I received and ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Man! The author's note at the end distinctly states, "this book is not about David Koresh," but change the names and keep the timing, the location, the suspense, and the colossal embarrassment of the way that situation was handled, and you know where you are headed. That said, this was an incredible read. Told through narration interspersed with podcast interviews and phone interviews, the plot was propulsive from page 1. And, it truly isn't about "the Lamb," this is a story of one caught on the inside without much choice in the matter, and one on the outside tangentially swept up into the events. Fiction that feels somewhat plausible, because, after all, it is set in Texas, where strange things are known to happen. I still remember coming home from work, flipping on the news, and seeing the Branch Davidian compound on fire. It's hard to imagine that it has been 30 years, but if you were ever fascinated with that - or even if you weren't, this is immersive, plot-driven fiction with solid character development that will keep you entertained and turning pages. Highly recommend. 5 stars

This novel offers a gripping and imaginative fictional portrayal based on the events that unfolded in Waco over 30 years ago. The two main characters are vividly developed, adding depth to a story that is both compelling and immersive. I was so engrossed in the narrative that I even missed a subway stop while reading! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a captivating and well-crafted story.

This is a very interesting story based on the true events of 30 years ago during the attack on the Branch Davidian compound/cult. I had of course heard about the Branch Dividians but really hadn't paid much attention and certainly hadn't ever considered what the individual people were like as people. Based the media coverage, you couldn't help but think of them as crazy. This book pointed out that they were people a lot like us who just got caught up in something that sounded good at the time but snowballed into something crazy. A real eye-opener.

WE BURN DAYLIGHT is a fictional novel built around the drama and heartbreak of David Koresh's Branch Davidian sect and the FBI's siege of the compound in April 1993. The siege is used as an example for policy and procedures that still ripple through law enforcement.

Told through the eyes and hearts of two 14 yr olds on opposite sides of Perry Cullen as he gathers believers to his compound in Waco, Texas. Jaye's mother has joined Cullen's sect, bringing her into the fold where not everything is to be believed. Roy is the sheriff's son who watches his father's struggle with the sect's intrusion into small town politics. Together they will work to understand the unimagineable liberties Cullen will take with his followers while they grow closer to each other and the apocalypse headed for their lives.

Bret Anthony Johnston has written an immersive story. The characters and community are real, three dimensional, and the story will see them grow emotionally. A truly great book that my reading circle will love as much as I do.

Hard to put this one down.Set in Waco with multiple points of view and a cult storyline, this simultaneously felt familiar and entirely new to me. I loved the characters, especially the Sheriff and his wife. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tense and riveting novel that is both a love story and a tragedy reminiscent of a Shakesperean play. Reading <b>We Burn Daylight</b> is like watching two locomotives on the same track heading towards each other with no way to stop them.

It's easy to see the similarities between this book and the 1993 events that brought to a head the 51-day standoff between the Branch Davidian apocalyptic cult under David Koresh in Waco, Texas and federal agents. Except, the principal part of this story is centered around two teens on opposite sides who are destined to find each other.

The narrative is told through the eyes of Jaye and Roy starting before the deadly altercation in 1993 and excerpts from current podcast interviews with people who had been involved 20 years earlier. Roy is the 14-year-old son of the county's sheriff and Jaye is the recalcitrant daughter of a woman who leaves her home in California to settle with an odd group of lost souls in Waco, Texas who are devout followers of the Lamb, a self-made prophet.

I've never understood the lure of cults, but in reading this mesmerizing portrayal of the Lamb by Bret Anthony Johnston you can certainly imagine the psychological impact that a fanatic with utopian promises can have on people seeking a "better" life at all costs and how their indoctrination and the Lamb's preachings set off a course of events that lead to disaster.

This book was very different from the types of books that I usually read. However, the quality of the writing and the buildup of suspense made it perfectly enjoyable.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.75 stars……Waco was one of the worst tragedies of our time. We Burn Daylight is based on the 1993 government invasion of the compound in Waco where a religious cult led by David Koresh was burned, killing way too many people. At the end of the book the author makes a point of stating that The Lamb, is not about the cult leader David Koresh, it is more about two fourteen year old teenagers, the people who were drawn in by The Lamb and what happened after the compound was burned down. It is about all the lives that were affected by one religous extremest.

What I loved about this book is the title, the beginning and the end of the book. In the beginning I loved the character development and how the author set the stage of what was to come. What I didn’t like was the middle. It got too long and dragged out for me. I loved the end and felt the author did a great job letting us know what happened to the characters that lived, and how one extreme religious fanatic changed their lives.

