This was a bit of a different read for me. No romance in this one. The story could very easily be taken from the headlines of society. The story was well paced. It did trip me up a little in a couple spots with the time frame of the flashbacks. I really understood Moonbeam's thought process through the writing. I never really questioned why or why not she did something. He wrote her well.

Based on the true events that happened at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas. I loved the way this book is written only giving us little glimpses at a time of life inside the religious sect that Moonbeam is a part of.

You know that Moonbeam is holding something back. That she is wracked with guilt over something but you don't know what it is. It isn't until almost the end that you find out.

This is a really well done book that sucks you in from the beginning and keeps your interest all the way through. I am always fascinated by these religious sects and how the people come to follow these "prophets" and this shows how they are systematically broken down and the difficulty those who start to lose faith go through to either stay off the radar or find a way out.

Tl;dr: Well written and sensitive account of a teenage girl who is a survivor of a government raid on the cult where she was raised. Will especially resonate with those who remember what happened in Waco, Texas (which is adult readers)

Although After the Fire is classified as a young adult novel and I do think the mc, Moonbeam, and what she goes through will be interesting to teen readers, I think that adults who renember what happened at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, will actually find this more interesting. I know that my recollections of the time prompted my interest in the book, and I thought that Mr Hill did am amazing job with Moonbeam, whose story is heartbreaking and so, so well done.

Things I especially loved, and the one thing that kept this from being a five star read: (SPOILERS AHEAD)

SPOILERS

SPOILERS


-- I loved that we never find out what Moonbeam's real name was. I like to think that in a few years, she'll either pick one for herself or stay Moonbeam in honor of what she did to save those she could, and for herself for her strength in doing what she thought was right versus what she was taught

--Nate. I loved that he never ever became a love interest, but instead was someone doing the best he could under an extremely difficult situation, and that, in the end, he didn't survive. I thought that touch of realism--as Mr. Hill does an outstanding job of portraying Father John's fanaticism-- was a sobering and painful but necessary reminder of what cult leaders will do to make sure they keep power. And Mr Hill did a fantastic job of portraying Moonbeam's realization that, with Nate (and her grandparents and presumably mother's) death, there is no one left for her to reach out to.

-- Moonbeam and Honey. What happened to Honey was horrific and I thought Mr Hill did a great job of fleshing Honey out. I loved how strong Honey was, how she and Moonbeam realized how difficult everything would be for the other, younger survivors, and everything they did to help. I was also really glad that Honey got a happy, but realistic end in After the Fire

--Luke. Kudos to Mr Hill for making me feel a tiny bit of compassion for a throughly deplorable character. I loathed him, but understood, as Moonbeam did, that even though he was horrible, he was also broken.

Now for what I didn't like:

-- The ending. I figured Moonbeam's mother would show up, but by the time I was mostly done with After the Fire, I started to think she wouldn't and I was *so* imoressed by Mr. Hill writing such a realistic (and for a ya novel, bold) ending. Moonbeam had survived, had told her story and started to heal, but was going to face becoming part of the world largely alone. It was gritty and real and I was wondering if there would be a sequel and then...

Well, of course, with about three or fewer chapters left, wouldn't you know it, but Moonbeam's mother is alive. Not in great shape (that was the one realistic touch) but still, suddenly Moonbeam is okay because family! Real, true family! I was so disappointed because the miraculous return of a family member for a happy ending is such a cliche and Mr Hill had done a pretty good job of avoiding them. But the ending, making it so wrapped up with a bow and 834566543 cherries on top? It felt like a copout and was a copout and my disappointment is compounded by the fact that until then, After the Fire was so good. Then it just felt like another teen survives something awful and heals with family novel and those are everywhere.

Having said all that I do think After the Fire will appeal to teen readers who like angst with a happy ending, although I think the book's largest audience is actually people like me who remember Waco and wondered about the children Koresh realeased during the events of 1993. And for those adult readers, this book is going to be very compelling, although the too neat ending may annoy.

What an intense and emotional story. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the back and forth writing ofbefore and after the fire, but I did.
The characters captured you and kept you involved. I highly recommend this book.

Intense and powerful, this story weaves through emotions based on belief, control, family, religion, survival and lies.

Moonbeam has lived most of her seventeen years inside the compound. Her father died when she was younger. Her mother was banished only a few years before. The fence and gates protected her and her Brothers and Sisters from the evils of the Serpent beyond. They did as the lord wanted and tried to follow his rules. She tried to stay pure until she noticed the lies. Then, came the fire. Now, she's trapped again and must figure out where the truth in the past as well as the future lies.

