Rating: 5 stars, I’d give it 6 if I could
Review by: Taylor
After The Fire is truly an amazing piece of art. Moonbeam is such an amazingly unique character. Her voice captivated me from the beginning and held me at ransom until the very end.

After The Fire is one of the most thought provoking books I’ve read in my 26 years of life. The struggle Moonbeam goes through with her beliefs of right and wrong are something that a lot of people would be able to relate to. Maybe not that extreme, but still definitely relatable.

When you hear about stories like this in real life, most peoples first reaction is that they can’t believe someone would live like that. People can’t fathom letting themselves be treated that way. But a belief in faith and wanting it to be true above all else can bring many to their knees when controlled by hate filled beings.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be taken on a journey down a girls path to truth and freedom. It’s amazing and worth the read for sure.
After the Fire https://www.amazon.com/dp/1492669792/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GeigCbS8MTW4C

This novel is told in alternating timelines between a traumatic past and a troubling present that often overlap. Moonbeam's story of survival is not one that I'm used to reading, in the depths of the healing process. Moonbeam's story is one of survival and one with coming to terms of the lies that trapped her inside a religious cult she herself believed in. Hill does a wonderful job in keeping you tied to the story, bringing forth questions that are answered with even more questions. Experience the world of a religious cult, and the minds of youths that have been molded by a snake's tongue. Growth is hard, but even the most troubled children are capable of change.

I had absolutely no clue what I was getting into when I began reading "After The Fire" by Will Hill. I was delightfully impressed. "After the Fire" weaves a tale between past and present, before the fire and after the fire.It was a fast paced thriller that shows a realistic side to cults. At times, it was hard to continue but that's part of the rawness of the story being told. I would highly recommend this beautifully written book. 4 stars.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my favorite reads this year! I have always been intrigued with cults and radical religions, they make me wonder how you can get sucked into them and this book does such a great job giving you answers from the perspective of Moonbeam. Moonbean isn't born into the Lord's Legion but grow up in it because of her father's decision.

The story alternates between the "before", living on the compound and the "after" once in the hospital after the fire breaks out. You come to really care for Moonbeam and all the characters affected by being under the thumb of Father John. Some characters you are going to despise and some you will adore especially as the story builds.

Anyone that has been intrigued by The Branch davidians, Heaven's Gate, The People Temple and even Leah Remini's Scientology and the Aftermath I think will thoroughly "After the Fire."

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC

Okay, I'm going to be honest and say I didn't want to read this at first. I got a little overexcited on Netgalley and started requesting everything and somehow ended up with a copy of this. This isn't the type of plot I usually go for and I went into it super reluctant.

But honestly? I was so SO wrong. It took me awhile to get into it (like 20%), but once I did I was hooked. Like I read the rest in two days once I passed that point.

I absolutely fell in love with Moonbeam and was left in awe of her strength and resilience. I cried when she cried and smiled when she smiled.

This wasn't an easy read, but it was a great one and I recommend it highly.

If, like me, you’re fascinated by stories about cults, this book will be just what you’ve been searching for. It explores what happens to people after they leave a cult environment—in this case, unwillingly. I love that the book looks at all sides of the life that Moonbeam (the MC) led while she was a member. There were horrors, but she has fond memories of some aspects of her early life too. And I loved seeing the world from her perspective and understanding why she thought some of the things that happened to her were normal or acceptable (when they definitely weren’t). As the story progresses, she has to come to terms with how her belief systems were twisted and what that means for her moving forward. There are also some really interesting mysteries woven in about what actually happened at the compound that we learn through flashbacks. My one and only complaint was that the book felt a little longer than it needed to be. Sometimes the sections between revelations felt a bit dragged out. But I still really enjoyed the journey.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

This book is for young adult, but I would not say for young teens. It's a very serious, frightening aspect of how sometimes people lose their ways, by being followers or subverted leaders.

Oh, this book is very intense! This is the story of a survivor from a cult, the Lord's Legion. The leader, Father John, prepared everyone for the day when the evil Government, the Servants of the Serpent will come, when The End Times arrives.

