing many deaths. Without all the destruction. Again this is my humble opinion. Now and back then.

Two teenagers tell most of this story. One being the sheriffs son, Roy, ages 14. The other is Jaye, who came from California with her mother to join Perry. Jaye was just way to mature for a 15 year old. She did everything. She stood up to Perry like he was nothing. I didn't buy that either. I did like the story though so bear with me please. If not for her age it would have felt so much more realistic. Jaye had been a shy somewhat introverted young girl. She and her mother came to see what Perry and his commune was all about. It sounded very much like they were trying to groom Jaye for Perry even though her mother was wildly crazy about him. I mean she left her husband to move to Texas and be with Perry. I get that. It happened a lot in cults.

Roy was a kid who had a good life. His mother was a nurse and his dad the sheriff. He was a good kid and did what he was suppose to do. Until he didn't. That is when things went crazy in this story. lol At least for me. There were a few things that just didn't add up for me in this book. The fact that the cop didn't run after Roy when he ran into the compound. That they didn't look for him like he was the sheriff's son. Oh wait, he was the sheriff's son. Go figure. Yes it would happen but in this book I just didn't buy that. This man, Roy's dad, would have moved mountains to find his son knowing what was coming.

The FBI botched the arrest of Perry. They caused so many deaths. Yes Perry deserved to die in my opinion for what he was doing to young girls. But so did their parents for allowing it. Not that this book was in any way graphic. You only read that it did happen. No details. No graphics. I also didn't buy the ending. The sheriff would not have gone along with it. Not the man I read about anyway. He would have found a way for things to be ok.

I figured out what happened to the two youngsters and was not surprised by the ending. But I had no idea who the podcaster what. I was pleasantly surprised. I like him and was hoping he would find out the truth.

This book had great potential and it looks like I am in the minority with this opinion. I liked it but it did not wow me like I had hoped it would. It was a fast paced story and after the FBI got called in it got exciting. But I just didn't think a few things were so great and I do believe it is about David Koresh, or loosely about him and the events of that time.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishingGroup, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Three stars.

I knew by the second chapter that this book would definitely not be a DNF for me. A 90s Texas Romeo and Juliet, every chapter kept me wanting to learn more and more about Roy and Jaye and how they coped with being in proximity to a cult with parallels to the Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas. The book covers themes of survival, love, and faith. There was a constant thread of impending doom and uncertainty, both in regards to the actions of all who were involved and the fate of a young, blooming love story. Johnston wrote this book in a way that I thought gave the climactic parts of the book a sort of slow-motion energy, where I was holding my breath in anticipation of what could happen next. The podcast episodes wrapping every chapter in which characters are recalling their experiences, gives the added perspective of hindsight and how so much can go wrong when people think they are right.

This was not a 5 star read for me because I struggled with the ending and fate of Roy, Jaye, and Kanaan. It was just a little too unrealistic for me considering their ages and where they ended up.

We Burn Daylight
By Bret Anthony Johnston

If you were around in 1993 you must remember the Branch Davidians, a religious sect led by David Koresh, and the horror when the Davidian compound in Waco Texas is besieged by our government for 51 days.
The standoff ended with a horrific fire which killed nearly 80 people, including many children.

The story of Waco is true. Here it serves as the background for a fictional "Romeo and Juliet" story of two characters who, like Shakespeare's characters, come to a sad end. Jaye is the daughter of a devout follower and Roy is the son of the local sheriff. They are in love, and Roy wants to save Jaye from what is coming. But Koresh has other plans.

The title, "We Burn Daylight", is in fact a quote from Romeo and Juliet. This too is a tragedy.

More of a Fictional Case Study than a Novel
As a novel, many elements failed to land effectively. While there were asynchronous aspects throughout the book, they were particularly troublesome in the first part of the book, which was quite disorienting. The tension peaked too early and then dragged on slowly for too long.
The allusions to Romeo and Juliet were hard to miss, but the story was more of an alternate universe than a retelling of the original. It is definitely not the same genre.
That said, if I look at it more like a fictional case study, inspired by the Branch Davidian situation, I find much more merit in this book. While the author chose to align the time and place with the actual events, the characters and the majority of the described scenarios are fictional. Each character has a unique perspective on the events, and the psychological and sociological implications of what may have happened are explored throughout the book. If you enjoy that sort of thing,, you will probably appreciate this book. Still, you may want to look elsewhere if you are looking for a Shakespearean-inspired romantic tragedy novel or a historically accurate story.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. The premise was intriguing, but this just did not do it for me. I was not a fan of the alternating chapters or the style of podcasts/interviews etc being woven in to the book. I think the biggest issue I had was why connect it to Waco - either write about the Branch Davidians or pick something COMPLETELY different but this setup just felt odd. Not a fan of the style overall and the star crossed lovers theme seemed overdone as well.

