I tried so hard to read this and enjoy this but with the election results and just how awful everything feels… this book just wasn’t right for this time of my life. The Catholic guilt, over emphasis on the FMCs body and then the story of the past told by her mom… it was all too much for me to bear at the moment. I won’t be finishing this, but I hope to return back when my heart can handle it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book toyed with my emotions and took my breath away. I was stressed out reading this but I LOVED the ride. The ending is phenomenal. I sobbed after reading the author’s note.

Leede has a way with words that speaks to me. I loved Maeve Fly and love this one just as much. There is so much to the story and although Sophie is young and naive, I could understand why she did the things she did. This book will stick with me and I’m not going to shut up about it.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, I absolutely loved the author's previous work Maeve Fly. I really enjoyed this book for the first 30 percent, I thought there was no way it wasn't going to be a new favorite. It nailed dark humor around religious trauma and current politics in the back drop of a pandemic. It felt like (not in a bad way) a COVID-19 meets rabies that causes people to be extremely sexual, retelling. The MC was shaping up to be one of my favorite characters ever (she's still great what's coming isn't her fault). I really enjoyed (bec. I could relate, it's not a light topic) hearing about the MC's religious trauma and the dark humor that came out of that.

Sadly, I ended up DNFing this book at 60 percent. I don't think this is a hard DNF, I may come back to this at some point. I just really lost interest and felt the story lost a lot of momentum. There was a lot going on in the world that I found interesting, however our MC wasn't really engaging with any of that anymore. We do get into some interesting relationship (platonic and romantic) dynamics, I just found that if I kept going I might end up hating the book and I really would like to come back to it some day.

In summary, I loved the MC, religious trauma, and pandemic/ end of world back drop. At the end of the day the pacing was off, the story slowed down too much and I felt there was some missed opportunity to engage with the world and survival elements.

American Rapture is C.J. Leede's pandemic novel. Unflinching in its discussion of the threat of religious extremism in America. It's hard to read at times, but difficult to put down. It's also gross, but maybe less gross than Maeve Fly. Maybe.

Check out my full review here:

https://openlettersreview.com/posts/american-rapture-by-cj-leede

Wow, talk about an unputdownable book! While I'd heard amazing things about Maeve Fly, American Rapture was actually my first ever read by CJ Leede, and now I absolutely need to pick up her debut. American Rapture was a bit of a slow start for me. I wasn't quite in the right headspace when I first began reading (and this one is so thematically heavy that I think you do need to be in the right headspace to really appreciate it), but after taking a little break and returning to it, I absolutely devoured every chapter.

This would be an incredible selection for a book club. There's so much to discuss--from Leede's plot choices to the character development to the many themes of guilt, shame, religion, sexual identity, sexual awakening, etc. I will caution that you should definitely check the content warnings for this one; beyond the gore and religious trauma (which I expected based on the summary), there is also a significant amount of religious bigotry, death of loved ones, and sexual assault.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my advanced reader copy!

✨ Review ✨ American Rapture by C.J. Leede; Narrated by Moniqua Plante

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I loved Maeve Fly, and so this was a book I was really looking forward to, and it absolutely did not disappoint! Set in a pandemic / zombie apocalypse-sort of world, where a disease is making its victims turn into sex-crazed monsters, Sophie, a sheltered Catholic girl, sets out to survive.

This is a book I love even more as I sit with it. The richness of the relationships Sophie builds on the run as well as the vivid scene-setting of the different places she ends up on the way have really stuck with me. The book balances just a bit of humor (the whole Frank Lloyd Wrong experience, the cheese curd stop... lol) with a thoughtful exploration of fundamental Christianity/Catholicism. From her love of books to her naivete, she felt like a character that was easy to root for, and I loved every bit of it.

Sharing more risks the experience of the story I think, so I'll leave it short!

🎧 The book is written in almost stream of consciousness - short, urgent, sometimes panicky thoughts. I found this to work really well in text, but wasn't a pleasant experience in audio for me.

CW: there's a gruesome pet death in the book that some may find really difficult to read; pandemics gone apocalyptic; fundamentalist cults of religion

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: apocalyptic sci fi / horror
Setting: Wisconsin
Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
Reminds me of: The Last of US
Pub Date: Oct 15 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ apocalyptic horror
⭕️ teenage character in a book not written for teens
⭕️ obscure midwest settings

4.5 stars

This book. THIS BOOK. I have procrastinated writing this review because I'm still thinking about this book every day and trying and failing to process my emotions about it. You might start reading this and think "this doesn't feel like horror" but trust me, it will get there. After all, what's more horrifying than humanity?

We're following Sophie, a 16-year-old girl in Wisconsin who's been raised extremely Catholic and extremely sheltered. Her world implodes at the same time as the actual world when a deadly lust virus starts to spread across the US, turning people into what are basically r*pe zombies. Desperate to find her family, Sophie ends up on the roadtrip from hell with a motley crew of suvivors. If you have religious trauma you've deprogrammed from this one will hit especially hard, as Sophie is grappling with her religious upbringing and what this virus means for her beliefs in addition to trying to survive.

