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.

It’s been a decade since Bret Anthony Johnston made his striking debut with Remember Me Like This, a novel I once hailed as a rare gem. Despite the time that has passed, his talent remains undiminished, perhaps even refined.

His latest work, We Burn Daylight, is a gripping tale loosely based on the real-life events of the 1993 Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas. Admittedly, my recollection of the incident was hazy at best—something about a religious leader predicting the apocalypse, a raid led by Janet Reno, a prolonged standoff, and the devastating fire that claimed many lives.

But my limited knowledge didn’t detract from the experience, as this book is a fictionalized account, allowing Johnston to craft his own narrative. The story revolves around two 14-year-olds, Roy, the sheriff’s son, and Jaye, a reluctant resident of the compound, caught in the early stirrings of first love as the siege unfolds.

Johnston structures the novel into four sections, each aligning with one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The white horse, symbolizing conquest; the black horse, representing war; the red horse, associated with famine; and the pale horse, a harbinger of death. Throughout, the narrative is interwoven with modern-day podcast transcripts featuring fictional characters.

At the center of the story is Perry Cullen, also known as “The Lamb,” who embodies a messianic figure—or perhaps its darker opposite, depending on interpretation. Despite his role, Cullen is portrayed as unremarkably ordinary—a Bible-quoting figure whose appeal lies in his ability to make others feel they belong. Yet, it’s Roy and Jaye who captivate the reader, illustrating how pure, youthful love holds the potential to transcend even the darkest of circumstances.

Ultimately, bloodlines, rituals, or religious fanaticism offer little in the grand scheme of things. The real forces that save us from the flames of destruction are justice, compassion, and, above all, love. Cullen and his ilk may strut and fret, but they are mere shadows, destined to fade. What endures is grace and the redemptive power of human connection.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book and am grateful to Random House for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

We Burn Daylight was a step outside my normal reading material. I was intrigued by the ideas of a cult and young love. The short chapters with alternating timelines kept the story moving at a good pace and kept my attention. The writing was of good quality and the characters were well developed. I'm glad I read this and will look out for other books from this author.

The fact that this is based on a true story is absolutely WILD to me. I don't love historical fiction always, but I love culty books, and wow this story blew me away. It's a slow burn, but give it time, you won't be disappointed.

Such a good story. An homage to Romeo and Juliet set in Texas. It does bring back memories of the Waco tragedy but supposedly it on based on that. This is my first book by this author and I’m going to read his debut . He’s a great storyteller. It’s slow going but picks up halfway and stays that way until the end. Highly recommend.4⭐️

This is a fictional account of the Waco, TX fiasco from the 1990s. It pretty much had me at "Waco" since I'm already kind of fascinated by that whole saga.
The main protagonist is a teenage boy living in town, who meets and falls for a girl living on the compound with her mom. Oh yeah, and his dad is the sheriff.
It was interesting to read about what might have been different perspectives of people involved in the situation, whether directly or indirectly.
I thought it jumped the shark a little bit towards the end, but eh, whatever. It was still good.

We Burn Daylight immerses readers in a gripping tale inspired by the real-life events surrounding the siege of the Branch Davidian compound. Set against the backdrop of religious extremism, this novel deftly combines love, danger, and faith.

Pros:
Emotional Sophistication: Johnston masterfully portrays the complexities of young love amidst chaos. Jaye and Roy’s relationship feels genuine and poignant.
Tension-Building: The alternating viewpoints between Jaye and Roy heighten the rising tension. We’re drawn into their lives, rooting for their survival.
Vivid Setting: The rugged Texas countryside serves as a vivid backdrop, evoking both beauty and danger.

Cons:
Narrative Pacing: While the story grips us, there are moments when the narrative spins its wheels, especially during the intense gunfights.
Predictable Outcome: Given the Romeo and Juliet framework, the tragic climax becomes somewhat expected.

Beyond pacing issues, the novel’s predictability slightly diminishes its impact. However, the emotional depth and evocative storytelling make We Burn Daylight a compelling read.

