This was amazing! I loved the take on ‘end of the world’ mixed with religious chaos, this book really had it all.
I really enjoyed how the main character has this internal struggle of realizing how harmful and hateful her religion is, I feel many people can relate. The horrors portrayed in this book are very real, and the religious traumas are just as bad, if not worse.

The writing was entertaining as well, and I didn’t feel like the character (a teenage girl) didn’t match her internal monologue, which I think is common in books featuring younger characters.

I loved this book so much, it was amazing and terrifying and so damn hard to put down.

**I am upset about B, but I think the author did this with intention and not as a shock factor.

Incoherent review: This booked pushed the limits of what I was able to read without being so disturbed I had to stop. But I really enjoyed this story. I loved the themes surrounding religion, sin, power and control. I thought the summary describing the virus as causing "lust" was a little mild to say the least. I loved Sophie and her found family. I bounced between thinking the horror elements were over the top in an effort to cause shock and pulled me out of the story, to being so into the story that I was crying for the characters. I adored the ending and don't know which answer I'm leaning towards. Overall I think this is a great sophomore showing from Leede!

4.5 stars!

This books continues to steady CJ Leede's spot as an auto buy author for me. I have read Maeve Fly which was one of my top 10 books of 2023 and was so excited when I saw about American Rapture I submitted my request for it right away on net galley.

What a novel, what a story and it is a pretty heavy emotional ride. You have what begins as a coming of age story dealing with some heavy questions of from the main character who is raised in a very very strict religious upbringing which is a topic that stays consistent throughout the entire novel as she battles so many natural healthy thoughts in her head....but this novel meets with an apocalyptic narrative of a virus spreading. Quite a unique one that Leede paints many grotesque images throughout the novel of what happens when the virus has taken over.

A different version of horror than her previous novel, but you still get some scenes set that are strongly disturbing.
The connection of the group of characters becomes so strong during this novel of survival that when things go wrong it hurts, I cried multiple times near the end.

You are rooting for her, you are getting glimpses of real life moments during the world falling apart. You just get so drawn in that you feel like you experience this horrible time with them.

The that ending.....Leede has a way of making me close the book and sit there trying to process so many emotions of an amazing book.

Ready for your next novel!!!

This book was hard to put down. It was gruesome, and horrific, and at many times, hard to look away while really hard to read. I'd be sure to check out trigger warnings. The first part of the book felt so familiar and I almost forgot the overarching plot of what I was reading, the author has a way of making you understand so much about her main character with just a few short scenes. Goodness, this as rough, but so touching and heart wrenching and I loved Sophie. There were a lot of scenes that are not easy and did not sit well with me, since lust is the thing driving the 'zombies' there are lots of themes of rape and such so again, TRIGGER WARNINGS.

I really didn’t like this for all the gratuitous rape scenes. I’m disappointed because the concept is interesting.

This book will make you want to pray for salvation while running straight into hell.

We're following the very sheltered existence of a sixteen year old Catholic girl, when a virus kickstarts the apocalypse and she must run to survive.

I have some conflicted feelings about this story.

👉The body horror is on point.
👉The way the apocalypse rolls out with a focus on feral lust is amazing.
👉The pacing is solid
👉The writing is compelling

That said, our main character is so sheltered, and is discovering the world outside of her Catholic community, which reads very YA. So to have this YA coming of age story on a backdrop of not-YA horror was a confusing reading experience. Additionally, I was hoping to take away some new insight or commentary on religion or about organized religion and I didn't get it. I expected/hoped for a wildly different [much darker] ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC.

This book is best read before going to confession, you're going to have a lot to say.

American Rapture follows Sophie, a sheltered teenager growing up in a rigid, ultra-religious family, as she navigates a post-apocalyptic world brought about by a deadly virus that transforms the infected into sex-crazed zombies. Leede masters the first-person POV and the choppy, frantic writing style immerses you in Sophie’s inner monologue as well as the confusion, realization, and terror as her world metaphorically and literally comes crashing down. The story is gripping from the very first page as you’re quickly embroiled in Sophie’s emotional turmoil and desperate struggle for survival.