The survivor who tells us the story is Moonbeam, a teenage girl. Understandably she is confused and from the beginning we know she has secrets that she will never tell.

She's in a facility, Doctor Hernandez is a psychologist who wants to help her. The beginning of the book there's a question, at least to me, about what is exactly happening here. I mean here Moonbeam has been taught these things about being locked away by the government and sure enough she is now that the Base has fallen, after the fire.

It's an incredible story that Moonbeam tells. It's heartbreaking. And honestly amazing for a teenager that had been denied access to the Outside for so many years. Denied a real education and so much.

From the beginning this book reminded me of the real life cult that ended in a major disaster, a big raid and shoot-out by the government and a fire, much like the book. This was the Branch Davidians cult and the Waco Siege. It also reminded me of Jim Jones leading the Peoples Temple, and the horrendous disaster that happened in Guyana. Two very real stories of leaders controlling people under the guise of religion.

I was thrilled to death for the opportunity to read an ARC of his new book. I was drawn in from the first chapter and could hardly put it down! Highly recommend!

Will hill has done an amazing job crafting a story of survival; a story about a young girl’s struggle against a cult while experiencing brainwashing.

He's done an even better job building his characters, including the minor ones. Moonbeam is such an amazing character, who shows such strength, even in her vulnerability. She sees the truth and ignores it, but she is surrounded by lunatics and is slowly losing her faith.

Most thrillers suffer from the slow burn, this one does not. It does have different timelines, so if you don't like the back and forth this book might not be for you. You get to read "after" chapters that help Moonbeam piece together her life. She does have a hard time trusting the Outsiders, since she was always told they lie.

I can't imagine the hard work and dedication to therapy that is needed to pick up your life after something so awful. Be sure to have tissues near by, this story is heart wrenching.
I did predict the twist, but I've not read many a book where twists *weren't* predictable, so take that for what you will. All in all I recommend you pick up this book if you like thrillers that bring "freshness" to the genre.

This was painful to read in a lot of ways but it was also blindingly good. The characters and settings felt SO REAL and I didn't want it to end (well, I wanted the cult to end, but not the story of her life). Anyway, amazing, well written, strongly endorse, its chilling and cultish and so good.

Inspired by the Waco siege in the 90’s involving the Branch Davidians and their leader, David Koresh, After the Fire was an interesting and horrific look into cult life, while showing the resiliency and the damaging after effects of cult mentality.

After the Fire, while fictional, brought to life the horrible events of the fight between government officials and cult members. The fight that took so many lives, including many children, and ultimately led to the fire of the compound. The real story itself is addicting, especially trying to wrap your mind around how one person was able to brainwash so many into believing his plight is the Only Way. Cult mentality is fascinating, truly, and that’s the main reason I picked this book up.

The story focuses heavily on the damage wrought on people who’ve endured cult life and trauma and how the effects linger and eventually impart permanently on survivors. Moonbeam, the main character, is one such survivor and it’s interesting to see her wrestling with reality and slowly coming to the realization that her life and the life of other members isn’t quite right. Leadership within the Church has changed and it’s like Moonbeam is slowly coming out of a fog, and watching her grapple with what life should be and what life actually is for her was often a hard pill to swallow. I’ve always wondered what people meant when they say a book is “emotionally charged” and I wonder no more — this is definitely one that fits with that label.

Broken down into Before and After, Before chronicles the events of life within the cult and the events that subsequently led to the demise of both the compound and many, many people. The After is where readers get to see the havoc and the heartbreak of characters dealing with the events and wondering what now. Where do they go. What do they do, and more importantly — how? Without someone dictating how they should live, it’s like they’re all aliens dropped on a foreign planet. Some may fare better than others at their new place in life, but the only thing that’s truly certain is not one of them will walk away without lasting damage.

After the Fire is certainly not a book for the faint of heart. Heartbreaking and horrible, but equal parts fascinating and intriguing, and one that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended, it’s one of those books I’ll keep thinking about weeks (months, even) after I’ve finished.

*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley.