I had read the blurb but was not prepared for this book. It is raw and hits basic questions about belief, manipulation and greed straight on. Moonbeam is a wonderful character full of strength and flaws. Sometimes she comes across a bit too clever considering her predicament, but it's not enough to snag the story. Through a trade-off between 'before' and 'after', what she experienced and what now awaits her sink in and grab. Each scene from her past and the truths it holds dribble in just at the right time as she tries to work out what happened to her and how to deal with it while gazing upon a future she never guessed she'd ever have. The author does a fantastic job pacing this just right. It keeps the tension high while allowing the emotional impact to bear down full force. And the read hits home.

Moonbeam's depictions of her past illustrate clearly how belief and trust can be twisted under the right circumstances. It shows how good people can be manipulated into something they wouldn't want to be if they realized what was going on. The scenes are harsh and cruel, but still, the novel enables the reader to understand how the circumstances can come about.

This isn't a light read but digs deep and leaves tons of food for thought. I wouldn't recommend this for younger YAers, since it addresses some pretty tough material and cruelty. But it's not a read to avoid by any means. The messages are harsh yet full of hope and make it clear what is acceptable and what not. The reader comes away thinking, and this is exactly what should happen. I highly recommend this read to ages sixteen and above.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and enjoyed reading it so much that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.

Once I started this book I didn't want to put it down. Which is sometimes difficult when you work 12 hours a day. I personally find anything about Cults fascinating. I think the reason being is because I could never see myself ever being in one, so I find it's interesting to see how other people could be so drawn into them. This book focuses on Moonbeam a 17 year old girl who has lived almost all her life in this compound. The book goes back and forth between what is going on now and what has happened while actually in the compound. I only found 2 things that bothered me with this book. In the book it is mentioned many times that all books, tv, etc. were taken away at least 5 years before the present time. Which would make Moonbeam about 12 years old. The problem I have is how talks, if all learning and the outside world got shut off when she was 12 how is she so far beyond her thinking for a 17 year old especially one so insulated. You can get past that and still enjoy the book but it did irk me a little. Also I thought the end wasn't that great for Moonbeam, I didn't find it believable about her mom. Overall I did truly enjoy this book.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

I really like the way this story is constructed. Little by little you get to know how the events unfolded, as Moonbeam starts to open up and tell her story. I started reading "After the Fire" without knowing what to expect. All I had seen before was just the official book description, and nothing more. And I must say I was impressed with everything. Nice plot, great main character, nice alternation between tales of before and after the fire. And I was even more impressed in learning that, although this is a work of fiction, it was loosely inspired by real facts.

My students will love this book about the Waco compound fires. The story jumps right in and doesn't let up. Also gives insight to the minds of those who have grown up with a compound life...the lies that were their truths.

After the Fire is a story being told by Moonbeam flashing back between past and present as she recounts the events that led to where she is now, in a hospital talking to a psychiatrist and an agent of the law, a Serpent, the Prophet, Father John, would say. Moonbeam, under the careful questioning of Dr. Hernandez starts to tell a story. A story that leads you back to where the story started, which was what really got me hooked.

If the story hadn’t started the way it had I probably wouldn’t have been nearly as interested. The story starts with her making her way desperately to a building trying to unlock it as fire rages and bullets whiz past her and around her and badly injuring herself in the process. She is desperate, there are kids in that building and she has a key (how did she have a key, why does she have that key?) to save them.

Through Moonbeam you learn about her time in the Lord’s Legion, led my Father John who takes the faith to a cult like fervor with a Waco like ending, and how she went from a true believer to a girl just looking to survive. You get the sense she’s keeping secrets, heck she tells it to you right away, but the secret she reveals? Well... I hadn’t entirely been expecting it.

Interesting story, I find cults fascinating and have been fortunate to talk with and meet a survivor of a cult before. No two stories are the same. This is much more dramatic than her story was but the emotions feel very much in line with what I got from her.

This story won’t be for everyone. It’s intense. It’s never said outright and not recognized by our character as being this, but threat of rape is a constant in the background. She mentions other girls getting visitors in their rooms at night by other men of the compound. There is violence. While there is talk of religion I wouldn’t say I recognize it as being tied to any faith in particular, rather a man who recognized people’s need for faith and twisted it to suit his own ends but there is talk of faith and religion and it can get a bit intense sometimes. Someone commits suicide. People are injured, people die. This is a dark story and dark things happened. Please recognize this for your sake, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but I think a lot of that has to do with Moonbeam recognizing beforehand what she was learning was a lie, what she was living was a lie.

I think this was an interesting story with a lot of thoughtful and emotional parts.

I received a free coy of After The Fire by Will Hill from NetGalley for my honest review.

I don't normally read YA books but I had read so many good reviews that I decided I wanted to request it. I am very glad I read it. A fantastic read!

This is a story that goes from past to present in regards to Moonbeam and how she deals with the aftermath of a fire that uprooted her entire life. She wakes up in a secured facility but is scared and doesn't know if she is safe.

