Oh this was really good! I remember being in Houston on spring break in college watching this daily. Heartbreaking. I loved The story and the way it mirrors Romeo and Juliet. I had seen that it was likened to the play, but I was skeptical at first.. but man this just proved great writing and careful forethought can really help!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Immersive, descriptive, emotional love story. You feel, hope, question & want a great outcome, but most know nothing goes as planned in life. This story felt authentic & portrayed the nuances of early love. To think such cults or groups still happen today seems absurd, but to view it from the individual's perspectives as they become a part of it was interesting. The podcast interview aspect of hindsight unfolding I personally did not care for. However, it was done decently & brought many details to light. This one is definitely worth reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to read this story as I remember the events so well when the Branch Davidian cult self annihilated.

So the setting is Waco, Tx 1993, and the story of the events that will unfold is told through the eyes of two star crossed teens, Jaye and Roy. Roy is the son of the sheriff. He really misses his older brother who is serving in Iraq. Roy's mom has become entranced by a charismatic cult leader, Perry Cullen (based on real-life figure David Koresh). Jaye lives in the cult compound.

If you are not familiar with the Branch Davidian cult, no worries as this is a story loosely based off the events that transpired many years ago. But, this is a fantastically written story with well developed characters that you will love (except for a few). Its a deliciously dark and suspenseful thriller. Despite knowing the ending, you need to read this one!!!

I had high hopes for this book but it was a bit disappointing in some areas.

There was nothing to distinguish the characters from each other. If the author hadn’t written that it was a chapter belonging to Jaye or Roy, I wouldn’t have known who was narrating because they had no distinct voice. Additionally, the pacing is so slow that it made the book feel so much longer than it is.

Roy’s parents are absolutely useless. That his mother puts the needs of someone else over her teenage son was so bizarre to me. I get it. There isn’t another nurse right now. But to not even go home and check on your son? Especially considering his father has pressing matters that are keeping him away? (and that he didn’t even come home to shower is odd too. Like, it’s been weeks dude, surely you can take an hour or two to take care of yourself?) It was so bizarre.

But I appreciated the subject matter, as even though I was in my teens during the actual event, so much was withheld from the public at the time. So it was nice to read a book centered on this.

Waco, Texas 1993--a true story out of history that I remember following on TV news. A religious cult in Waco, Tx was suspected of stockpiling illegal weapons. A search warrant and arrest warrants were served, but never executed. As law enforcement attempted access to the compound shooting began. Besides guns the cult had also stockpiled food and they were prepared to wait out a siege which lasted from February to April. There has been much controversy over the handling of this disaster and the book brings to life some of these issues. This book also tells about the narcissistic cult leader, Perry, who wants to populate the compound with his children. Be prepared for the topic of child molestation when you read this book (not graphic). The story follows two characters, Roy, the son of the local sheriff and Jaye, a young teenage girl whose mother is a cult member. As they meet and fall in love the implications on the cult, family and law enforcement are huge. . I am not sure if Roy and Jaye are actual people or whether they are part of the fictional story. The writer did a great job of building up a story up Waco, Tx that has already been told and become part of history. Although I was aware of how the tragedy ends in real life, the two main characters brought so much more to this story. I couldn't stop reading the book--I really cared what happened to these particular kids and the families. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the digital ARC. I leave this review as my own opinion and by free choice.

The acknowledgements begin with “this is not a book about David Koresh.” And it isn’t. It is set against the backdrop of the Branch Davidian’s compound, the siege, and the fire that ended it all. But it’s not about David Koresh.

This is the story about a young romance, blossoming quickly. A whirlwind of feelings between the son of the Sheriff and the daughter of one of the women in the cult. How their chance encounters are fully affected by the people and circumstances around them. The backdrop of Waco and the time period add to the excitement and tension. And with such quick, short chapters, I found myself flying through to see how it would turn out.

The reasoning behind my average rating is because I felt like the characters were lacking. Not in number, we’re introduced to an eclectic cast of characters that incorporate value into the plot. I think that what the characters are lacking in is realization. I didn’t feel like any single character was fully realized. Roy and Jaye, whose POV’s we spend most of the novel in, did not seem fourteen. They did not seem to possess the naïveté and lack of wisdom that we all possess in young adolescence. At times, I felt like they were much older. Twenty or twenty-five.

