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 Fireis perfect for readers looking for

• cult books and stories
• young adult historical fiction
• binge-worthy teen thrillers
• an intense, ripped-from-the-headlinesplot
• compulsively readable books that keep you hooked until the very end

Praise forAfter the Fire:

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

"The gripping story of survival and escape...It will keep you uplate until you get to the very end."--Maureen Johnson, New York Timesbestselling 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