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Summary
Summary
An Edgar Award finalist
A gripping and unforgettable story of survival after life in a cult, inspired by the survivors of the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, 1993
The things I've seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.
Before, she lived inside a fence with her family. After, she's trapped, now in a federal facility.
Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. After, there are too many people asking questions, wanting to know what happened to her, trying to find out who she really is.
Before, she thought she was being protected from something. After, people are telling her that now she's finally safe.
She isn't sure what's better, before or after, all she knows is that there are questions she can't answer, and if everything she's been told is a lie, how can she know who's telling the truth now?
Suspenseful and moving, After the Fire is perfect for readers looking for
cult books and stories young adult historical fiction binge-worthy teen thrillers an intense, ripped-from-the-headlines plot compulsively readable books that keep you hooked until the very endPraise for After the Fire:
"Genuinely different...thrilling and spellbinding!"--Patrick Ness, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"The gripping story of survival and escape...It will keep you up late until you get to the very end."--Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Truly Devious
"A heartrending portrait of a young girl's struggle to survive a domineering religious sect and the resilience of the human spirit; this belongs on every YA shelf." --School Library Journal
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Forced to go against the only family she has ever known, 17-year-old Moonbeam narrates a tale of survival as a member of an authoritarian religious sect, the Lord's Legion. Moonbeam passively follows the leadership provided by their charismatic prophet, Father John, who receives direct communication from God. According to Father John, their God is a controlling ruler who will severely punish any who refuse to obey. He also teaches them to severely mistrust anyone from the outside world. It's only after her mother is banned from the base that Moonbeam's eyes are opened to the true nature of the Lord's Legion. As her world crumbles, her fellow members align with dire consequences. Moonbeam's voice rings true, and readers will feel they have stepped into her world. Even though setting and characters have been altered, readers will recognize the obvious similarities to the 1993 Branch Davidian, Waco, TX, siege. Teens will be compelled to further research the events on that fateful day and its lasting cognitive effects. VERDICT A heartrending portrait of a young girl's struggle to survive a domineering religious sect and the resilience of the human spirit; this belongs on every YA shelf.-Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A teen raised in an isolated religious cult deals with the aftermath of the fire that destroyed her community.Hill (Darkest Night, 2015, etc.) loosely bases his story on the 1993 standoff between the Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas, and federal agents. Seventeen-year-old Moonbeam has been raised from toddlerhood in the Holy Church of the Lord's Legion, an arid, closed compound outside the fictional town of Layfield, Texas. Essentially orphaned after the early death of her father and the banishment of her mother, she considers the other cult members her family while at the same time beginning to recognize that their lives revolve not around God but around the will of their dictatorial leader, Father John. But that was before FBI agents invaded and an inferno destroyed her world. Now Moonbeam lives locked inside a federal building with 18 other children from the cult, gradually recounting her life to psychiatrist Dr. Hernandez and Agent Carlyle. The complex, brutal story unfolds slowly, in alternating chapters labeled "before" and "after," as Moonbeam learns to trust both her captors and herself. British author Hill creates a wholly believable world full of complex, interesting characters; he exposes Father John's madness and the mind control of the cult without denigrating either the people who followed him or religion itself. Characters' races are not identified.An astonishing saga of suffering and joy, guilt, evil, redemption and truth. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Hill's first novel after the Department 19 series explores survival and healing after unimaginable trauma. Dropping readers unapologetically in the midst of the final battle between the members of the Holy Church of the Lord's Legion and the U.S. government, Hill immediately hooks readers with the mystery and suspense of how this apocalyptic scene came to be. In a series of flashbacks, 17-year-old Moonbeam delves into her life with the Lord's Legion, led by the charismatic and unpredictable Father John. Moonbeam's good instincts and resilience shine as she discovers her life was built on lies and slowly learns who she can trust. Simultaneously exploring the process of moving on from immense trauma and the experience of living in a cult, this offers a fascinating look at emotional manipulation, calculated lies, and physical intimidation and punishment. Though dealing with intense physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and murder (often in graphically explicit detail), Hill treats his story, based on the true events of the Branch Davidian religious sect near Waco, Texas, with respect and dignity.--Rebecca Gonner Copyright 2018 Booklist