I’ve read cult related stories (mostly fiction) before, and some have been so disturbing I’ve had to stop and breathe. Believe me.

Once I grabbed After the Fire, I could not put the book down, even when some of those events described here tensed me, and made me pause to think. Think because there are so many things in life you take for granted (like freedom of speech, of mind, or simply just freedom), and after reading Moonbeam’s story, I can also add that you really don’t know what this book is about, although you may imagine it based on the blurb, based on the cover or even based on other people’s reviews.

Not the case.

I won’t give you the 411 about this cause many have done so, but I can tell you this: before and after hold a powerful story. Many don’t like the alternate storytelling, but this book was meant to be written that way. The power behind this story is one meant to shake you to the core.

I’m utterly speechless, but I will add, that the greatest lesson I learned from Moonbeam’s story, is that you can have redemption, and you can be born again, even if the one thing you were taught since birth is so engraved in your brain you eat breathe and sleep it. You can overcome darkness and be brought to the light. Even if you have to walk thru fire to get there.

I got an ARC of this book.

I  have so many feelings right now. This book hit so many of my buttons. I love the more psychological and atmospheric horror books. I don't like horror that relies on blood and guts, though if that is mixed with some sheer terror then maybe. 

The story follows Moonbeam through her recovery process after being rescued from a religious cult. The story is told in the Before and the After. The After is her time in the psychiatric hospital (outside of two chapters). The Before is her time in the cult. Moonbeam's story stood out to me because she was raised from the time she was eighteen months old to be part of this cult. Most of the cult stories I find are about awkward teens who join by their own free will and are hesitant the whole time. The person who joins is always female too. This one had so much more than that.

I liked that the book didn't rely on rape to be the main fear since the main character was female. There were some hints at sexual assault, but they were very severely punished and seen as deviant, at least from the perspective of Moonbeam. The more you learn about the cult the more that can get twisted, but the sexual element of the horror seemed minor to Moonbeam which is greatly appreciated. Too many horror novels, movies, and video games rely on rape being the main or only plot line a female character can have. 

I loved the focus on the healing aspect, especially because the act of healing was so foreign to Moonbeam and the others. They were told that psychiatrists were evil, prescription drugs were evil, and anyone involved with law enforcement was evil. So why would Moonbeam talk? She was in evil's base. It was so fascinating to watch her come into her own. 

I loved this book, don't get me wrong, but I feel like there could have been more. Or maybe, I just wish there was more. I wasn't ready to be done with the story. Maybe if this were an adult book instead of YA, it would have been enough. I would have been scared deeper than I was then. Or maybe if the last chapter was more believable. The last chapter didn't fit the timeline or what had happened. There was no way that it would have ended like that, this is coming from someone in the legal system who sees some of this stuff go down. There is no way that Moonbeam would have a house at this point in her life, even if a court ordered restitution to her from the case. Moonbeam had nothing since she went into the cult at eighteen months old. So if you ignore the last chapter this book is amazing. 

If the idea of a cult fascinates you, then this is the best cult book I have read in years. If the idea of psychological horror appeals to you, then YES, look here.

This book is one of those that grabs you and keeps you reading because it's so chilling and thrilling. I really didn't know what kind of book I was getting, but glad I took the chance, because it definitely was a fast paced and great book to read. I thought the characters were well written and while the subject wasn't 100% perfectly researched, I did think the author was up to date enough to make sure that the written was pretty accurate. Will highly recommend to those in Chapter Chatter Pub.

I grabbed this one on author and cover alone. I did not realize what I was getting into until I started the novel. Although this is a book I never would have picked up normally, I am so glad I did.
The subject matter for this novel was both new to me and very intriguing. Hill did a great job creating a hectic setting for the compound with anxiety around every corner. He also gave us a homey place to discuss what went on and how to deal with the pain. The settings were simple, yet highly detailed and very lifelike. The action of the story moved along without seeming to be pushed. When there was violence, although it could be graphic, Hill never went over the line into gore, which would have been easy to do. I appreciated this and felt it helped keep this as a psychological story.
Moonbeam was a real life person in my mind. She jumped off the page. Her personality was wonderfully described so that I felt along with her. As she work through everything, both in her own mind, and with Doctor Hernandez and Agent Carlyle, I was with her all the way. She had her ups and downs, yet everything had its reason for happening.
The writing was consuming. I got sucked right into the story and never wanted to stop, even at the end. I loved the extra information on where the story came from. Hill’s writing was smooth and flowing. It went seamlessly from before to after and back again. There were little nudges as to where the next chapter would take us which made it easier to find ground when we got there.
This story was heart breaking, uplifting, tragic, and empowering. I cried, I laughed, I got frustrated, I stayed up all night. And I loved every minute of it.