Moonbeam is forced to be a part of therapy sessions with a Dr. Hernandez and Agent Carlyle. Together, they are trying to help her put the pieces of her life back together. She is learning to cope with her fear and trying to confront each day with the realization that she survived and accept help from those around her.

Moonbeam grew up on the Lord's Legion, which is what I would call a cult. This cult is led by Father John. Moonbeam starts to reveal more information as time goes on about his brainwashing and tyrannical ways. She starts to realize that her beliefs and how she has been raised is wrong and wants to escape but who would help her?

This is a story of abuse and there times that it is very hard to continue reading it due to the very visual reading. You will learn as Moonbeam puts her life back together and remembers what happened that the guilt she holds with her will affect her and those who are trying to help her.

This book is centered around a cult survivor, Moonbeam. The titles are before and after the fire, giving us the story in increments, as she talks to a doctor and FBI agent. She is a strong, well developed character and the stuff that went on at the compound is disturbing but not graphic. It held my attention throughout and I was invested in her story. While reading this I couldn’t help but think of Waco. Highly recommend this one. 4.5 stars

OMG what an awesome book. You will be riveted from the very first page until the last so whatever plans you had or things that had to be done kiss them buh bye because you will not be able to put this book down. Absolutely pick up this gem of a book from an author I really look forward to reading more books from. Happy reading!

After the Fire is Moonbeam's story of the cult that she lived in and survived. I've always been fascinated by cults and how the leaders use fear to control the masses, so when I had a chance to read this I jumped at it. This is the first book I've read of Will Hill's and I was not disappointed. The characters in this book will have your emotions all over the place. You hate what they do, but your heart will break because they really do not know any better. Moonbeam is the strongest girl I know. Her bravery and strength really know no bounds. I really liked the story, how it was written with the "before the fire" and "after the fire". Very well done!

Epic, exciting, thrilling, emotional rollercoaster of a read. I will definitely be picking up more from Will Hill in the future.

Three words to describe this book – survival, perseverance and control.

You cannot help but very many different emotions while reading this book. It sucks you in from the very first page, and holds your interest throughout as you turn the page to read what will happen next. A very compelling and powerful story of survival, perseverance, control and the fight for freedom. Cleverly written through to the very powerful ending, this book was simply amazing!

After the Fire is told from alternating timelines – between the past (before the fire), and the present (after the fire). As we read the book the story slowly unfolds, as the main character Moonbeam tells her powerful story. Bit by bit we get glimpses into what really happened, and piece by piece we eventually get to understand the whole story and what truly happened.

I felt many different emotions while reading this novel. At times I felt sorry for Moonbeam and all the young children and in this book, as I read what they had to endure and go through on a daily basis. Reading how they were treated, both unkindly and unfairly, and were lied to and manipulated for so many years by the adults who were supposed to protect them and care for them. And don’t get me started on Father John. What a piece of work he was! I quickly learned to despise Father John.

After the Fire is a powerful and wonderful story that was a pleasure to read. It made me feel all the feels and feel so many different emotions. What an emotional roller coaster! I highly recommend this book.

*A big thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.*

It’s no secret that a lot of people have a sort of fascination with cults, and I’m no exception—though I don’t normally read fiction about cults. But with this one? First, I read some positive reviews about it from people whose opinion I respect, and that goes a long way. Second … have you read the summary?! I’m a big sucker for duplicity and lies and things not being as they seem. Plus, the idea of After the Fire being written from the perspective of a cult member was really appealing.

Content warning for abuse (physical and psychological) and mildly graphic depictions of death.

Thoughts:

- The story is based on the real-life events of Waco and the tragedy that ensued there, but it does so tactfully, while remaining true to the experience of those who have been in cults. Or at least it rings true, though granted, I’ve never been in that situation myself. The story is told from the perspective of Moonbeam, who is a 17-year-old who has basically grown up in the cult and has gone through a rather magnificent character arc of her own. Hill deals with the subject matter honestly—pulling no punches when describing the punishments, the way a cult leader gains and maintains control—while still portraying a community that Moonbeam sees as her home, as safe from the dangers of the outside world, as being “right” when everyone else is wrong. The story really drives home just how deep and pervasive the beliefs are, and that’s the most key element of it: the cult members believe everything wholeheartedly. And why wouldn’t they? Father John is persuasive, and his logic makes sense. That was probably the biggest thing that struck me about this book, is just how much everything made sense and I could see why people would buy into it, while still being disgusted at their actions.

- The story is actually told with a split timeline, with the present being after the fire with Moonbeam in therapy and the past being, well, before the fire. Duh. Sometimes this can be confusing, but this was done so well, I thought, particularly because there’s such a stark contrast, not only in the main character but in her setting. The world of therapy and doctors and safety is so vastly different than her life in the cult, and pairing them together really highlighted the differences between the two. Most importantly, the therapy in this is handled beautifully and shown in a positive light—just what Moonbeam needs when she needs it, and nothing more or less than that.

