This mind-bending, meticulously crafted thriller delves into the tragic events unfolding in Waco, Texas, in 1993, through the star-crossed romance of two teenagers. Roy, the son of the sheriff, grapples with the absence of his elder brother, who is serving in Iraq. Meanwhile, Jay's mother finds herself drawn to a charismatic cult leader, Perry Cullen (based on real-life figure David Koresh), disrupting Jay's life and drawing her into a dangerous web.

The narrative unfolds through the alternating perspectives of Roy and Jay, offering insight into their respective journeys. Roy navigates the complexities of law enforcement, seeking to fill the void left by his brother's departure, while Jay struggles with her mother's newfound infatuation and the allure of a life beyond her grasp.

Short, poignant chapters interwoven with podcast segments from the present day create a sense of foreboding, driving the narrative forward and keeping readers engaged. Despite knowing the historical backdrop, the fate of the two teenagers remains uncertain, adding layers of tension to each chapter.

The novel excels in its pacing and character development, offering a realistic portrayal of the tragedy and the cult leader's manipulative influence. David Koresh's fictionalized portrayal sheds light on his apocalyptic vision and the fervent devotion of his followers, exploring the dangerous consequences of unchecked manipulation.

The heart-wrenching conclusion leaves a lasting impact, underscoring the novel's emotional depth and resonance. Overall, this is one of the best historical fictions I've encountered recently, and I highly recommend adding it to your reading list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital review copy of this exceptional novel in exchange for my honest feedback.

I've been a fan of Johnston's stories and writing since his first story collection. He has a way of making his character come alive in visual and evocative settings. His writing is flawless and his characters aren't static or ones that sit around feeling sorry for themselves. I loved the alternating points of view in this book, and there are characters I'll be thinking about forever. My only reason for giving four instead of five stars is that the use of the setting of Wacoo and the historical background of this event was hard to parce with my knowledge of the real facts of this event. There were times when the real facts seemed to invade, and while I understand how Johnston played against my expectations, there were moments when I was a bit taken out of the story. But I'm glad I read this, and I'm sure I'll read it again in the future!

Reading about Waco fiasco through the eyes of two teenagers that fall in love offers a different perspective of this cult disaster. The novel alternates between the two main characters, a 14 year old girl who lives at the compound with her mother and the 14 year old boy who is also the father of the town sheriff investigating the compound. Then, to fill in the gaps, someone starts a podcast thirty years later and interviews people who were involved, either as someone who had lived at compound or someone from the government involved in the shootout that lasted weeks. Since most people probably remember the events of this situation, I won't go into those details , but I did find it interesting how we did learn a rather large surprise via the podcast. I wondered why we heard so much about Mason, the son who had joined the marines, yet, he doesn't really enter the novel until we get the update of what happened thirty years later. I was hoping we'd see the daughter, Jaye, and mother engaged in more conversation about why the mother fell for Perry, the cult leader, and why they didn't leave when offered a change. I also wondered why Ray didn't provide his father with more information that he knew about the cult. I'm probably wrong assuming many people know about this historical event, and for that don't know much, they may find this novel more interesting than those of us who were hoping to see characters more fleshed out that were involved in this mess.

Set in Waco Texas, teenager Roy is the son of the local sheriff. When he meets mysterious Jaye, he quickly falls for her charm and beauty. When he realizes that she is one of David Karesh’s followers, and the FBI has begun their siege, he is rocked with fear.

I had some trouble with this book. I thought the teenage characters were much wiser than their years. I just didn’t buy them as characters. I don’t want to give anything away, so all I will say is that I thought the ending wasn’t very plausible. Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.

Should you tell a teenage love story in the context of one of America’s most horrific law enforcement overreactions? Well, probably not. Merging these two disparate plotlines presents with some writing problems that unfortunately Johnston does not fully resolve.

The novel focuses on a fictional retelling of the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas as told through the eyes of two love-besotted 14-year-olds. These kids just don’t have the life experience to understand what is happening before their eyes, thus making them less than believable narrators.

Based on information regarding a weapons cache, the ATF mounted an extended siege against a religious cult lead by David Koresh culminating in a massive fire and multiple deaths. In this retelling, the Koresh role is played by a former landscaper and con man posing as a prophet named Perry Cullen (“the Lamb”). The Cullen character displays few of the charismatic qualities one would expect to find in a convincing cult leader. Instead, he seems to be a pretty ordinary guy on the make.

Jaye Carroll is a bold, back-talking girl who is wise beyond her years. Her mother uproots her from her newspaper deliverer father and a California lifestyle to join Cullen’s cult. Her mother’s motivations are never very clear, yet Johnston suggests she may have been involved romantically with Cullen. Notwithstanding his relationship with her mom, Perry clearly has eyes for Jaye. She, on the other hand, sees through this and takes advantage of him by using his pick-up truck and phone to communicate with her real boyfriend, Roy Moreland. Johnston’s failure to evoke much of a loving relationship between Jaye and her mother or even between Jaye and Roy seem to be important shortcomings in his narrative.

