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Cover of After the Fire by Will Hill

Book · Young Adult

After the Fire

by Will Hill

464 pages · 2019

Honors

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About the book

An Edgar Award finalist

A gripping and unforgettable story of survival after life in a cult, inspired by the survivors of the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, 1993

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

Before, she lived inside a fence with her family. After, she's trapped, now in a federal facility.

Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. After, there are too many people asking questions, wanting to know what happened to her, trying to find out who she really is.

Before, she thought she was being protected from something. After, people are telling her that now she's finally safe.

She isn't sure what's better, before or after, all she knows is that there are questions she can't answer, and if everything she's been told is a lie, how can she know who's telling the truth now?

Suspenseful and moving, After the Fire is perfect for readers looking for

cult books and stories

young adult historical fiction

binge-worthy teen thrillers

an intense, ripped-from-the-headlines plot

compulsively readable books that keep you hooked until the very end

Praise for After the Fire:

"Genuinely different...thrilling and spellbinding!"--Patrick Ness, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"The gripping story of survival and escape...It will keep you up late until you get to the very end."--Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Truly Devious

"A heartrending portrait of a young girl's struggle to survive a domineering religious sect and the resilience of the human spirit; this belongs on every YA shelf." --School Library Journal

For parents

No age or grade range recorded.

Grade ranges are editorial guidance. Every reader is different.