Pacing was also an issue for me in that I felt like the first half of the novel dragged on. There were so many chapters, though short, that just repeated themselves. When the siege at the compound first began, the pacing picked up a bit, as was expected. The second half was really the star here. I recognize that we needed the first half to get there, but the second half was my favorite.

The epilogue was a great wrap up of the novel as a whole. The author can write. His prose when detailing setting was top tier. Overall, I enjoyed this fictionalized take on an adolescent romance set against the backdrop of one of our country’s most well known events of recent history. I was excited for this one. And I know that my excitement for it probably made it so that my expectations were too high. It was good, just not what I was expecting.

Thank you, Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I already have a few friends in mind who I think will enjoy this one.

This is a story that sounds a lot like Waco but the author says it is not about Waco. Jaye's mother meets Perry, aka the Lamb, in California and follows him to Texas to join his cult. Roy is the son of the sheriff. Both Roy and Jaye are 14 years old and the blurb says they are a modern day Romeo and Juliet.

Perhaps I am not the target audience for this one. I didn't feel the chemistry between Roy and Jaye. I didn't think any of the characters were well developed. Perry had no charisma, mostly sounded deranged, which I suppose he was and I felt like the story dragged.

I did find the ending to be interesting.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House for providing me with a digital copy.

So sorry, thought this would be a book for me. Tried getting into it several but just couldn’t. Too many characters and jumping around

Highly engrossing and enlightening, We Burn Daylight is a story of the tragedy of the Branch Davidian cult in Waco Texas in 1993. Told from the perspective of Roy, the 14 year old son of the local sheriff, and Jaye, the teenage daughter of one of the "Lamb's" acolyte, Bret Anthony Johnson brings us deep into the story - the political aspects, the screw ups of law enforcement, the incredible naivety of the Branch Davidians, and how the ultimately tragic consequences for the cult members came to be. It's a story of love and faith that is inexplicable; it's clear that David Koresh, the Lamb, is no saint and is taking advantage of his cult members, and yet otherwise reasonable people are falling for his nonsense. Others are looking for something, and think they have found it in him. Whatever their reasons, the cult members are a truly devoted following.


We Burn Daylight is definitely worth the read; historical fiction that makes you want to learn more about the subject and tells you stories that haven't yet been told, combines the best of fiction and nonfiction. Don't miss this one!

Inspired by the 1993 Waco massacre, "We Burn Daylight" by Bret Anthony Johnston is a compelling story that kept me turning pages from start to finish. Though I was just a child when the actual events in Waco occurred, this book brought back the horror and confusion I felt watching the news with my parents. It left me asking, as did the news then, why the government felt so threatened by a charismatic cult leader that the ATF felt it had no choice but to treat the residents in the compound, including women and children, as if they were enemy combatants.

The story follows teenagers Jaye, whose mother moved her from California to Texas to follow cult leader Perry Cullen, and Roy, the son of the local sheriff. The author deftly unveils a story that you know will end in tragedy, but still leads the reader to hope and believe the outcome may be different. This is a beautifully written work of literary fiction with characters so three-dimensional and developed that readers can identify and sympathize with every major character. The author does not pass judgment on anyone; he simply tells their stories. The book is arranged in four parts, fittingly corresponding to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and readers familiar with the Book of Revelation will recognize the Biblical themes.

This novel exceeded my expectations and, though it was my first book by Mr. Johnston, it will most definitely not be my last. It is a thrilling, but cerebral read, and would make an excellent book club choice for discerning readers. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book!

This was an amazing story about the doomsday cult that became a part of history back in 1993. The author, Bret Anthony Johnston, does an amazing job of turning history into a like-able and easy read, that paints a portrait of a love story among the destruction of that fateful day.

I highly recommend this book!!! Such an artful experience that kept me wanting more- even though I knew how the story would end.

This was an absolute 5 star read for me. I was fascinated from start to finish. This was a take on the Waco Branch Davidian cult but from the perspective of two fictional fourteen year olds, Roy and Jaye, who fall in love. Roy is the son of the town Sheriff, and Jaye is the daughter of a mother enmeshed in the cult. Beautifully written, suspenseful and thrilling.

This book made me want to read more about the actual events that transpired in Waco more than thirty years ago. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. I highly recommend it.