Roy is the youngest son of the local sheriff. His older brother is off in the military and his mom is otherwise involved. His dad is his strongest familial connection, but this evaporates when the shooting starts at the cult compound. Unlike Jaye, who plies him with witty banter and daring exploits, Roy is naïve and malleable. Once the stand-off begins, Roy also loses connection with Jaye. His heroic behavior to save her seems inconsistent with his mild persona.

Most of the minor characters in the novel, including the teens’ parents and the members of Perry’s cult, are not well developed. Cult participation in gun shows and Roy’s discovery of grenades suggest some truth to the notion that the commune had weapons, but ultimately Johnston seems to waffle on this point. Clearly, weapons and ammunition eventually were discovered at the actual Branch Davidian site.

The two first-person narratives lead to a disjointed storyline, a flaw that Johnston compounds by interspersing a series of podcast interviews throughout to novel. These interruptions, along with the unreliability of the two teenaged narrators and the unconvincing presentation of Perry as a charismatic cult leader detract from enjoying of this novel.

Loved this book! Fictional take on Waco, dual timeline and multi POV. The multi POV is very creative and new to me. I loved the depth of the characters and how Texas itself felt like a character. There is a mystery aspect but in a stressful way. I loved the coming of age aspect from both of the main characters. My only criticism is that it felt a little long/drawn out at times.

(4.5 stars) This book attracted me from the start. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Branch Davidian tragedy outside Waco, Texas in 1993. The story is told from the points of view of two 14-year-olds – Roy, the son of the local sheriff, and Jaye, the daughter of a Branch Davidian convert. The two meet and fall in love, with Roy not realizing that Jaye is intimately involved in the crisis unfolding near his home and consuming his father.

Jaye is bold and daring, opposing the “Lamb” at the center of the Davidians (Perry Cullen in the novel, David Koresh in real life) and sneaking out of the compound to meet with Roy. The Lamb has big plans for Jaye, moving closer to her as the crisis grows. Jaye cannot leave her mother, though, even as the tension builds and the Lamb continues to amass weapons for the End Times. As the situation culminates, Roy risks all to try to save Jaye.

I loved the way the author approached the telling of this tale. Between the teenagers, the two sides of the conflict could be thoroughly explored in an organic way. While not exactly sympathetic to the Davidians, the story that is told allows the reader to come to their own conclusion as to who was at fault. The writing feels authentic for the time and place. It brought me back to that time 30 years ago when I watched it all unfold on television. This was a page-turner of the best kind.

I’ve read a LOT of books in my life and this book is most certainly in my top 3. If I could have given it 6 stars I would have. Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an ARC. And I am hopeful they release it as an audiobook because I’d absolutely listen to it as well. Having watched the tragedy in Waco as it unfolded, it was fascinating to imagine what it might have been like from both the inside and outside. And wrapped up in an impossible love story, was pure brilliance. 100% RECOMMEND!!

We Burn Daylight by Bret Anthony Johnson is a coming-of-age love story set inside a cult in Waco, Texas. This novel takes a look at what it might have been like to grow up in and around this extraordinary series of events (loosely based on the Branch Davidian cult in the 90's but the names and some of the details have been changed).

“Sometimes [my father] took me with him to serve warrants… He wanted me to see how people we knew–grocery store cashiers, parishioners from church–could turn unrecognizable if things went sideways in their lives”

This book has:
✔ A coming-of-age love story
✔ 1990’s Waco, Texas cult
✔ Historical Fiction
✔ Short chapters
✔ Multiple POVs

This book is for you if you enjoy true-crime podcasts, historical fiction novels, and a smattering of action and adventure.

Content warning: This book mentions pedophilia (frequent, but not graphic), and has some violent chapters.

This was such a great read. A telling of the Waco murders through the residents of the town and young teenage love. I immediately wanted to research the real events after my read.

“But what was the appeal? Why would people uproot their lives and move to Texas for him?”
“Honestly, openheartedness, vulnerability. He owned up to his wrongdoings, and he didn’t hold anyone else’s against them. Don’t have a green card? Come on in! Stay a while! Made some big mistakes? Well, partner, so have I. He went out of his way to welcome and protect us, so we reciprocated, we found purpose in the labor, and what he asked of us, how tomorrow was always going to be harder than yesterday”.

I must be the only person in America that didn’t know anything about Waco, Texas or the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in 1993…..and all the people who followed the ‘Lamb’s gospel’….