Moonbeam has been raised in a religious cult in the outskirts of a small Texas town. In many ways this book felt similar to other books I've read about the splinter groups: enigmatic leader, unequal rules and favors, violence, people trying to leave, and of course the government spy. Thankfully Mr. Hill is able to tell the story of Moonbeam dealing with the aftermath of the brainwashing and what she thinks her part in the inevitable final battle was in a way that felt unique and personal to her story. I will state that once again a book has literally spelled out the answers to all the questions to the point of annoyance. Is this something new from editors or publishers? Do they think readers aren't smart enough to follow along? Both Moonbeam and the reader figure the answers out and didn't need it confirmed. Life generally doesn't offer us a letter that explains everything we have learned. I wish books would stop doing that. But, that issue aside, I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well developed and brought the story to life.

--I have received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way.--
This book started pretty explosive and continued throughout. This was an interesting read about a girl recovering from her life in a cult. Which while interesting, the fact that she started talking 3 days after escaping the compound even with her limited belief in the Prophet? Yeah, not gonna happen. I've read several biographies from women who escaped actual cults and that's not how that goes. The characters were realistic enough, the story is fine, but it was admittedly a bit too predictable even down to the twists.
Enjoyable enough, but probably not going to remember it much after a few days.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was very well written, the events that happened were so vividly described, it was absolutely flawless.

I was very interested in the story. It’s a topic I’ve never read before and I found it refreshing. The things that the characters went through were so painful and emotional at times, I felt their pain. The ending was satisfying.
Thank you for the author’s note at the end, it was very informative and eye opening.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


I am going to keep this vague because I think it adds to the story so I won't use the main character name.


She awakes in the hospital, she knows there was a fire, she tried to get the children out, and she had to rely on the government to help her. She isn't sure who to trust because Father John always said that they Outsiders lie, but she knows that he lied too so maybe she could tell them some of the things.


As she begins to trust the doctor and the agent working with her, she begins to open up, and they let her see the other kids and that helps her. She enjoys being able to help the others, and she knows that the road they are on is hard and long.


I really want to say more about this book, I hate to be super vague, but one of the things that hooked me was it took a couple of chapters before she would even tell them her name. This is a book that will draw you in and keep you reading. Maybe because I have been listening to a podcast called Cults is part of why I was intrigued from the first page. But it was powerful and moving and real. Not all cults are destructive, but we all know there are plenty out there that are extremely destructive. Which is why reading about them and listening to things about them is so fascinating.


We know this a work of fiction, but given all the mystery shrouding cults and the practices that we hear about when a cult makes the news it almost feels like you are reading non-fiction. I could not put this down.

After the Fire by Will Hill is a riveting story of how one girl survives a deadly cult in the deserts of Texas. Inspired by the events in Waco, Texas with the Branch Davidian religious sect, After the Fire follows the life of Moonbeam, a seventeen year old who has only known life surrounded by her Brothers and Sisters inside the walls of the Lord’s Legion base. Moonbeam spends her days working in the gardens, training, and helping the other Legionnaire’s keep the Base running smoothly.

But then comes the fire.

Now, Moonbeam’s life is a series of Before and Afters. Before the fire, she lived inside the fence. After the fire, she lives in a hospital. Before the fire, she was a promised wife to the Prophet. After the fire, she has to learn what real truth is.
Why did the Prophet change his name? What was inside the mysterious packages that the Prophet received. Why were the Servants of the Serpent after them? Why did they want them dead?

Moonbeam’s harrowing story is told through flashbacks and therapy sessions at the hospital she is sent to after the fire. Brought to the Base when she was only a year old, her parents were trying to find a better and simpler life. What began as a group of people trying to live purely for the Lord, quickly becomes something much darker when a new Prophet joins their ranks. Father John, Prophet of the Lord has declared that the Base must begin to train for the End Times. With Armageddon close, Father John imposes harsh punishments against those that refuse his orders. Training with guns become part of everyone’s daily life. Hand to hand combat is taught to children with severe consequences for anyone who doesn’t train hard enough. Young girls are promised as wives to the Prophet-the only father to future children.
This story is incredibly well told. From the first page I was completely sucked in. The story is raw and emotional, but because it’s told through Moonbeam’s point of view, the author does a wonderful job of not making her pain-or any other character’s-gratuitous. We find out at the very beginning that Moonbeam has a terrible secret-one so big that she can’t let anyone find out what it is. Her constant fear of someone discovering her secret impacts her healing and that of those around her. After the Fire is an incredible look at how easily power can corrupt and affect the lives of innocent people.
An amazing story-I can’t recommend it enough.