One of my favorite galleys I've gotten in a while. A quasi Romeo and Juliette story with the setting of the Waco Tragedy. Given how young I was when the Waco Siege happened, I didn't know much about the events and ended up doing research while reading along. I think the book did a good job being truthful to the actual events while also adding in these fictional characters and events.

I am a sucker for books about cults, so it was a no brainer when I learned that We Burn Daylight by Bret Anthony Johnston was based on the doomsday cult, Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh that resulted in a 51-day standoff with the Feds that resulted in countless deaths, including the death of many children. The story is told from multiple character perspectives, including the main law enforcement officer's son and the daughter of a woman who falls for the cult leader.

I liked the insider perspective about how the cult formed and attracted followers, because it did make you understand their perspective more, but the story was very slow moving and the arc of the story wasn't as exciting as I anticipated. Overall, the story fell a bit flat.

This book was clever! It took inspiration from the Waco siege and built this story that is a take on a Romeo and Juliet star cr0ssed lovers trope. It made it modern with the inclusion of podcast episodes from those that were around at the time. I liked that element, but I did find that it took me out of the story a bit. I am glad I read this and became acquainted with this part of US history that I seem to have forgotten.

It took me a while to finish WE BURN DAYLIGHT. It’s a slow burn, but I did end up enjoying this look at doomsday cults, love and devotion, told through the alternating voices of two star-crossed teenagers. The stories are interspersed with podcasts recounting the event - based on the Waco siege in 1993 - 30 years later. These breaks in the narrative did help keep me interested, but I think I could have done without them. That said, the suspense of wondering what will happen to Roy and Jaye kept me reading despite the slow pacing.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an electronic copy of WE BURN DAYLIGHT in exchange for my honest feedback.

I really enjoyed this book. Although I normally don’t love books that shift narrators each chapter but the device really worked here, including the podcast interstitials, because it gave the story a mystery element that helped drive the action forward. I liked that at the end of the day, Perry was largely innocent of everything but being a megalomaniac but it was this psychosis, more than anything else, that brought the downfall. My only gripe is that it was hard to take the love of two 14yo’s seriously enough, especially since they spent so little actual time together, to believe their overly mature relationship. Jaye especially reads like a sarcastic 30yo woman who’s been around the block not an awkward teen girl worrying about impressing her frenemies back home. Other than that, I enjoyed the read and would recommend this book to others.

Waco, Texas, 1993. The self-styled prophet the Lamb attracts followers from all over, who come to prepare with him for the End Times. Teenage Jaye’s mother is one of them, totally duped by the Lamb’s charisma and vision. 14 year old Roy is the sheriff’s youngest son. He falls for Jaye, and when she leaves to go to the compound with her mother, is determined to save her come what may. Based on real-life events, the siege of Branch Davidian, the author claims that the Lamb is not about David Koresh, but this feels disingenuous to me. Why set the book in Waco and have a similar siege if you don’t want the reader to make the obvious connection? Certainly comparisons are inevitable, and in fact this makes the novel even more chilling. Be that as it may, I found the book a compelling narrative overall, with a few provisos. I thought the dysfunctional situation within the cult was accurate (as far as I can tell) and authentic. What I found less compelling was the Romeo and Juliet relationship between the two young people. Roy was convincing, but Jaye less so, as she felt too knowing to be a real teenager. What really spoilt the book for me, however, was the epilogue, when all is neatly tied up. It just didn’t make sense. I can’t really spell it out, in order not to give anything away, but I think it would have been better to have an inconclusive ending rather than one which left the reader with too many unanswered questions. I simply didn’t find it convincing. However, I did enjoy the book and was invested in the characters and their plight. A good read.

3.5 ⭐️’s
It’s 1993 in Waco, Texas and there’s about to be a government raid on a Davidian Branch (fictitious in this case, although based on true events) compound. The story is told in the voices of two teens, one the son of the towns sheriff, the other a girl in the cult. Roy is missing his brother in Afghanistan and Jaye wants nothing to do with the cult, but is trying to protect her mother. When the two meet at a gun show, there are instant sparks, but is there any future for the two. When Roy discovers a secret at the cult he keeps it to himself, but when he learns of the raid and the standoff that enfolds, he’s not so sure he should have kept things to himself. The story takes place years later with alternating chapters in Roy and Jaye’s voices interspersed with a podcast. While an interesting premise and I liked the Roy and Jaye characters, I wasn’t all that invested in the story. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.