The story follows Moonbeam, a teenage girl who survived a deadly fire at the compound she lived in. The compound is home to a small cult. Obviously they wouldn't say they were a cult, but ya know. Years before the compound was simply a place for living simply and worshiping God. It was open to outsiders, and members were allowed to visit the local city. Children were home-schooled, and life was nice. Then Father John took over. He erected a wall around the compound, prevented outsiders from visiting, forced all inhabitants to remain behind the fences, and - of course - took seriously young wives. Moonbeam, whose father has died, and whose mother was kicked out by Father John, has begun to doubt the words of "the Prophet" and her life is beginning to be in danger. When Father Johns announces his next wife, a girl even younger than Moonbeam, Moonbeam knows she must act. The government attacks the compound and the inhabitants rally. This results in an epic fire, and the death of a large portion of the inhabitants. Moonbeam, and the other children, have been taken to a hospital where they receive medical and psychological attention. It's during these sessions we begin to see what life was like for Moonbeam, and how she copes with the secrets she believes make her unforgivable. Can she find hope, redemption, and forgiveness in letting go of the burden she holds?

I enjoyed this book. I probably won't read it again, but I don't feel like I wasted my life. Hill's choice to jump back and forth between present and past events kept the pace moving, but left enough mystery to keep me interested. I wasn't overly surprised by the ending, even if I hadn't guessed the truth. It was realistic, and the characters believable. 

I'm willing to go with a 4 for this one. 

Stefanie Rae

I tried a few times to get into this book, and sadly I just couldn’t.
I don’t feel comfortable giving a rating for something I did not finish, but know it’ll be the right book for someone out there.
Thank you for the opportunity to review, I apologize for not being able to get myself into it.

Gripping realistic fiction for young adults!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review After the Fire by Will Hill! The story opens during an attack and the main character, Moonbeam, is running for her life. She’s a resident of a community made up of fellow followers of The Legion and their leader is Father John. The fenced in community is under attack by the Government. Eventually, the attack is over and Moonbeam is at a rehabilitation center for mental and physical healing and also to learn to return to what she knows as the Outside. Moonbeam tells her story and the story of her fellow community members, Legionmates, through her interviews with a therapist and a government agent. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking about the Waco Siege and its similarities to the Legion community. As I read the author’s note at the end of the book, he explains his reasoning for writing about the fictional character of Moonbeam and I was impressed with how delicately and respectfully he dealt with the similarities to Karesh’s religious community near Waco, Texas and how he honors the followers. The idea of one person gripping so many people and convincing them to sacrifice everything for that leader is curious and interesting and very sad. Will Hill handles this content well and breathes life into the characters and the tragic events that they lived or didn’t live through. 5 stars for this gripping realistic fiction story for young adults!

I enjoyed this book, but I did not love it. I really enjoyed the present and past looks from the cult, but I did not feel very attached to the main character in this book.

I loved the mystery and suspense in this. I did find that there were come slow parts but for the most part I really enjoyed the book, I didn’t like the cover though; if I had seen then book in the store I probably would have walked by it because it does not catch the eye.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this novel about life before and after a cult. It is believable--detailing the aftereffects of brainwashing on a young woman and her sense of responsibility to the cult's members.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcefire Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* What an incredible novel. I have always found cults fascinating and this when I heard about this book, I was immediately intrigued. Teenager Moonbeam has lived in a religious compound ruled over by Father John for most of her life. For her and the other adults and children living there, every single aspect of their lives is ruled over by the tyrannical Father John, who claims to receive messages directly from God. To go against Father John is to defy the Lord. As you can imagine, this makes for a pretty messed up childhood. The story alternates between 'Before' and 'After' chapters, that relate to a terrible fire that rips through the compound. As you read the story, more is revealed about the lives of those ruled by Father John's iron fist. Inspired by the events at Waco in 1993, this novel will have you enthralled until the very last page.

An emotional book about surviving after living in a cult. This book cuts between present day and the past, where the main character, Moonbeam, was part of a cult. This book was slow to start off, but once the plot started building it was very difficult to put it down. The writing was brilliant and I would highly recommend this.

This book was heavy. Very good, but damn heavy. I liked that it went back and forth between the before and after. It helped give a full picture of the story. Overall I really enjoyed this book but after the ending I think I need a light and fluffy book!

I received an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.