As someone who is generally creeped out by zombies and tends to avoid them, I mistakenly thought sex-crazed infected would be an easier pill to swallow … I was wrong. Not only does Leede write a genuinely frightening horror novel, but the book cleverly dissects religion and what truly defines our morality when confronted with genuine evil. Wonderfully done - this book is one-of-a-kind and deeply unsettling.

After reading (and loving) Maeve Fly by CJ Leede last year, I thought it might be difficult for her second book to match the bar set by her debut novel. I was wrong. American Rapture was even better than her first book.
There's something visceral about Leede's writing and you can certainly feel that here. I felt connected to the characters, plot, and emotions. I could visualize everything. I felt anger, sadness, hope, and longing. This book even made me cry at points. Dealing with topics of sexuality and religious trauma mixed with a zombie-apocalypse type setting, Leede's writing truly shined here. Beautifully done.

An end of the world, apocalyptic novel that covers interesting topics, delving deep into shame, sin and religion, is very violent, and I’m sure sets many a heart racing. It’s tough to swallow many of the scenes, they’re brutal at times, but I’d rather read about a human suffering versus the scene with the dog. Although the author leaves a note at the end of the book as to why she included it finished the novel for me in a bad way.
The author brings the main character Sophie along from a completely sheltered girl who did it even know the world was changing to a scared but capable woman in a brilliant way.

American Rapture follows Sophie, a sheltered Catholic girl, as she traverses the hell scape created by a pandemic that makes people feral with lust.

This was verrrrry different from Leede’s last novel & I really enjoyed it! I loved following Sophie’s coming-of-consciousness during the apocalypse. Leede does not shy away from the fucked up & I definitely bawled my eyes out at times. Definitely recommend for a good horror that tackles the hard topics of religion & sexuality!

Thank you to Net Galley & Tor for letting me read a copy early!!

American Rapture is a hard book to read. It deals in difficult subject matter unflinchingly, and as a result may not be for all readers.

But I cannot imagine a more necessary book in this specific moment. It is a book grappling with guilt and desire and hope and loss and a desperate need for autonomy and community.

I grew up in a very conservative, Christian home, and even as a male, the conversations surrounding sex and sexuality from my upbringing have taken me an entire adulthood to deconstruct--a process that was emotionally painful. So much of American Rapture is reminiscent of my own awakening as it pertained to my shifting in faith and understanding of how I relate to my own sexuality, my own values, my own self-worth.

Be it said: American Rapture will enrage some readers. It will remain a heavily divisive book within a certain subset of readers comfortable in their oppressive values, and I am certain it will be challenged by a small subset of people who do not want its truths to be told. But there will also be readers who desperately need this book, who have questions about their lives and their experiences, and who will feel seen by what the book has to say. It is a book that will reopen painful wounds, but only such that a proper healing process might begin. I can think of nothing more worthy for a book to do.

Disclosure Statement: I received an electronic ARC from the publisher for a review. All opinions and ideas expressed in this review are entirely my own and have not been influenced by either publisher or author in any way.

American Rapture by CJ Leede is an intense apocalyptic horror novel set against a backdrop of a deadly virus that turns the infected into feral beings consumed by lust. The story follows Sophie, a devout Catholic, as she navigates a decaying Midwest in search of her family. The novel explores not only the physical horrors of the virus but also the psychological toll of religious trauma, offering an unsettling look at desire, shame, and guilt.
The characters' journey through eerie, often unsettling landscapes makes the novel gripping, and Leede's writing is visceral and haunting. The blend of horror and apocalyptic survival gives readers a unique, immersive experience. For fans of religious themes intertwined with horror and survival, this is a dark and thought-provoking read.

American Rapture: ⛪️🔥

“𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆.”

Wow. Just wowwww @ceejthemoment has done it again! 👏🏻 Maeve Fly was my favorite book of last year (maybe favorite book ever?) and the author’s sophomore novel doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.