The Waco massacre of the Branch Davidians was a tragedy IRL. In this stunning fictionalization, we see what happens when a daughter of one of the compound members meets the son of the local sheriff, entwined with a podcaster interviews involved personage 30 years later. The book is not apologetic nor revisionist.

I struggled with this book, not using the name of David Koresh, a name we all know well, seemed confusing. The two leads were shallow and thin for me. I caught the Romeo and Juliet asides and wish the author had leaned in harder to those allusions. Ultimately, I learned little about this history of this very real tragedy.

A doomsday cult set in Texas? Hmm... sounds a bit familiar, but I can promise you that whatever you think this book might be about, it will surprise you, it will keep you guessing, and it will be a book that you can't stop thinking about, talking about, or reading once you start.

It is based on the true events that surrounded the tragedies that took place in Waco, Texas. Bret Anthony Johnston though brings a real life story to the forefront of this tragedy though and writes characters that the reader can sympathize with and become connected to right from the start.

I was very excited to start this novel. I remember the attack on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX in 1993, David Karesh, its supposedly charismatic leader, held sway over his cult. When the government decided to attack the Branch Davidians, tragedy ensued and the feds never provided a truly convincing story of what had occurred nor their true motives for killing so many.

I liked the epilog of the book, a quote from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The two main characters who alternated their points of view throughout the book were named Roy and Jaye, both 14 years old. They were surrogates for the original Romeo and Juliet. What t didn't come across however, is the essence of their romance, and depth of characterization was lacking. I felt like I was only given the skeletons of their selves without feeling a true connection. Their descriptions were surface and I felt no purchase as I tried to get to know either of them.

This is true too of Jaye's mother, a California house cleaner who meets Perry, also known as the Lamb, and is the 'charismatic' leader of the cult in Waco. I saw no charisma in him, nor any reason to be drawn in his direction. However, Jaye's mother picks up, leaves California and her husband, taking Jaye with her as she follows Perry. Jaye is not into the religiosity of the compound and feels like an outsider. She wears a gas mask to hide her true self from others.

The story is told in alternating points of view - Jaye's and Roy's. The narrative is chronological except for the podcasts as the end of each chapter. These take place in 2023 or 2024 and are interviews with people involved in the federal attack on the compound as well as people who were part of the compound.

I found the book to meander a lot in the middle. I liked the concept but I don't think the editing was thorough enough. A lot seemed repetitive and this irked me. The writing could be beautiful and poetic at times, but it could decline into a journalistic style easily. I wished that the characters had been more fleshed out. There were many characters popping in and out of the narrative who really didn't have much at all to do with the. main story.

I loved the author's last book and will keep him on my radar, but this book, overall was a modest disappointment.

Roy & Jaye, just kids at the time, come to the situation in Waco from very different perspectives. Jaye, a relatively poor girl from a struggling family, heads to Texas when her mom decides to become a follower of Perry, known to his followers as 'The Lamb'. Roy, on the other hand, has grown up in Waco as the son of the town Sherrif. As we see the story evolving from their points of view, we also get snippets from a present-day podcast that includes interviews with third parties that round out the story.

This one took me a minute to get into because I was kind of confused by the Waco setting and the Waco story.... that was not Waco? This story is about a Branch Davidian situation, and it's set in Waco in the early 1990s..... but it's not supposed to be Waco? I was very distracted by the choice. Had this book been set in literally any other place OR time, or had it been about David Koresh and the Branch Davidians but with fictionalized followers, it wouldn't have been an issue but I just didn't understand-- is it supposed to be set in a world where Waco didn't happen? Am I supposed to believe two Wacos happened at once in the same place? Is it supposed to be Waco but we're just calling David Koresh Perry for some reason? Unless I missed something it was just a very odd choice.

That being said, once I got past the Waco-not-Waco thing, I ended up really enjoying the book. I have a criminal justice background, so I have read a ton about Waco, but the perspective of the children is not one I've come across. It was really a very interesting idea to work with. I loved that Roy & Jaye come from two totally worlds that collide together in such a crazy place. I also really enjoyed the podcast bits, they really rounded out the story by adding some outside perspective. I also really loved the epilogue. I won't give anything away but it was realistic and provided good closure for the story.

