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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
When I began this book I thought it might be another one that was too long and needed editing. How wrong I was. Will Hill needed just that number of words and pages to do his story justice. I felt the time, the heat, the oppression... And most importantly I believed in Moonbeam, the central character and narrator. In fact, if I have any criticism, it's that she was such a well drawn character that the others failed to rise up and make me care the way she did. Here it is, Christmas night 2017, and since I finished the book this morning, I've been unable to leave the story. Will Hill, you have a new fan.
I received a copy of this via NetGalley.
I can’t really say this was an “enjoyable” read, but it was riveting and believable. It’s obvious that the author did some research because for the first time ever I had some real understanding of how a person could be sucked into a situation like this and not be able to see the truth in the greater lie. Throughout most of the book I just wanted to give Moonbeam a hug and tell her it was going to be ok. But would that have just been another lie? I both loved and hated the way he ended this book. It stayed true to the story but as a lover of any and all HEAs this was frustrating for me because although it was a fictional story there was no “fictional HEA” to it....this ending was as real and true as it probably was for any of those children who survived Waco.
I can’t really say this was an “enjoyable” read, but it was riveting and believable. It’s obvious that the author did some research because for the first time ever I had some real understanding of how a person could be sucked into a situation like this and not be able to see the truth in the greater lie. Throughout most of the book I just wanted to give Moonbeam a hug and tell her it was going to be ok. But would that have just been another lie? I both loved and hated the way he ended this book. It stayed true to the story but as a lover of any and all HEAs this was frustrating for me because although it was a fictional story there was no “fictional HEA” to it....this ending was as real and true as it probably was for any of those children who survived Waco.
Exciting YA novel about being trapped in a religious cult. Believable, tense, Moonbeam is a great character.
I must admit this started out rather chaotic and I had a hard time really getting into it. However, as I continued and was able to figure out what was happening and where it was going, I really got into it and ended up very much liking this story. It goes back and forth from after the fire to before the fire and you learn just enough to keep you wanting more and more. Even when you realize what was really going on "before" you still can't look away. I definitely will be recommending this one, it surprised me how much I enjoyed it.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
challenging
medium-paced
Moonbeam had a hard time adjusting to life on the outside. Ever since she was a small child, she lived inside the fence of Holy Church of the Lord’s Legion and was brainwashed to believe that everyone outside the fence was an agent of The Serpent. Even after she was freed from living in the cult's compound, though, she could still hear the cult's leader [Father John] speaking to her, in her mind, any time she felt uncertain about what she should say or do. Though she wanted to believe that the psychologists truly wanted to help her and her "brothers and sisters," she had a very hard time convincing herself to let go of her long-held suspicions and to trust anyone outside of the cult. To make matters worse, Moonbeam found it particularly difficult to trust anyone in a position of authority since she believed that she held at least some of the blame for the fire.
I really appreciated the way the story alternated between "before the fire" and "after the fire" so that readers could become slowly acclimated to Moonbeam's story rather than being overwhelmed with everything at once. Especially since that was the way the cult gained people's trust and took away their freedoms -- gradually. The most incredible thing about reading this story was knowing that it was inspired by the true story of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX. Readers who found this book interesting and want to read more YA fiction about teens growing up in religious cults should check out The Chosen One and Sister Wife.
Happy Reading!
I really appreciated the way the story alternated between "before the fire" and "after the fire" so that readers could become slowly acclimated to Moonbeam's story rather than being overwhelmed with everything at once. Especially since that was the way the cult gained people's trust and took away their freedoms -- gradually. The most incredible thing about reading this story was knowing that it was inspired by the true story of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX. Readers who found this book interesting and want to read more YA fiction about teens growing up in religious cults should check out The Chosen One and Sister Wife.
Happy Reading!