Sincere thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I had seen lots of people raving about After The Fire so I was delighted to be approved for reading it. Sadly, I think it didn’t live up to the hype for me. The writing was great, but I just couldn’t connect with the main character, so found it difficult to keep engaged with her story!

I really enjoyed this book! There's a lot of growth with the characters and the story progresses well. There's a lot to the story that really kept me interested. Towards the end I felt a mixture of happiness and sadness for the main character. Definitely a book worth checking out.

This book was incredibly good. I am usually a sci-fi/fantasy girl, so this is not a normal read for me, but I REALLY enjoyed it. The transitions from memories to present reality are seamlessly done, and I love the main protagonist, Moonbeam. Despite her ridiculous name, she is infinitely strong and totally bad ass. A strong female-led story is always going to be a big plus for me. The supporting characters were well-written, as well, not afterthoughts like in some stories.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC.

Well imagined novel about the aftermath of a military take down of a religious leader's compound, very reminiscent of the Branch Davidian incident and Waco siege. We follow the interviews of Moonbeam, one of the older children in the sect.

3.25-3.5 STARS

Delving into the psyche of 17-year old cult survivor, Moonbeam, “After the Fire” is a fictitious exploration of the manipulation and brainwashing that took place within the confines of a cult compound, right up until a government siege that led to the death of many of its members.

Alternating between past and present, the story unfolds through a young girl’s eyes, as she struggles with an unfamiliar world in the aftermath of tragedy. As a member of Father John’s Holy Church of the Lord’s Legion for most of her life, Moonbeam is haunted by Father John’s words that are so deeply embedded in her mind. But even before witnessing the death of her brothers and sisters, Moonbeam had begun to question all that she’d been taught. Was Father John the spiritual deity he claimed to be? Or, was he nothing more than a snake oil salesman who had been conning them all for years?

While I found the book’s premise interesting, and the subject matter fascinating, the story’s execution left a bit to be desired. With no true revelations and a story that fell flat, there were times that I found it difficult to stay engaged. Still, I was drawn to Moonbeam’s character and was committed to seeing her journey through. To the author’s credit, much of what was portrayed behind the compound’s gate, came across as brutally raw and real, making it all the more chilling and tragic. Hence, “After the Fire” is a good story overall, just not as compelling as I had hoped it would be.

After the Fire tells the story of Moonbeam, who is currently in a treatment center after surviving a raid (and the subsequent fire) on her religious compound. Told in varying timelines, Moonbeam processes what her life has been like and how she came to distrust the Lord's Legion and the Prophet Father John.

Moonbeam's story felt like I was reading a story about the Waco, TX seige, so I wasn't surprised to read in the author's note about how he was influenced by those events. After the Fire was a compelling read about psychology, about manipulation, about power, and about how children are impacted by an experience such as this. The characters were extremely well written, and the topic was handle with the utmost sensitivity. After the Fire will appeal to students who liked The Chosen One and Escape from Eden. I will definitely be purchasing this one to share with my students!

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, and was not disappointed. This is a story about survival and strength. It follows the lives of those who are part of the Holy Church or the Lords Legions; a cult, through the eyes of Moonbeam. She is a seventeen year old survivor of the cult. The story weaves in and out of the before events of the shut down of the Lords Legions, and the after events. The story is well written and allows the reader to connect to Moonbean and the rest of the survivors. It touches on what it is like to be brainwashed and held prisoner of a compound, and what it takes to overcome those events and come out stronger than before.

When I started reading After the Fire, I was thinking that this was going to be a run of the mill Young Adult book. You know, a book where the plucky heroine saves the day. She solves the mystery and gets the bad guy. When I started reading After the Fire last night, I thought that I would get to 30-40% before going to sleep. Yeah, that didn’t happen. Instead, I was up until almost 12am, devouring this book. I got emotionally invested. I needed to find out what lead up to the fire. I needed to know what would happen to Moonbeam.

After the Fire is Moonbeam’s story. Moonbeam is a survivor of a raid on her cult’s compound. Unlike the other children that were saved, she has secrets. Secrets that eat away at her soul. Secrets that need to come out. Recovering from the raid at a children’s psychiatric hospital, Moonbeam must tell what life was like inside the compound. She also needs to tell them the events that led up to the raid. But can she? Can she overcome everything that has been beaten into her? Or will Father John’s hold on her extend into this new life?

