After the Fire by Will Hill: A Review

The first thing a cult leader tells you is that nonbelievers are liars. And says that idea in many forms repeatedly. Moonbeam is a 17-year old survivor of a cult where she has been a member since she was five. The cult was destroyed in a fire with a few children as survivors.

Told through Moonbeam's voice in Before and After perspectives, After the Fire is a story about power and corruption. How leaders who are charismatic figures can twist faith to serve their own ends. Ultimately, it’s a story about survival; more specifically, one girl’s way back after her world falls apart.

I always wondered why cult followers weren't free thinkers, why they followed without hesitation their leader, like Father John, leader of Moonbeam's cult, Lord Legion. Learning about the cult is interesting but the plot follows Moonbeam's thoughts and feelings, her observations. With a mature perspective and the help and kindness of Dr. Hernandez and others, Moonbeam realizes the true nature and ugliness of Lord Legion. Outsiders can be good - and not liars.

Publication Date: October 1,  2018

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the advance copy. The opinions are purely mine.


#AfterTheFire #NetGalley

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