Interesting novel, the writing was well done and the topic has not been overdone. I learned more about the Waco Massacre and I liked how you got both sides of the story a little bit.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting take on the Branch Davidians and Waco disaster. I like the alternating perspectives from the different characters. I liked how many were on the outside looking in. I thought the story flowed well and was very descriptive. It really made you feel that you were back in that time and place.

Jaye comes to Waco in 1993 with her mother who is swayed by the words of The Lamb- a charimatic but unreliable, self-proclaimed prophet. They don't realize that are joining a cult until The Lamb starts having trouble with the law. Roy's father is the local sherrif and is watchful but concerned. He is not ready to cause major conflict with The Lamb and his followers, until the matter is taken out of his hand by ATF and the FBI.

Jaye and Roy meet in secret and start to fall for each other but are caught between a cult she doesn't want to be a part of and the law that he doesn't think is handling the situation correctly.

This is being billed as Romeo and Juliet with the Branch Davidians. I liked the premise and storyline, but the writing was so slowly paced and drawn out- I almost quit this book many times. I only finished it to see how it turned out. So, I thought the premise was better than the book itself, but I think many people will really like this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

This novel had me consumed from start to finish. Told using dual narratives, short chapters and a present day podcast/interview style, the story is centered around two teenage characters who are love struck upon meeting for the first time. They each tell their perspective of their journey during the Waco siege. We Burn Daylight is more character driven and even though we all know the outcome of the story, some chapters were intense enough that I couldn’t stop reading. I highly recommend this unique and captivating story!

The title, description, and the cover all pulled me in from the start. There were a few slower moments for me while reading, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it for others with similar tastes.

This story revolving around two young teenage lovers set in the backdrop of the siege in Waco, TX was interesting and devastating as one would imagine. Roy is the son of a local sheriff participating in the siege and Jaye is the daughter of a woman convinced to move to Waco by the charismatic leader of the compound in Waco. The two meet and are soon “star-crossed” lovers.

The story was interesting and tough to read but I enjoyed the podcast interspersed throughout the story giving context to the love story. The ending was great and redemptive.

I rate my historical fiction based on whether or not it makes me want to learn more about the actual events that took place.

Well, I have been reading all about the Waco Texas standoff since reading this book. This book is fictionalized account of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. I remember seeing it on the news when it happened, but I didn’t know any of the specifics.

To personalize the story the author tells it through two teenagers, Roy the son of a local sheriff and Jaye who’s mother belongs to the cult.
The book is really creatively presented. We get the two perspectives of Roy and Jaye leading up to the standoff and also the transcript of a podcast recorded after the event.

The book reads almost like a thriller and even though you know the ending, it is riveting. While I was reading it, I kept looking things up to see how it unfolded in real life. Very good historical fiction.

This story, thought not entirely based on the Waco siege in 1993, does take heavy inspiration from it. Perry Cullen is a guy that travels around, preaching the bible, he eventually ends up on a rural abandoned (seemingly) property outside of Waco, TX. Here he gathers a number of individuals who voluntarily sell all their worldly possessions and give the funds to him. And what do they do on this property? The 'flock' as Perry calls them work, hard at building a house for the flock to live in, though this house does not follow any sort of building code and doesn't have toilets, a kitchen, running water or anything else that would make it a house. However, the flock move in and sleep in rooms with no doors or heating. Perry does bible study and he eventually tells them he wants to be called "Lamb". How there people survived in such deplorable conditions is a credit to their unfailing belief in Perry and his knowledge of scripture. Into this comes Jaye and her mother who has fallen under the spell of Perry, who actually is more interested in Jaye than her. Perry has a thing for young girls and the idea that he alone should procreate with females. Jaye is a really cool kid, she's fourteen going on 20 with the knowledge of someone who's been around. She can also tell that Perry is interested in her and she does everything she can to avoid him. The other youngster is Roy, also the younger son of the local Sheriff, Roy and Jaye meet by chance and he is star struck. The story is told from Jaye and Roy's point of view with podcast interviews conducted after the events happened with people that were there. It is a fairly quick moving story and I really enjoyed it and would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Randomhouse for the ARC.