I wasn’t a fan of how the book was broken up at first. There was Before the fire and After the fire. Before detailed how life was at the compound. How Father John and his Centurions dealt out savage punishments. How everyone walked on eggshells because they didn’t want to be the next one in the box. It was a frightening and oppressive existence. After detailed, Moonbeam’s time in the hospital, recovering from wounds attained in the raid. But more importantly, she is being helped mentally to adjust to being Outside. They also want her to tell them about what led up to the raid and what happened when she went into The Big House while it was going on. Like I said earlier, I wasn’t a huge fan of it at first but as I read the book, I realized that there was a flow to the book. All Before scenes were told in therapy sessions. After I realized that, the book flowed nicely for me.

The characters in this book were layered. I like that in a character. I like being able to peel back the layers to see what made that character up. Take Luke for instance. When he is introduced, I thought that he was an innocent victim. But as the book went on and more of Luke’s personality was revealed, I realized that he had been 100% indoctrinated. That began when Father John took over. By the end of the book, I felt bad for him. Even though he did some atrocious things Before and After, he was still a child that had been abused.

I despised Father John. He was the epitome of evil. He took child brides (which disgusted me). He turned Luke into a fanatic that about flipped his wig when he wasn’t accepted into being a Centurion. I thought he got what was coming to him during the fire.

The secondary characters made this book what it was. They were very well-developed. I will say that I was upset with what happened to Nate. I actually groaned and said “Nooooo” when it was revealed what happened.

The end of the book filled me with hope. The author did a great job of wrapping up all the storylines. He did a fantastic job at letting the reader know that deprogramming from a cult takes months, not weeks. He showed me that those kids could go on to live normal lives. But most of all, he showed me what happened to Moonbeam. The afterword was worth the read.

What I liked about After the Fire:

Not your typical YA book
Layered characters
The end of the book
What I disliked about After the Fire:

How the book was broken up at first
Luke (even though I pitied him)
Father John
I gave After the Fire a 4-star rating. This is not your typical YA book and I liked that. It had layered characters (main and secondary). I loved the end of the book. What I disliked about the book didn’t have a huge impact on my rating. They were personal feelings. I didn’t like how the book was broken up when I started reading it. I didn’t like Luke or Father John.

I would give After the Fire an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. The scene of the raid and of a man being almost starved to death in a box can be triggers. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 16.

I would reread After the Fire. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

Title: After the Fire
Author: Will Hill
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

Before
Moonbeam has lived inside the fence as long as she can remember. Her parents joined the Lord’s Legion when she was very young, and this is the only life she’s ever known. Her father died here. Her mother was banished. Now Moonbeam is alone, except for the rest of her “family,” and Father John, the leader of the Legion and her future husband.
Every day is filled with labor, a fight for the Legion to survive. Rules govern every action, every thought. Father John is the Lord’s voice, so his words are law. No matter what. Less food. Stricter punishments. New rules. More wives. Disagreeing means banishment: being forced to leave the safety of the fence for the dark world outside. Sometimes Moonbeam wonders if this is what life should really be like. But she can never let any of her family know she wonders.

After
Reeling from the destruction of the Lord’s Legion, Moonbeam struggles to stay true to Father John’s teaching: never speak to outsiders! They are servants of darkness and speaking to them gives them power. But Dr. Hernandez seems to really care what happens to her, and slowly her defenses come down. Then Agent Carlyle starts asking questions about life inside the fence—and what really happened the night of the fire. Moonbeam knows she shouldn’t tell, but some wounds will never heal without being exposed to the light. Even if the truth means she must pay for her sins.

This book. Wow. I was intrigued by a character raised by a cult, and I loved how Will Hill handled it. Moonbeam is a fantastic narrator. The story follows her growth from a fervent believer in the Legion to a tragedy survivor who realizes the truth. The subtle way Hill weaves this tale together had me hooked from the beginning, and this vivid look at life inside a cult was completely engrossing.

Will Hill lives in London and calls himself a creative procrastinator. After the Fire is his newest novel.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

Totally intense story of a girl raised by a cult and her struggle to a happy ending. Very intense so caution to the soft hearted among us.

This is an absolutely amazing story. It is fictional but based on some real events in the past. Moonbeam lives within a cult. She is 17 now, but was brought there when she was very young, with her mother and father. Her father is dead and her mother has been banished from the cult. Moonbeam has suffered neglect, torture, hunger, shame, yet she survives. She shows immense strength of character and I loved her. The story is written from the view of Before and After the main event, but it was never confusing and really added to the tension. I simply loved it! Highly recommended!