You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mnguyen19 's review for:
After the Fire
by Will Hill
Moonbeam is a survivor of a horrible fire that took place at the compound of a strict religious group-- all controlled by a Prophet-- Father John. Told from solely Moonbeam's perspective in a "Before" and "After" format, this book explores the psychological damage that a cult can inflict on a young person. As she speaks with and to the detective on her case and the psychiatrist assigned to her, she slowly begins unfolding a story about the Lord's Legion and its true colors, along with the devastating fire that ended it all.
If you are familiar with the Branch Davidians and their standoff with the FBI in Waco, this book will ring similar. I have definitely gone down a rabbit hole before, exploring the Branch Davidians and watching the latest mini-series. Anything from the perspective of a cult follower, survivor, bystander is bound to be fascinating. However, all of these stories need a strong storyteller to make the book (or show) effective and entertaining.
And that's what this is ultimately lacking: a good storyteller. Moonbeam is interesting, but she lacks any depth. I know that she was questioning the Lord's Legion, but I am not really attuned to any of her feelings or adequately told how she got there. Everything is very surface level and dialogue driven.
My recommendation? Maybe lower level readers. There's some disturbing stuff about polygamy and how the Prophet used women of all ages-- so be aware of that.
If you are familiar with the Branch Davidians and their standoff with the FBI in Waco, this book will ring similar. I have definitely gone down a rabbit hole before, exploring the Branch Davidians and watching the latest mini-series. Anything from the perspective of a cult follower, survivor, bystander is bound to be fascinating. However, all of these stories need a strong storyteller to make the book (or show) effective and entertaining.
And that's what this is ultimately lacking: a good storyteller. Moonbeam is interesting, but she lacks any depth. I know that she was questioning the Lord's Legion, but I am not really attuned to any of her feelings or adequately told how she got there. Everything is very surface level and dialogue driven.
My recommendation? Maybe lower level readers. There's some disturbing stuff about polygamy and how the Prophet used women of all ages-- so be aware of that.