Review: After the Fire by Will Hill

Summary from Goodreads:

The things I've seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.

Before, she lived inside the fence. Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. Because Father John controlled everything—and Father John liked rules. Disobeying Father John came with terrible consequences.

But there are lies behind Father John's words. Outside, there are different truths.


Then came the fire.

Review:



What I Liked:

Characters. The novel is told solely from Moonbeams point of view as she deals with the aftermath of tragedy. And Moonbeam has to be my favorite main character this year, she was easy to connect with and read like flawed but real person. There are also interesting side characters, those from the cult and the professionals helping Moonbeam deal with what happened. 

Writing. This is my first novel by Will Hill and I really enjoyed his writing style. He does a great job of crafting believable situations and characters. I haven't read a lot of books centered on cults but I felt that this one was well-written and very authentic. 

Plot/Format. The novel goes from the present to the past in a unique format, where the main character is in therapy working through what happened in the cult. The plot was so intense and emotional that I nearly carried at a lot of moments. 

The only issue I found with it was the length. The novel was close to 500 pages which made it harder to get through. 

I recommend checking out this well-done young adult novel. It is a mix of a thriller/contemporary novel that will make you tear up. 

Rating:

5 Stars Out of Stars