While I remember some of the Waco massacre, it is very little. Now I need to go back to read more of the details to see how close this story is to the real event.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is Very fascinating about the waco disaster in texas. They have different storylines going along with it, but I really like about the broadcasting. And a great chapter to explain what just happened.. I like the love story about people in this book too. How this man named perry Took a advantage of people at this ranch.Because he believed he was Son Oh god. I.
Was interested in how Everybody's family Was affected by this. The The law enforcement son got involved with the girl At the ranch. The mother of the girl left her husband in california. This was a really great book

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the writing, but the story dragged a lot at the beginning and I couldn’t get into it. I hear it picks up in the second half so I may eventually give it a second shot, but I had to DNF for now.

This is a very sepcial book. It's a book about the incident in Waco. I know you're probably saying what else more could be said about this horrible incident in American history. We Burn Daylight will put all that to rest. It's a beautiful sad story about a young boy is is the sheriff's son and and a your girl is who the daughter of the mother who is enamored by the cult leader. Its a back and forth of shor chapters from the two main characters. the other parts of the novel are short intevrviews from a podcast. This novel is a veru fasty read. You kind of know how the story is going to end but the author makes it seem fresh and have you look at the situation is a new way. I was never bored reading the novel because I was so interested to see what the author wanted to do with these two characters. The ending is will be staisfying to most even though its such a tragic story. my only question is why the author decided to not chnage the name of David Koresh to Lamb. I mean I kind of get it but jsut the only head scratcher part of this very fine novel. Thank you to #Randomhouse and #Netgalley for the ARC. Great for book clubs.

Two teens, a doomsday cult, and Waco Texas sets the stage for We Burn Daylight.

Waco, Texas 1993

Perry Cullen, known by his followers as (The Lamb) has followers from all over. They come to his compound with their possessions and money to prepare for the end of times. They have gathered a HUGE amount of weapons for when the end comes. Jaye’s mother comes to Texas to join the Lamb and his followers. She is a steadfast and devout follower while her her daughter, Jaye questions the Lamb's intentions and methods. Roy is the local sheriff's son and finds himself drawn to Jaye.

If you are getting David Koresh and the Branch Davidians vibes from this book, that is because this book is based on the events that took place in Waco, Texas in 1993.

This book is told through a podcast which takes place 30 years after the siege, and through the POV's of Jaye and Roy. This book was somewhat slow for me and I struggle with slow, but I hung in there and did enjoy the book. The podcast sections were my favorite parts of the book. I appreciated the depiction of devotion, of cults, of doubt, and the connection between Jaye and Roy.

Well written, well thought out and enjoyable.

Four and 1/2 Stars.
This was a very ambitious book that takes on the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas. It is about two young people who happen to fall in love amidst all of this chaos. The author deserves several starts just for having the courage to attempt such a feat. While there are a few minor flaws, he performs admirable. I am not sure whether this qualifies as historical fiction because the events are so contemporary, it feels like historical fiction; the author had to have conducted major research to make the events that transpired seem authentic. I never knew anything about what happened there other than what I read in the news. That and my interest in cults made this a must read novel. I was not disappointed.
The title of the book "We Burn Daylight" comes from Romeo and Juliet. This title works on several levels: given that the two main characters are young people that fall in love under the worst of circumstances that transpire to keep them apart, they are very much like Romeo and Juliet. The girl, Jaye, is the daughter of a devout follower of the cult's leader, Lamb, while the boy, Roy, is the son of the sheriff. The title also works in conjunction with the events at Waco. I am in awe of an author who can choose a good title since I have written and it is always difficult for me to create a good title.
The reader has to have some patience with We Burn Daylight. It is not an easy book to follow. There are interviews in podcast segments embedded into the text from witnesses in present day which help to build the mood and a sense of foreboding. There are alternating perspectives of Raye and Roy and we move throughout the events that gain momentum throughout the book. At times, it seems slightly choppy and confusing which is where it loses that half star for me.
Nonetheless, this was a very worthwhile read that has, truthfully, left me a little spent. Reader be forewarned that you will want to read something lighter and fluffier after reading this!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this ARC.

A gut punch of a novel where you know there's going to be something awful but not what will happen-or what happens after. This is told alternately by 14 year olds Jaye and Roy in 1993 and by snippets of interviews conducted by a podcaster in 2024. Jaye's mother brought her to Perry's compound in Waco after she fell under her spell; Roy is the son of Eli, the local sheriff. They meet by chance, a meeting that changes both of their lives. Johnston does an excellent job of ramping up the tension, of making the reader understand the pressure on Eli to do something about Perry, of Jaye's fear of Perry's intentions, of Roy's desire to help her and about his concern for his brother who is working in Iraq. The assault by the federal government on the compound is the crisis point which sees, well, no spoilers. I liked the interviews which provided different perspectives, I feared for Jaye, I rooted for Roy, and it had me turning the pages. Yes it's based a bit on Waco but please don't miss the author's note (and thanks, btw, to the creep who stole his laptop.). I didn't expect the ending but wow. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Really great read.

