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!

Powerful book about a teen girl surviving a cult and describing the community's final days, which ended in bloodshed and fire. Strong VOICE in this book. Chapters alternate events before and after her "escape," as she slowly shares her story with a therapist. Be sure to read the author's note to find out his inspiration.

Loosely based on the events in Waco, this novel tells of 17-year-old survivor, Moonbeam as she recounts the events leading up to the horrific "end of days" after living in the Legion of the Lord compound. Told in a "before" and "after" format, the book shows her therapy/treatment with a psychiatrist and FBI agent as she deals with the guilt she is racked with after believing it is her fault for calling the authorities. Voices in her head scream that she is being a heretic while another part of her brain knows she must confess and get the truth out there. Reading this is often painful as what is endured in the compound is exactly what we know of cults and extreme punishment meant to suppress and control. I did get a little bogged down in the middle as I was anxious to hear the entire story and Moonbeam drags it out as it is painful for her to say too much each day. Overall, it was compelling and satisfying though and I would certainly read more by this author.

After the Fire is a fictional book by Will Hill that feels like an account from someone who lived and was witness to the events. After the Fire is listed as a Young Adult story, I am far from that age category and enjoyed it very much. At times After the Fire is a page turner. I was given an early copy to review.

This book wasn’t what I expected, but I enjoyed it so much. Learning what happened to Moonbeam while living at the Lords Legion was a spellbinding trip. It was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time...I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

It’s hard to imagine one person being able to completely control the thoughts and actions of a crowd, but it happens, the hive mentality can provide a safe haven for some. Is that a failing of society? Of parenting? Of mentoring? How does an immoral vulture choose his victims?

Will Hill’s AFTER THE FIRE is a raw and telling look into the power of manipulation, brainwashing of the innocents and the aftermath of “freedom.” Although fictitious, this saga mimics the true story of the Branch Dividians and their charismatic puppet master.

The compound has been breached, the few survivors rounded up and the children taken into protective custody and therapy. This is the story of one teen and her journey from terror and mistrust of who she sees as her enemy to re-learning to trust, opening up to share the events of her life both before and AFTER THE FIRE.

Through her words told in sessions with a therapist and FBI agent, this grueling horror story unfolds as she unloads her guilt and the suffering she saw among God’s “Chosen.”

Moving, horrifying and heartbreaking, this tale is a must read for all readers, but written to resonate with teens. Told in a simple, straight forward manner, we feel as we are sitting with Moonbeam, witnessing her re-learning to trust in others without fear of reprisal. It is the story of her survival, re-birth and redemption, the story of her becoming a free-thinking individual.
Powerful and captivating reading!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire!

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (October 2, 2018)
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Genre: YA Fiction | Abuse
Print Length: 464 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Told from the perspective of a 17-year-old girl who just survived the "End of Days" within her cult, the story moves back and forth from "before" the End and "after" the End - where she sits in a psychiatric facility under evaluation and treatment for her awful experiences. A decent enough book with a plot that kept me reading. My main gripe was that it was really too long - the last chapters just dragged on and on like the editors forgot they were editing and left a bunch of extraneous chapters in there to stretch it longer. Chapters even repeated themselves, word for word, as if trying to employ some kind of literary device, where we come upon the same story after learning all this stuff from Moonbeam - but it just didn't work for me. By this time I was wondering why I was re-reading chapters when it was already much too long, and getting on towards obvious, monotonous activities seemingly like "filler."

I've also just begun the second season of "The Sinner" (tv show), which is also, coincidentally, about a cult - tis the season for cult tales, apparently. An okay book, but not the best.

Maybe I'm weird (I mean, obviously), but cults are fascinating. Of course, I mean fascinating in an absolutely horrible, morbid way. I think it's because I cannot begin to wrap my mind around how something like this happens. It's quiet insane to me.

While I have no intimate knowledge of cults, I feel like <i>After the Fire</i> paints a realistic picture. While these horrible things happen, the people at the center of it all aren't necessarily bad as much as they are brainwashed and manipulated. There's so many grey areas surrounding cults (though certainly less so around their leaders). It's disturbing and mind-blowing to think that these sorts of things actually happen (the author mentions at the end that the inspiration for this book was a real life event called the Waco Siege).

