I must admit this started out rather chaotic and I had a hard time really getting into it.  However, as I continued and was able to figure out what was happening and where it was going, I really got into it and ended up very much liking this story.  It goes back and forth from after the fire to before the fire and you learn just enough to keep you wanting more and more.  Even when you realize what was really going on "before" you still can't look away.  I definitely will be recommending this one, it surprised me how much I enjoyed it.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

For some reason there was a wave of YA novels focusing on cults and so forth, however, I think this is one of the better ones because it was more after they were out of the cult rather than being inside it.

I really liked the back and forth chapters where Moonbeam is either in her therapy session or she has her therapist with her and the FBI agent getting information from her and when she recounts a situation we are taken back to first person and experience it in the Before chapters. As opposed to ways authors could write it by keeping us in the present and talking about the past. This was just an overall enjoyable novel as we see Moonbeam's growth from before when she was such a believer in the cult to coming to her own realization and finally doing something to truly help herself. At the same time as we are going through this transformation with Moonbeam we also are going through the pain of realizing how many people she has lost.

This novel was an emotional roller coaster, however, it kept me very interested throughout the novel and then end....oh the end! Let me just tell you there were tears, and the good kind. A really good roundabout novel that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of After the Fire by Will Hill.

Well hello there Mr. Hill, how are you?  I'm already very much looking forward to reading more of your stuff!

This is a wild, and compulsively readable story of a young woman who is rescued from a toxic cult.  It's told in before and after snippets, before the fire that had her rescued, and after, telling her story to a cop and psychologist.  Through her retelling, we learn how she landed in the cult in the first place, and all of the events up until the fire.  It's a gradual unfolding that makes you hungry to know more.

This is a slower but intense burn with licks of flame that are so pretty it's hard to look away.  Don't let the length scare you, you won't even notice while you go down this twisted rabbit hole of cults, narcissistic leaders, heroes, and villians.

I remember Waco very well.  I found this book extremely interesting with the POV of a girl who grew up in a cult and the before and the after of a horrible fire. 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

A solid young adult book, but I think there are better books like this out there. Still would recommend purchase for your library where YA thrillers are popular.

A compelling narrative After the Fire explores the lives of young adults after escaping a cult.

The novel begins with Moonbean running through the cult compound as it is on fire and invaded by police and armed forces. She is running through fire to save the children locked in their dorm.

The story continues to follow Moonbeam as she begins her rehabilitation and recovery at the hospital.

In some ways, this story was reminiscent of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, exploring the effects of brainwashing and elitism. The story is an emotional one that goes back and forth between the past and the present, exploring the details of Moonbeam’s life in a cult.

The way the story is written is terrific. It showcases Moonbeam, flashing back to the present as interludes, answers to questions by the FBI and Child Psychologist. I loved seeing how different children acted and dealt with being away from the cult. Moonbeam is 17 going on 18, and there are children as young as five that she has to care for now. The reader gets to see this protective nature of her character, but what the reader also sees is how the cult changed her slowly over time.

Moonbeam was not blind. On a subconscious level, she understood the changes that happened in the cult when John took over. It went from being this haven for people who needed God to this brainwashed society. Many people leave over time, but others stayed and allowed themselves to be brainwashed. For Moonbeam, she was a child with a mom who had nowhere else to turn and stayed until she could leave until it was safe for her daughter.

After the Fire is a thoughtful read, once again, Moonbeam is not blind, she is aware, but she has gone through so much. She was raised in a sexist and misogynistic community that took away the rights of women. It was a community that prided itself on violence and power. Moonbeam faces the struggle of silencing Father John’s voice in her head, shutting it up and growing out of it.

Hill did an excellent job with the story, going back and forth from beginning to end and exploring the passage of time in a way that worked with the story. The Before was not always linear, but the way the writer introduces the past makes it work.

There is also immeasurable character development. The reader sees how much Moonbeam grows throughout the story, and it is empowering. Moonbeam rises to the occasion and stands up for what is right. That is a significant moment in the story that makes this novel so compelling from beginning to end.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I wasn’t able to finish this book. It wasn’t what I expected and I lost interest in it.  It couldn’t hold my attention, unfortunately. I tried to give it a good try but this book was just not for me.