I will say this one is definitely a slow burn, and I went back and forth as to whether the podcast being spliced in made it faster by providing clarification and perspective, or if it slowed it down by interrupting. Ultimately, I think I lean in a positive direction on that. The characters were good and the storytelling was good, I would definitely read more from this author.

This brilliantly written, reimagined and fictionalized story of the Waco TX Branch Davidian standoff, offers an inside perspective of some of the disciples of Perry Cullen and the lawmen who are keeping a close eye on what may be going on there.
After a random encounter in town, two teens, Jaye, whose mother is star struck by the sweet talking Perry and has come all the way from California to join the cult and Roy, the son of the town's sheriff, meet and have an instant crush on each other. Roy is an awkward young man but is drawn to Jaye's confidence and quick wit and the two find ways to meet each other. Because Perry's followers are known to sell firearms and other similar equipment at the local gun shows, the law keeps a close eye thinking they might be stockpiling illegal means to protect themselves while Perry shares his interpretation of the Bible and the lessons there, especially in Revelations and Doomsday for Man.
There is a slow build up leading to the siege on the compound by law enforcement. The characters lives are well described and the reader can really relate to what they are dealing with. In Roy's case, his older brother is deployed to the Middle East and this keeps his family on edge waiting for phone calls from him. Roy's mother is a hospice nurse and is often called out for days at a time sitting with the dying patient leaving them to fend for themselves. It is clear that Roy is a good kid and well loved by family and friends, especially Coop and his family. While Jaye's mom is smitten with the attention she receives from Perry, Jaye isn't and she doesn't fall for all of his slick words and compliments, in fact she is rather snarky and sarcastic which are laugh out loud moments.
The scenery, emotions and thoughts of the characters are beautifully written and really provide a deep sense of what is happening. Along with the cult's interpretation of what is going to come, the law and government finds their own justifications to descend and shut this down. The reader learns about lock picking as this is one of Roy's hobbies and it will play an important factor to the story when things are getting dire for the occupants of the compound and Roy feels he needs to try to rescue Jaye from what is sure to be a disaster for those living behind the walls. His effort is truly one of those breath-holding moments!
This story is told in 3 voices: Roy and Jaye share what they are remembering and an unknown podcaster is interviewing the principle actors 30 years after the siege on the compound. The podcaster was a pleasant surprise.
I was truly engrossed in this book. I loved the writing, the descriptions, the characters are so believable and relatable in their story and what they endure. If I was to do anything different, it would be to reduce some of the Epilogue. For me, it got too wordy and I felt like some of the intensity of the end of the book was watered down and diminished.

t be took me a little while to actually open this book (I seem to be behind schedule this year) but once I did, I tried to steal every moment possible to read it. It’s a book that you can’t stop reading and feel sad when you’ve finished.
From the beginning, the author had me invested in the story and the characters, some good, some bad, always interesting. The sweet innocence of the first real love of our two main characters with the backdrop of a doomed religious cult, was wonderfully told. Even the minor characters were fleshed out so well that I felt I knew them, from Perry to Coop and everyone in between. I enjoyed the writing style of Mr. Johnston very much. So much so, that I have already purchased another novel he wrote. I recommend this book highly! Once it is published (July 30, 2024) go right out and buy it.
Thank you NetGalley for the privilege of allowing me an advanced copy.

A modern take on Romeo and Juliet set in the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, TX. This is a fictionalized account of the Branch Davidians, a story we all know from the 1993, 50-day standoff with law enforcement in Waco, TX. I feel so old that 1993 is now considered 'historical fiction'. Oh well. Roy is the son of the local sheriff, and Jaye is the daughter of one of the newest cult members, whose mother is enamored with the cult's leader. I can't imagine giving up all your possessions to follow the whims of a delusional cult leader but that is what everyone does. As the time gets closer and closer to the showdown with the government, Roy will do anything to save Jaye, including going against his fathers' wishes. This is a beautifully written story of young love against all odds, and moral conflict. The descriptions of life within the cult are intriguing, as well as the psychology of why so many people agreed that this is the best way to live their lives. There are multiple points of view here that might take some time getting used to. Once the siege starts, you are on the edge of your seat, hoping that these young people get out of harms' way. The story alternates between the 1990s and 30 years later as survivors are being interviewed by a podcaster.Beautifully written, moving, and a message about the dangers of not thinking for yourself.