My favorite parts were actually the dynamics of the therapy: the way Dr. Hernandez was cognizant and not in the least bit dismissive of anything Moonbeam said or asked, and especially the interplay between Moonbeam and Agent Carlyle (who is easily one of my favorite characters in this). What’s more, Dr. Hernandez and Agent Carlyle represent the “normal person’s” reaction to hearing about life in a cult—a lot of times, even, they mirrored my own knee-jerk reactions to the details—and what made this so important was the way Moonbeam reacted to their reactions. But the exchanges between three characters remind the reader that these things were real for Moonbeam, and, more than that, they were normal and as far as she had known, there was nothing wrong with them. I thought this part was so important, because it was a constant reminder to stop and think from her perspective instead of just reacting.

- Moonbeam’s character arc is AMAZING. The first time we see her character is at the very beginning, during the fire. At that point she’s terrified (obviously), but she seems pretty capable. What we don’t see until flashbacks is the obedient girl who somehow ended up in that situation. Moonbeam’s transformation happens in spurts and fits during the flashbacks, in teensy, insidious thoughts that eventually take root and bloom.

- I had figured out about 95% of the ending before I was far into the novel—but that last 5%? Oof. That last 5% got me. It’s predictable is what I’m saying. Which may seem like a really bad idea for a thriller, but it totally worked, because the important part wasn’t how the story ended, but the journey to get there. So I was more than happy to take the scenic route to a predictable ending.I was SO FREAKING SURE that I knew how it would turn out, particularly relating to one character who shall remain nameless. BUT I WAS SO WRONG. I still haven’t forgiven myself. Or the author. I mourned for daysssss.

- The writing is an easy read, and the story is anything but. It pushes the envelope and really makes you stop and think. There were so many times that I was so mad I wanted to throw the book. And then I laughed. And then I awwwed. And then I started plotting the death of a character who clearly deserved it, okay? Homicide is not wrong if they deserve it and you don’t get caught. It wasn’t long until I realized the therapy sessions weren’t just helpful for Moonbeam, but they were a necessary lull in all the emotions I felt, and as Moonbeam sussed through her reactions, I was able to come up for a breather and consider what sorts of emotions I had just been bombarded with, too.

[I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, though that does not impact my final review.]

I went into this book with the anticipation that it would be dark and gritty, because the blurb and cover were pretty ominous. While it did get emotional at times, because Moonbeam (the main character) was constantly at war internally with who she could trust and what she believed, it wasn't truly compelling.

I think the fact that it's told literally after the fire that destroyed the compound (with some chapters in present tense and some as flashbacks) is to blame. Moonbeam is recounting her story to a psychiatrist and FBI agent, and the flashbacks do feel like we're being told and not shown. Any kind of pain, fear, joy or other emotion is not in the moment, unless it has to do with Moonbeam's current situation, which is very repetitive.

I did like her character, and the story and other characters intrigued me enough to keep going, so I could see how it worked out for her and the survivors at the end. As a former resident of Texas, this story also hit home because I'm very aware of the Waco siege. I just feel like this story may have been more compelling if there had been more tension and less interview-style.

This was a great book that was literally hard to put down.

Moonbeam's story was one that I will not soon forget.

The characters were well thought out , and while the plot was solid, it did jump around a bit.
Having said that, it was very captivating.

After the fire by Will Hill

Thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks fire for an E-Arc. All reviews and opinions are my own.

From start to finish this book captured my attention and held it perfectly! If you are looking for a read that makes you sit on the edge of your seat or one that makes you fall in love with reading all over again; I promise this one is for you!

The story is events that happened before and after a fire that lead to the death and rescue of survivors of Holy Church of the Lord's Legion cult members. The events are slowly unraveled by moonbeam; whom is a young female that is slowly losing faith. Her life has never been great, The stories she shares about her life within the compound are horrible events and involve neglect and abuse: sexual, physical and mental. While reading through keep an open mind to what her life was like and what her life may be able to become with the help of therapy.

This book is definitely a 4 Star read for me! For anyone who asks me about a book that would keep their interests; this will be one I will continue to offer as a suggestion!

5 stars. I loved this book. Moonbeam was completely relatable. Anyone in her situation would have the same thoughts, feelings, confusions as she did. The unraveling of Moonbeams mother, how and why she was so distant, was fascinating. To see our understanding of how they ended up at the Base, how they decided to stay, and what exactly when on during the fire, just kept me wanting to keep reading long after I should have turned the lights out for the night. The ending was no disappointmen, while still managing to surprise me. If you’ve ever been interested in cults, how they happen, and how good people get trapped into them, this is a story you’ll want to read. Thank you NetGalley for helping me find this fantastic book.
I posted this review to Amazon and Goodreads.