A unique take on a scary story.  Isolation and captivity give me the creeps and Will Hill definitely kept me up at night.  A must read!

I really liked this book.  It’s powerful and intense.  I love how the author wove the scenes from “before” the fire into those occurring “after” the fire...very clever.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but I really enjoyed the set up and way it was written. I love books and movies about cults so that part was really fun for me to read. I did find the story a little predictable at parts, all and all an enjoyable read.

When I started this book I wasn't sure if I was going to like with the back and forth timeline aspect.  But I stuck with it and wow!  What a powerful book.  

This book if from the perspective of Moonbeam, a member of a religious cult, as she recount what happened before and after the fire that has killed many, but freed her and her "brothers and sisters" from the compound. 

A good look into the mind of a survivor. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

“I don’t need to write down the things that happened to me, the things I’ve seen. They’re burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.”


After The Fire was a captivating novel about survival and loss. Moonbeam was one of the few survivors of a fire that destroyed the cult she grew up in. Now that she was away from everything she had know, she faces a life in a world that she has been taught to mistrust. Moonbeam was a character that I wanted to know more about. I wanted to know more about the guilt she felt and the secrets she was keeping about what happened on the day of the fire. From the very beginning the author delved into the action and chaos of that fateful day.  I was drawn into the story. We the reader learn are told about the painful events of the fire in alternating chapters of before and after.

“...Some things are so deeply rooted in the fabric of who I am that I can’t remember a time they weren’t there, and it’s hard to reason my way around them, even after everything that happened.”


Set in the fictional Texas town of Layfield. We’re introduced to Moonbeam, one of the few survivors of the the fire. For years she was taught that Outsiders and The Government were the enemy and that Father John and his word were the ultimate rule. She was always a true believer and never questioned her faith, until she began to see the truly ugly side to their way of life and how it ripped her family apart. Moonbeam was a strong character. She was hesitant about who to trust in regards to the doctors, nurses, and even the FBI, but she was also knew that she had to tell her story of what happened that night. 

For me it was easy to become intrigued with Moonbeam and her story. She was strong character and I wanted to hear more of what she had to say. There were many layers to this story and the author did a fantastic job drawing the reader in and holding their attention. I highly recommended this book. It was emotional, well written, and intriguing. I would definitely read more from this author. 

“I know you have doubts,” he whispers. “You hide them well, but I know they’re there. Listen to them, Moonbeam. Put your Faith in yourself, in your own eyes and your own mind. Don’t trust anyone.”

My students have LOVED this book so far! They find it exciting and intriguing! I've had several read it for projects, and they always submit high quality work!

I can't even imagine living through something like this, and coming out on the other side where life as you knew it is gone, and everything is different. Such a thought-provoking novel that made me contemplate the things that make my life "my life"

The story of Moonbeam and the cult from which she escaped was incredibly intense from start to finish. The author made me want to learn more about its teenage protagonist and the circumstances that led to the titular fire. We were slowly given hints and snippets of the pre-fire events at the compound interspersed with Moonbeam in recovery. Life at the compound was described just enough to keep me going without getting frustrated. This one was enjoyable and worth the low price for the eBook.

I tried to read this ARC MANY times but unfortunately I couldn't connect with the story. I may be the duel timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!  I had no idea of what I was getting into with this book.  Yes, I've read other fiction and non-fiction books about Cults but this one seemed different.  Taken from the perspective of a teenager who was brought to the "Legion" when she was 3 years old, this was normal for her.  We meet Moonbeam when she is in the hospital after the Legion is invaded by the Government.  It is emotional, frustrating and horrifying  and oh so well done.  Kudos to Mr Hill as this piece is excellent.  It is considered a YA but it will be appreciated by adults for sure.  I definitely recommend this story for any Fiction fan, as well as those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

This story is about control, A great YA for all teens wanting fast intense book that moved at a great pace, Horror is really making a comback in both Adult and YA fiction.

When I first read the summary of this book, I didn’t think I would like it.  I am not big on religion.  After my sisters pushed me to read it, I finally did and I am so glad that forced me to read it.  This book is amazing.  It’s more about cult life than it is religious, and cults are something that have always intrigued me.  The characters are amazing, and the story is well written.  I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing, and will definitely read more of his books.