This was an interesting idea and I really liked the premise. The author is a talented writer, I especially enjoyed the podcast conversations and felt they added appeal and complexity to this story. The last section was my fav and I kind of wish the story had started at this point. I know the author was very clear about these being fictional characters and only based on events that took place in Waco Texas, but I remember watching the real events on the news and reading this story had me struggling to separate fact from fiction and it felt maybe too close to reality, kind of like I already knew what was going to happen, so the story lost some of it’s interest for me. If this had been a fictional cult, I think I would have given it 4 stars, but I’m sure some people will prefer the use of a known tragic event.

Whoa. There is a lot going on in this book: it is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet as well as a fictional re-enactment of the siege at Waco, TX. If you're fascinated by cults and religious extremists, this book might be of interest to you. It definitely moves quickly plot-wise. Roy is the son of the Sheriff, and of course his star-crossed love is the new girl in town, the daughter of the new follower of the cult's leader, called "the Lamb." The chapters are told in alternating points of view, which makes the book even more quickly. And on top of that, there are chapters that are a podcast that takes place decades later which interviews law enforcement and surviving cult members. If you know Waco and Shakespeare, you know that this can't end well. If you're looking for a lot of melodrama, go no further,

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We Burn Daylight is a fictionalized account of the Waco siege, told through the perspectives of two teenagers, Roy and Jaye. Roy, the son of the local sheriff, and Jaye, who resides at the Waco compound, navigate their budding romance amidst the escalating tensions. The story explores not only their relationship but also the events unfolding within the compound and the challenges Roy faces at home.

Based on the Waco siege on the ranch of the Branch Davidians this novel is a page-turner. The alternating points of view give the reader an insight into what the people thought and experienced. Both sides of this event are seen through the eyes of the narrators. Roy is the son of the local Sheriff and Jaye lives with the doomsday cult. They fall in love against all odds! Star-crossed Lovers, the Law versus the Cult, and a heart-wrenching conclusion make an excellent novel. Thanks Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

It’s been over 30 since the Branch Davidian tragedy of Waco, Texas. Bret Anthony Johnston’s WE BURN DAYLIGHT Is based on those tragic months with an interesting love story attached.

When Roy is 14, his father is McClellan County sheriff and is losing sleep over what is going on with ‘The Lamb’ and his followers who have given up everything; jobs, homes, spouses and children to follow his teachings. Perry Cullen teaches love and acceptance while dealing in arms and hate. He is preparing his people for End Times and warns that there will be a violent end. As Roy is becoming a man, his role model is dealing with Cullen and his people and the ever growing list of alphabet soup (FBI, ATF, etc) who are also interested in what Cullen is doing. When serving a search warrant goes violently wrong, the stand-off begins.

Meanwhile, Jaye’s mother has decided to follow Perry and they pick up and move to the compound in Waco. While Jaye isn’t too keen on his teachings, Perry seems to have ulterior motives in wanting them there.

When Roy and Jaye meet, their attraction is immediate and strong. They find clandestine ways of meeting and their relationship grows stronger and deeper than even they themselves ever expected. When the stand-off concludes, can their love story survive?

I very much enjoyed a different way of looking at the incident in Waco. Having read everything written at the time, it was refreshing to see something positive. The tension continued to mount as I knew how the stand-off ended. Mr Johnston really did his background research which lent more credibility to the story and had me rooting for Jay and Roy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

The author does a great job explaining the true and tragic events of Waco. Told in recollections from the past and stories of the present it captures the essence of the characters. Hearing the story from the point of view of the different characters allows the reader to understand how each person was affected differently during the event. It is also a story of love that overcomes the odds.

This was about a cult led by a man called Perry who later fashioned himself as the Lamb ( a modern day messiah) he gathers people on a compound and preaches to them.. It is rumored that he engages in free love which sometimes includes teenage girls.
He amasses guns and grenades.

A teen boy, Roy aka Rodeo who's father is the sheriff meets and falls for a teenage girl , Jaye who follows her mother to the compound.

The Bureau of Alcohol tobacco and Firearms comes to the compound with the intent of serving an arrest warrant on Lamb.
All of the men at the compound had prepared for the raid.
Unfortunately gunfire on both side erupts and eventually tear gas is used in order to get the followers to leave the compound,, this isn't successful and fire breaks out.
Roy and Jaye make it out safely however but it is assumed they perished even though their bodies aren't found.
of the story thaThis book was very drawn out and seemed to drag on and it wasn't until the last 1/4 of the story that it finally picked up.