As far as the story, it was compelling. Even though there's no outrageous plot twist (thankfully), Moonbeam was a fantastic main character and I enjoyed reading about her time before and after the fire. The only thing I wish was that we got a bit more story at the end. While a fitting end for Moonbeam, I would have liked just a bit more.

Trigger warnings: Gun violence, child abuse, sexual assault, suicide

An intensely powerful story of survival after life in a cult.

The story is woven into Before and After. The events of the fire that ultimately lead to the death and rescue of various Holy Church of the Lord's Legion cult members. Events are slowly revealed by Moonbeam. She shares what she is able to speak aloud daily in therapy sessions so her story comes out a bit disjointed but the process is authentic and works well within the story.

Moonbeam is a survivor. During her years in the Lord's Legion her father dies, her mother is banished and she is promised to the cult leader as one of his many wives. The stories she shares about her life within the compound are horrific and involve neglect and abuse - sexual, physical and mental. Life within the cult was meant to cut each member down. Members were broken and brainwashed into blindly believing and following the teaching of the cult leader, Father John. It was especially heartbreaking to read about how the women and children were treated.

You can't help but feel intense admiration for Moonbeam. It's difficult to imagine a 17 year old girl having the strength and capacity to question her life and beliefs when she has been programmed to accept them without question since she was a toddler. Will Hill did an amazing job of sharing her inner struggles. Her inner dialogue was crucial to helping us understand how conflicted she was about her life and how much she grows with the help of therapy. Her therapy sessions afford us insight into the life of the cult, its members and of course its leader.

This story was inspired by the real events of David Koresh, the Branch Davidian and the Waco siege in 1993 which is what initially drew me to it. I have always been fascinated by cults. How people so fervently believe in its teaching that they give up their lives, families and worldly possessions. How these horrific men can be seen as Messianic leaders when they are really manipulators, taking advantage of people to satisfy their own desires and achieve their personal agendas. Hill does an amazing job weaving his fictional story with honesty and sensitivity. Moonbeam and her fellow survivors are vulnerable, honest and complicated. I was grateful for the ending. After reading about so much pain and loss, it felt right to close the book with a full and hopeful heart.

In the Afterword, the author explains how this novel was loosely inspired in the Waco massacre. He wanted to explore what happened to survivors in such situations, when you realize that everything that you ever believed in was a lie and you have nothing left. This is what happens to Moonbeam. She just survived a fire that destroyed her compound, or “Base” as she likes to call it and is finding out how the most important person in her life, father John, was just a selfish man taking advantage of other people’s faith. The story alternates between events that happened “before” and “after” the fire. In the “after,” she is being interviewed by a psychiatrist and we find out little by little what happened before, how her life was and what terrible secret she’s hiding. I liked how Moonbeam goes from frightened little girl in denial to strong, brave woman who doesn’t hide from the truth. My problem is that the book reminded me a lot of The Butterfly Garden, by Dot Hutchinson, even down to Moonbeam’s burnt hands. The structure and situation are similar, including a touch of Stockholm syndrome. Still, I liked the novel in its own right. Some parts were hard to read and the intrigue comes down to what happened to the compound and Moonbeam’s brothers and sisters. It did not disappoint.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Sourcebooks Fire!

Throughout this entire book, my mind was filled with images of Waco. I was only a kid when it happened, but it’s one of those moments in American History that burns itself into your memory. I think this book was a really great book. It was completely different than what I thought it might be like when I read its blurb. The characters are charming and relatable. The story does have dry spots and could probably be shrunk down a bit, especially to entice younger readers to try it. Overall it’s really good though and I’m very grateful to have received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

If there's a documentary or a novel about a religious cult, I'm probably going to pick it up and read it. This one had me immediately hooked and I was suprised by how emotionally involved with the characters I got. Chapters alternate between Moonbeam's life before the fire, when she was forbidden to leave the compound or interact with the outside world, and her new life after the fire, when she's confined to an institution and being interviewed as part of a government investigation.



The Holy Church of the Lord's Legion is a fictional group, but when you compare it to real world religious cults it's all too realistic. People like Father John's followers are out there.

An unputdownable YA thriller perfect for fans of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly. A must-buy for YA collections where mysteries and thrillers are popular.

Very gripping! As someone who lived nearby and remembers well the events that this story is based on, I thought the author did an amazing job of staying true to the voices of his characters. I couldn’t put it down! #netgalley #afterthefire

Wow this book! This book is about religious cults. I wasn't sure what to expect but this book was riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!