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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
After the Fire by Will Hill somehow missed my radar when I first downloaded it in my Netgalley queue. I'm working on getting caught up on my reviews, and I started this one Wednesday night and was immediately wrapped up in the story. I went into this one not knowing anything about this one, and I think it's the best way to read After the Fire.
Moonbeam has grown up on a command in the desert, and when it is overturned by the government she finds herself in therapy working through the trauma she has suffered at the hands of those who lead her Brothers and Sisters. Moonbeam is a super strong character from the beginning, but even throughout the story she grows more and more as a person. The internal growth in her was so incredible and I just loved seeing her grow stronger and stronger.
I've always been intrigued by stories about cults and religious sects like those portrayed in After the Fire. Because of this, I've read quite a few books on this topic, and After the Fire is probably one of the best books that I have read in this specific genre. I can guarantee it will be on the top of my reads for 2019 and I can't wait to share it with my friends as I push them to read it!!
Moonbeam has grown up on a command in the desert, and when it is overturned by the government she finds herself in therapy working through the trauma she has suffered at the hands of those who lead her Brothers and Sisters. Moonbeam is a super strong character from the beginning, but even throughout the story she grows more and more as a person. The internal growth in her was so incredible and I just loved seeing her grow stronger and stronger.
I've always been intrigued by stories about cults and religious sects like those portrayed in After the Fire. Because of this, I've read quite a few books on this topic, and After the Fire is probably one of the best books that I have read in this specific genre. I can guarantee it will be on the top of my reads for 2019 and I can't wait to share it with my friends as I push them to read it!!
Hat mir richtig gut gefallen, konnte aber meinen hohen Erwartungen nicht ganz gerecht werden. Ich fand es bis zum Ende ziemlich vorhersehbar und spannende Momente wurden häufig schnell aufgelöst. Auf der anderen Seite gefiel mir die unaufgeregte Art der Geschichte sehr. Sie kam (gerade bei diesem Thema für Jugendliche) ohne Effekthascherei und unnötige Brutalität und Dramen aus. Dennoch war ich häufig genug schockiert, berührt und fassungslos mit dem Kopf geschüttelt. Für mich wirkte alles sehr ehrlich, aufrichtig und authentisch. Das Ganze orientiert sich an wahren Begebenheiten und es wird deutlich, dass Will Hill sehr gut recherchiert und sich informiert hat. Der Schreibstil war sehr nüchtern und was mir nur leider gar nicht gefallen hat, waren die inneren Stimmen von Moonbeam
As reviewed on www.dineanddish.net.
Maybe it is because I was an impressionable teen when the Branch Davidians compound was sieged, but I've always had a fascination with the lives of cult members. After the Fire is loosely based on the former cult from Waco, TX and was so fascinating to read. Told as a fictional account from the perspective of some of the children who were able to escape and taken to a hospital for therapy and evaluation, this book kept me up late at night reading.
Readers are taken on a journey from the past to the present, given insight into the minds of cult members....how they were brainwashed into not trusting the government and believing that the compound they lived in and the leader they worshiped was akin to God himself. Through multiple therapy sessions, Moonbeam (one of the main characters and eldest children from the cult) discovers her story has more layers than she ever thought possible. The line between what she thought was the truth and the actual truth becomes increasingly clear.
Maybe it is because I was an impressionable teen when the Branch Davidians compound was sieged, but I've always had a fascination with the lives of cult members. After the Fire is loosely based on the former cult from Waco, TX and was so fascinating to read. Told as a fictional account from the perspective of some of the children who were able to escape and taken to a hospital for therapy and evaluation, this book kept me up late at night reading.
Readers are taken on a journey from the past to the present, given insight into the minds of cult members....how they were brainwashed into not trusting the government and believing that the compound they lived in and the leader they worshiped was akin to God himself. Through multiple therapy sessions, Moonbeam (one of the main characters and eldest children from the cult) discovers her story has more layers than she ever thought possible. The line between what she thought was the truth and the actual truth becomes increasingly clear.
I really enjoyed this book. Nothing groundbreaking but if you like a good cult book, this is a good one.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
All I needed to know that I wanted to pick up After the Fire was the blurb. I'm glad I did: now I've found myself a new five-star read. I was hooked almost instantly, and though I had actual Life things to do (read: essays for my Masters, socialising, sleeping every now and then), I was reluctant to put the book down. It quickly became one of those books that you start reading before bed, thinking you'll just read for half an hour or so, and before you know it, it's 2am and you still need to know what happens next.
After the Fire is told in dual time periods, switching between Before and After as Moonbeam tells her story following her escape from a cult. While certain plot events are revealed only after Moonbeam comes to terms with them with the help of her psychiatrist and a FBI agent, hints are sprinkled throughout, leading to a gripping, "can't look away" read full of secrets.
I can't speak from personal experience, but it feels like the author did his research and handled what he addressed sensitively, and made me feel for almost every character.
After the Fire is told in dual time periods, switching between Before and After as Moonbeam tells her story following her escape from a cult. While certain plot events are revealed only after Moonbeam comes to terms with them with the help of her psychiatrist and a FBI agent, hints are sprinkled throughout, leading to a gripping, "can't look away" read full of secrets.
I can't speak from personal experience, but it feels like the author did his research and handled what he addressed sensitively, and made me feel for almost every character.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received this book through a giveaway. I really enjoyed reading this book. For some reason, I find reading about cults interesting. Maybe because it makes me realize that all types of people can be drawn into a cult and that some people will do anything for money. This book slowed down a bit in the middle, but otherwise was fairly fast paced. I especially liked the characters' names: Moonbeam, Rainbow, Honey, etc.