Reviews

So. Messed. Up.
Original.

I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this (though it did give me The Darkest Minds vibes surprisingly... similar to the rehabilitation camps).
It's just..................................
Extreme. Barbaric. Disturbing. I was so so so infuriated at this Father John fraud, the fact that people actually.............. believed him, died for him, disregarded everything including their children for him
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Set in two types of chapters: before and after the fire. At first I was a little irked that it wasn't set in chronological order, but I suppose it would get rather tedious just reading about a chores and injustices at The Base all day long. Instead, we have the main character, Moonbeam (intriguing name) recalling the events in an interrogation, after she has escaped the fire.

I highly recommend this dark thriller for something different and bound to keep you morbidly fascinated.

its_lily's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious

4.25

faithfullymoonstruck's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This kept me intrigued but just felt like it was slow. And then just had a mediocre ending and mildly enjoyable feel.

cathyolibrarian's review against another edition

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5.0

After the Fire by Will Hill is a hard read. Telling the story of the rise and fall of a cult through the eyes of a teen girl who has no memory of living in the Outside, this book raises a lot of painful issues. Very well written, the evocative text carries the reader along through her recovery and experiences. Hard to put down even though you know from the beginning where everything is headed. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in understanding the mind control that can be inflicted, especially in the name of religion, to an extreme level.

aliena_jackson's review against another edition

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4.0

If my future self ever reads this review, I want you to read this book again. It was absolutely amazing. The characters were compelling, and I remained shocked and horrified by the crimes carried out by Father John. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fictional account of what it’s like to survive a cult.

somesubtlebutessentialway's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Better than I was expecting. I think that if I had read this when I originally wanted to, at 15, I would've thought that it was absolutely amazing, but being that I have practically no interest in young adult fiction anymore, I'll consider this being an enjoyable read a win.

Books that you can tell are very obviously inspired by a single real life event are always a little strange to read, for me. It's a little distracting. I think that if this novel was less obviously ripping from the headlines about Waco, it would've been easier to fall into, but being that it was so blatant about its parentage, it was hard to take it seriously. It sort of just felt like someone cheating on their homework, but changing the words around so the teacher doesn't notice.

Not to say this was poorly written, or uninteresting. Just "perfectly fine". Probably going to be my last young adult for a very, very long time. That's just growing up, I guess!

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