We follow the POV of a young Catholic girl named Sophie whose upbringing has been extremely sheltered. There’s a pandemic moving across the country, and of course her parents and community think it’s the “rapture for sinners.” What I loved the most about this premise is how the reader is constantly questioning whether this is really a pandemic, or if it’s actually an ‘End of Times’ rapture. Much like Maeve Fly, you think you know what’s happening but do you really?

CJ’s writing is so entertaining. The little snippets of the ‘How-To’ books that Sophie reads were a nice little addition. For example: “HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE LAST MOMENTS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS: You won’t.”

I related to Sophie going to all the bookstores during an apocalypse. Might as well find a silver lining 🤣 As someone who’s lived in the Midwest their whole life, the back-to-back “Jesus Saves” and “Strip Club! Next Exit!” type billboards on the highways are so spot on, as was the quintessential Culver’s and cornfields and churches on every block. ‘Murica!

Side note: I’ll never go to House on the Rock, because GOOD LORD what in the ninth level of hell is that place??! But also I kinda really want to go there?!!

In the end, I thought about this book for days. I still think about it often. Especially Barghest… the goodest boy. Enough said. CJ’s ‘Letter to the Reader’ was so heartfelt, personal, and moving. Thank you for sharing that part of your life with us. My doggo Max says hello. 🫶🏻

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

WOW. I am obsessed with this story, but it's so hard to describe because so much happens that I dont want to give anything away.

So let me sum up a few highlights...

Religion and dealing with shame and guilt. What it really means to be a good person.
Pandemics and how fast choas and disinformation can make things go from bad to so much worse, and how the essence of hope and kindness is what prevails and pulls us out.
Trust, friendships, and how dogs are really mans best friend.
First love and coming of age.
The questioning of religion and who deems things right or wrong set on a pandemic climate feels very fresh and also familiar.
This could have just been a post apocalyptic story but all the characters are written to have heart and it makes the story really fast-paced and heartbreaking at times.

C.J. Leede’s 2023 debut, *Maeve Fly*, introduces a sociopathic protagonist, Maeve, who defies female role expectations as she navigates her life as a princess in a Disney-like world while engaging in hedonistic and violent behavior. The contrast between Maeve's dark activities and her princess persona critiques the sanitized image of Disney mythology.

In her follow-up, *American Rapture*, Leede shifts focus to Sophie, a sheltered girl trapped by her parents' extreme Catholicism. As a virus turns people into violent creatures, Sophie embarks on a journey of self-discovery amidst chaos, grappling with her emerging sexuality and the traumas of her upbringing. Sophie also searches for her missing twin.

The narrative explores themes of shame and desire, with Sophie’s growth facilitated by Cleo, a mentor who embodies truth and challenges societal norms. The story is marked by relentless trauma but hints at hope as a poignant reflection on hypocrisy and resilience.

*American Rapture* commences with trauma and maintains a relentless pace, reflecting the harsh realities of its apocalyptic setting. Leede explores themes of desire, guilt, and violence, remapping them into a narrative that, while dark, offers a glimmer of hope amidst chaos. The story is a multifaceted exploration of love, coming of age, and the struggles against hypocrisy and hatred, all set against a surreal Midwestern landscape. The characters' emotional depth and experiences promise to resonate profoundly with readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for a digital review copy of CJ Leede’s new book American Rapture in exchange for an honest review.
When I requested American Rapture I didn’t think that it would hit my list of one of the best books I read this year but here we are. I had to sit with the ‘train of thought first person’ style that it was in but I eventually got into a groove with it. It broke my heart that each time Sophie took a chance to stop toeing the ‘good Catholic girl’ line and do the ‘bad’ thing, perceived ‘punishment’ would follow soon after. Any time she questioned her faith, any time she questioned her true purpose as female. Also the ever present ‘It’s always a woman’s fault’ fallacy. The virus in the story has a feminine name. It all just melded together so well.
Sophie is a sheltered Catholic school girl living with her parents in the Midwest. Separated from her brother early in life, Sophie grows up believing it her fault that he was taken away. She starts out the story in a state of confusion as there are changes happening, but no one will come out and tell her what it is. In the background there is news of an outbreak spreading quickly through the United States but it is sprinkled through because Sophie’s parents keep her dependent and ignorant. Suddenly everything is happening too close to home and Sophie is thrust into this apocalyptic hellscape by herself. Along the way she meets up with others that she is able to travel with as a unit but it is the constant thought of reuniting with her brother that keeps her going.
It also shows societies hyper dependence on religion and the start of Sophie’s deconstruction. We start out with the world as we know it now. Through apocalypse, we see how those that depend on scripture and figures that are proclaimed to be holy become the devils that they decry. Those that are good because it is the right thing to do are punished either by contracting the virus or being killed off by those same hyperdependant religious people.