Portions of this reminded me of the feelings I got reading YA dystopian novels growing up but with adult horror thrown in. I bawled my eyes out at one scene, and the ending had me staring at the wall for the next 7-10 business days. That last line...woof. If you have triggers you should look into those before picking this up, but it is a masterpiece. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

I am obsessed with finding references to my favorite music, movies, and books in a book. I live for it. And it will definitely influence my overall opinion of the book. Maeve Fly was a perfect example. The Halloween music, the glorious movie music moment when she literally changed my life forever. And when CJ Leede started posting about American Rapture, I knew that I would love it based solely on the images, words, and music she shared. And it exceeded my expectations exponentially!

I'm not a big fan of apocalyptic horror or books with viral outbreaks, but, I am definitely a fan of the way CJ did it. I experienced ALL the emotions, and I didn’t want to put it down. I desperately wanted someone to share all these feelings with, even though I'm still having trouble putting them all into words. There were moments when I was crying and thought, if I didn’t talk to someone about it, I was going to die. Somehow, I was able to calm myself down and just continue reading until I fell asleep.

American Rapture is about so much more than a girl battling an apocalypse and her religious trauma. It's about asking questions. Our bodies, our minds, our emotions, our very existence. Why do people do things in the name of hate and think it's good? It's about the desires and feelings we feel so passionately, but don’t fully understand. It's about the power of moments and the impact they make on our lives. And that is my favorite thing about CJ Leede’s writing. She takes these iconic images and moments and somehow makes them even more iconic.

I want to visit all the landmarks mentioned in American Rapture. But, what I really really want is to talk to CJ about all of these moments and songs and connections. Whatever souls are made of, hers and mine must be mostly the same.

Check the trigger warnings, and, by all means, do not skip the Author’s Note 😭

Thank you Tor Nightfire SO much for the copy to read and review.

Wow. That's the best word I can think of to sum up this book. It was a roller coaster of a story. It's not light or happy or something I'd recommend reading if you're looking to be uplifted, especially given the current American political landscape.

It was fascinating though. The plot held my attention completely and the characters and relationships will stick with me. It definitely lived up to its horror label. I had to read it in short bursts, until I got to the last part when I couldn't put it down. The story's brutal, features lots of potential triggers (including several of my biggest ones), and scarily realistic. It's worth reading if you can handle that.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

American Rapture was a stunning embrace of the psychological horror that stems from religious trauma and extremism, as well as the philosophical effects of a violent and changing world. The apocalyptic setting weaves a perfect web for exploration of self after years of religious oppression. Surprisingly I felt an intense amount of relief for her during the end of the world, which was such a strange twist. Watching a young woman be released from the chains her cultish religious parents created made her intense grief and freedom were so palpable. Horror novels like this shows how our humanity can really shine during its harshest most finite moments.

CJ Leede can write anything and I’ll read it. Between American Rapture and her debut novel I trust her with my life.

FANTASTIC READ.

I had heard about this book in a group I’m in and it immediately peaked my interest. I was blown away and in a chokehold by it. The very first page had me sucked in and I couldn’t stop. It felt like it was based in the past but also the future but also present? It felt like it held no timeline and I was fascinated by that.

The story felt post apocalyptic but also political but also controversial. I have so many thoughts I can’t put into words but this was such an amazing and different type of book for me. I gave it 5 stars the that was rounded up from 4.5. My only dislike was that it revolved around a 16 year old. The story felt much older.

Following the religious aspect felt current with times as well as familiar. I truly think this one will hold controversial thoughts and reviews. Especially after the deaths towards the end. I was upset about it, but reading the author’s note helped me accept it better. There should absolutely be trigger warnings though. Many tears were shed.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group| Tor Nightlife for the eARC.

Although this book was a bit slow for me to get into, after about 40% it really gripped my attention and by the end I was engulfed by the story. If you like religious horror this is definitely the read for you.

Thank you C.J. Leede, Tor Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC!
No pressure, but this was THE book that made me sign up for NetGalley. I surprised myself with how much I loved the author's other book, "Maeve Fly". The part splatterpunk, part hockey romance spoke to me for some reason and I actively sought out other books like it. That's when I heard a brief synopsis of this book, not out until October of 2024.

So...I might've overhyped it for myself. The concept of this book is still so intriguing to me and the dystopian elements kept me turning the pages- but something felt off about this one. I do think that the main character, Sophie, should have been aged up. The weird romance between her and a 24 year old man was an odd choice (they don't DO anything but it's still sus). Granted, a world in which a virus can turn you into a horny zombie that sexually assaults people isn't the best place to explore your repressed sexuality but like, damn girl. Time and place? While there is another (age appropriate) love interest, exploring these themes of bodily autonomy and sexuality are constantly paired with suspicion of infection and the will they, won't they ended up getting kind of old.