My husband tried to say to me — “sure you do, you’re just having a senior moment”.
“Surely you remember reading the news reports”….
but I didn’t remember. 😕
In 1993 I was in the thrones of detail preparations for our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah…
so forgive me for being a dodo- head.

I found this book so fascinating….
*absolutely fascinating*!
I went into this book completely blind!!
Want to know why?
My answer is easy. I ‘adore’ Bret Anthony Johnston.
‘After’ reading his book, “Remember Me Like This”…..( loved it!!!!)….months later from California to Texas — I went to the Texas Book Festival. I’ll never forget sitting in a room inside the Capital listening to Bret giving a book reading.
Honest to god — Bret Anthony Johnston is my ALL TIME FAVORITE author to sit and listen to.
I’ve been to dozens and dozens of authors-readings …
many terrific— most great — but NONE AS ENJOYABLE as my afternoon in Austin, Texas….with Bret.
I loved his thinking, his thought-process in sharing about writing books — I loved his funny bone - his intelligence- his warmth…. and all he had to say.
Ha…. just a little crush.
So….as you can see — I didn’t care what this book was going to be about — I just knew I was sooooo in the mood for another Bret Anthony Johnston experience……
Soooooo
not surprisingly…
but a little surprisingly ….
this book was TERRIFIC!!
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was fascinating to learn all this STUFF!!

Characters and dialogue make reading “We Burn Daylight” an engaging storytelling experience.
Small example…. [two teenage girls just ‘shootin-the -breeze’ ……
Jaye and Charity share bunkbeds. Charity is on the top bunk when Jaye walks in their room.
“The Lamb’s a prophet, Charity said, her eyes still on the Bible”.
Jaye thinks to herself:
“I rarely heard her speak, but her voice was always lower and fuller than I expected.
Charity says:
“He believes in redemption and community”.
Jaye says:
“He also believes rivers used to turn to blood and donkeys could talk. And he believes it’s cool to break up marriages”.
“So did Jesus, Charity said.
“Every disciple chose to leave his family behind. You have to love Jesus more than anyone else. That includes your husband and offspring and parents”.
“Perry isn’t, Jesus, Jaye says. I’m not even sure Jesus was Jesus”.
“Belief’s hard. You have to trust God‘s truth will cure your pain. We live by faith, not sight”.
“You sound like a zombie, Jaye said”.
The dialogue continues….
… I laughed -I cringed - I reflected ….

Meeting the teens Roy and Jaye were especially enjoyable….
They added a lot to the Podcast Interviews with Professors, survivors, retired FBI agents, and consulting services…
…..because their intimate stories, family history, and experiences transported me back to a time - a place - a religious compound — and the tragedy I knew nothing about.

Great book….
And it’s true:
“We Burn Daylight” ……
is …..
“an unforgettable, love story, a heart pounding, literary page turner, and a profound exploration of faith, family, and what it means to truly be saved”.

Moving, harrowing, intimate, brave…..
….with psychological acuity, cinematic pacing,
disturbing facts, and storytelling flair….
Bret Anthony Johnston enhanced my little world again.

I’ll never think of Waco, Texas the same again.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. Book about the Waco Branch Davidian siege by the FBI and the ATF. The build up was slow, but the actual conflict was interesting.

This is set in Waco, Texas in 1993, at a compound. You can infer from that what this is about.

I greatly empathized with Roy and Jaye. It’s hard out here for fourteen-year-olds! They meet because Perry Cullen has bewitched Jaye’s mother into joining him in Waco, and Jaye decides to come along. The latter is astoundingly wise to all of Perry’s BS, and her observations and witty comments are quite hilarious.

I purposely did not brush up on what really happened during those months of the standoff, so I wouldn’t inadvertently be biased in any way against the reimagined story. You may think that this is a slow burn, but I don’t consider it to be one. Johnston really makes you care about the characters (at least the ones worth caring about), and I was invested in their fates.

What happened is sad, yes, but there’s a tale in here worth reading. Look for this in July 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC, which I voluntarily reviewed.

Based on the true story of the 1993 events in Waco, Texas, here Perry Cullen is the David Koresh figure and people from all over begin to follow him, calling him “the Lamb,” and signing over their possessions and money to him as he prepared for the day of reckoning. Jaye Carroll’s mother Marie is a devout follower of the Lamb, following him from California.

Roy Moreland, 14, is the local Sheriff’s son. He falls in love with Jaye but doesn’t know about Jaye’s mother Marie’s relationship with Perry or his designs on Jaye. The book is told in alternating points of view between Jaye and Roy.

Oh, I love me a cult book! The book is also interspersed with transcripts from a documentary which provides additional perspective. I enjoyed this, but it’s likely not for everyone. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this. The characters were enjoyable and I loved the plot. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review