I read Maeve Fly by CJ Leede earlier this year and expected much of the same (in a good way) but was surprised by this novel that felt so utterly different from what I read previously from this author. I knew going into it that it was one of those "surviving the apocalypse as it happens" books and while those aren't my favorites by any means, I loved this book a lot. The description of all of Sophie's surroundings and how sheltered (a la oppressed) she was and to be thrust into a situation no one is prepared for... loved it. Her struggling with her budding sexuality and her PTSD surrounding that was visceral. Would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a different kind of Catholic guilt and trauma unpacking coming of age story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Wow. This was a lot and there’s no way to articulate the sentiment of the book better than the author’s note at the end, but I also have to express my appreciation for this story.

C.J. Leede simultaneously delivers a gore-soaked apocalyptic horror novel and a heartfelt coming of age novel in one without either side diminishing the other.

This is beautifully written and there are many genuinely heartwarming quotes from this that deserve to be embroidered on a pillow somewhere by a badass old lady (especially part of Cleo’s speech to Sophie at the casino).

It’s entertaining and fast paced. Nowadays, I usually only read audiobooks but I was so interested in the plot description that I requested this ARC as an ebook and I still devoured it.

The themes of religious trauma and guilt are explored with great care throughout Sophie’s chaotic journey. One of the most impressive parts of Leede’s writing to me is the total lack of cheesiness. While this specific flavor of Catholic guilt hasn’t been dissected in a lustful zombie tale like this (to my admittedly meager knowledge), the themes about growing up and self acceptance certainly have been flayed wide open in every genre.

Despite the expansive canon of works attempting to pin down that experience, the author manages to deliver their own take in a descriptive and wholly original way.

I give it 5/5 rosaries covered in a suspicious concoction of bodily fluids.
✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️

I have this book pre-ordered and am actually going to wait to read until. receive my physical copy!! I was obsessed with Maeve Fly and can't wait to get into this one!

I have been anxiously awaiting AMERICAN RAPTURE ever since I finished Maeve Fly last winter! Maeve was my jam! CJ Leede is back, with an unsettling post-apocalyptic novel that will leave your heart racing.

American Rapture follows 16 year old Sophie who has major Catholic guilt, new feelings of love, and is questioning her religious upbringing now that she is faced with the ‘end of the world.’

So basically there is a virus outbreak and if you catch it you turn into a sex-crazed zombie. Yes that’s right, you are mostly undead yet you are very lustful and no one is safe from your… emotions. Or your zombie boner. Ok, really this book is more than just raping zombies but I really wanted to type zombie boner into this post. 🤣🤣

This book has no shortage of blood, gore, and cringe. I liked the action and all of the characters but I MUST WARN YOU… major trigger warning… this book includes one of the most violent dog deaths I have ever read. Ever. Ever.

After reading the author note I understand why she wrote it the way she did. This book is supposed to portray everything horrible and unimaginable. So yeah, goal achieved. I get it- but I didn’t like it!!

ALL IN ALL (besides that death) this book was so exciting and I think it would make an amazing mini series! …without the dog death.

This book is out October 15! Thank you @netgalley/@tornightfire for this advanced digital copy!

Has anyone read this?? I’m dying to know more thoughts.

🖤🖤🖤