Then there was the violence. Maeve Fly was extremely violent- especially in a "feminine rage" kind of way that I know a lot of people are super into right now. I will say some of the scenes in this one felt a little gratuitous. I think it's for sure the subject matter, but it was brutal. There's also a lot of death which actually happens more often at the hands of a religious cult burning down vaccination centers and killing anyone who gets in the way of "god's plan". This cult honestly could've been cut from the book entirely in my opinion. I guess it's to show the ole' "there's no hate like Christian love" adage but I think it was a little unrealistic and heavy handed. In fact, the book overall could've benefited from more editing in general.

All of this to say, while it was no "Maeve Fly" I still enjoyed it for the most part. I love a good found family trope even if we end up seeing that in every form of zombie media ever. I got emotional from character deaths and really felt the anxiety of being in this world. It was obviously extremely disturbing, but also hopeful and, at times, really profound. I also just like C.J. Leede honestly. It's clear they love horror as an exploration of our darkest and most abstract fears. Their author note at the end of the book solidified to me that American Rapture won't be the last book I pick up by them as long as they keep writing, and I hope they do.

This novel ripped me to shreds. I think it was a slow start but that was pertinent to the abruptness and the fear that came with the latter. CJ sculpts this novel in a way where, through the singular view of our main character, we are vastly underestimating how awful this disease that is spreading is. And once we understand, we wish we didn’t know.

And I love the open ending as if there could be a sequel potentially 👀

American Rapture is a top read of the entire year for me. Emotional and terrifyingly realistic, my religious trauma was quaking the entire time. CJ Leede continues to blow me away with each new release and beautifully captured the pain, blame, and self-judgment that I was raised on. I finished this book several months ago and still think about it on a regular basis! I can't wait to see what Leede gives us next.

I was unable to finish this book because I could not get past a part containing graphic and extreme animal torture of a dog. I gave the book 2 stars because I did like the premise, but I could not continue after I reached that part. It was one of the most horrific animal scenes I’ve ever read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read.

American Rapture by CJ Leede was a dynamic read. It felt like The Walking Dead mixed with religion then a sprinkle of amazing characters with independent struggles. I enjoyed the character development and original storyline.

A couple months ago I stopped accepting review requests for religious horror. I have found it often is a way for authors to perpetuate hateful ideals and hide them under the guise of religious tenets. It makes me feel physically ill. It makes my skin crawl.

I was raised Catholic but barely. I had to go through the rites of passage, but I did so grudgingly. I already had queer friends when I got confirmed. I remember the priest speaking openly against gay marriage during our classes and knowing I didn't want to be a member of the church anymore. I don't know why I keep hesitating, but I've looked up the process of getting ex-communicated often, since I don't want my name associated with the generational abuse of the Catholic church.

But Catholicism isn't even the extent of my experience with religious extremism. From the ages of 7-12 I went to a Baptist private school. Strict uniform codes, memorizing the bible, religious music only, and assemblies dedicated to accepting Christ into your heart. If you were not a registered Baptist they'd call you out by name, as a child, in front of the whole school, and try to have you commit yourself to the Baptist church. All of this behind your parents back, without their consent, under a heavy amount of social pressure. I'd see hands raise around me. Other heathens begging to be saved. When I finally told my parents about these assemblies, and how uncomfortable they made me feel (about how they would talk about how every other religion is poisonous and wrong,) they took my brother and I out of the school.

So while not raised in a family with these stringent beliefs, but having spend many years cooking in the marrow of religious doctrine, I felt a visceral connection to Sophie. While her exposure to the secular world is infinitely traumatic, she quickly is able to see how her religious upbringing left her sheltered to a myriad of experiences. Dealing with a rapidly deteriorating world while also overcoming deeply engrained Catholic guilt.

With recent world events it's hard not to see this book as a rallying cry. Begging people to view each other as humans, for there is no hate like Christian love.

How do you feel about reading Christian horror?

Overall, a great story, but I had to DNF it at the animal abuse. Too much detail of it, and it kind of ruined the story for me unfortunately.

This is a gripping and unsettling apocalyptic tale that takes readers on an intense journey reminiscent of the chaos and survival themes in “The Walking Dead,” but with a sinister twist—the threats are not only zombies but lust-fueled, violent entities. This storyline brims with tension, ensuring readers never fully relax as each page unfolds new, shocking developments.

The novel’s religious undertones play a significant role, framing the narrative with a theological edge that might feel overpowering at times. While the thematic use of religion helps set up a classic good-versus-evil dynamic, it occasionally teeters into heavy-handed territory. Despite this, the moral and spiritual conflicts do enrich the plot, showing humanity’s struggle in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Potential readers should be aware that the book doesn’t shy away from intense and triggering content. It’s unapologetically graphic in several scenes, so it’s important to pay attention to the content warnings before diving in.

Thank you #NetGalley and #TorNightfire for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!