This book was an exciting, chaotic, journey. I wasn't prepared for how weird (in a good way!) this book was because this was the first time I've read anything from this author but color me impressed. I'm ready to look up her previous books and read them all because I liked this so much. I couldn't put this one down. Definitely recommend if you want a strange book that you won't be able to stop reading. Thank you Tor/Forge for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This heart-wrenching story packs the perfect emotional punch while being truly horrific. In this epic tale of a virus spreading across America, which turns the infected into lusty lunatics, CJ Leede writes insanely lovable characters into a riveting end-of-the-world story. American Rapture is a unique horror story that will stay with you long after you finish.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I really liked this. It is a gory and disturbing apocalyptic read. The story was incredibly engaging and hard to put down. I enjoyed the main character's journey from mind-washed Catholic teen to a more self-confident and self-thinking woman.

Sophie is raised in a rigid Catholic family. She does not have a phone or exposure to outside news. Her life is very restricted; she is only allowed to read certain books at the library, she goes to a Catholic school with a very strict curriculum, and she lives a small and very sheltered life. However, when people start getting sick, some of them start getting sick in a way that leaves them sexually manic and violently insane. When the sickness spreads to Sophie's home town, she finds herself not only fighting for survival but questioning the ideals she was raised under in a hardcore way.

This is an uncomfortable and distressing read. There is a lot of violence, including sexual violence and violence against a pet. However, I thought the writing style and content really fit the story well. This story also has a lot of heart and focuses on the bright spots of humanity in the midst of so much pain and darkness.

Sophie grows a lot as a character. She is forced to confront realities outside of the small sphere she's been living in in a very sudden and shocking way. Humanity has turned into a mess of freakish sexual humans that are literally attacking and eating each other in violent ways. Unfortunately, there are other elements of humanity that are more evil because they are chosen. Sophie has to take an extreme step back to consider the awful things people are doing under the guide of religious righteousness. In the end, Sophie is left re-considering what it means to be family and what it means to be a "good".

I loved the close and trusting relationship Sophie forms with a dog in this book, and I loved how she builds a sort of new family for herself. There is a lot in here about what it means to be evil, religious brainwashing, and the crazy stuff humans do during a zombie/viral apocalypse.

I also found it strangely endearing that the characters spend part of their time hiding out at House on a Rock, which I have visited a couple of times. Yes, it is as weird of a place as it is described to be and just as creepy too. I have always found House on a Rock to be oddly intriguing and would recommend a visit if you are in the mood for something truly odd and slightly disturbing.

As with many apocalyptic books I read, I found the ending a bit unsatisfying but realistic. The story ends on a somewhat hopeful note.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a visceral and vicious read that I found strangely engaging. I enjoyed the characters and their growth throughout the story. I also enjoyed a lot of the irony in here around how Sophie had to reevaluate her whole upbringing in a whole new light. A lot of this story is uncomfortable to read; there is extreme sexual violence and just violence in general. So if that is not your cup of tea, I would skip this. However if you enjoy viscous zombie apocalypse novels with some heart I would recommend it.

Rounding up from 2.5 stars. The description made it sound like this would be an interesting commentary on religion, sex, and guilt in America. Those themes were definitely present, but the story itself focused pretty heavily on the apocalyptic, survival end of things. That's not what enticed me to read this book, and it wasn't all that appealing to me. However, I wanted to see how the thematic elements would resolve, so I pushed through to the end (this book felt *long* to me).

There are some interesting ideas about religious guilt, sexual desires, and freedom, and I enjoyed how Sophie's experiences with the church and the virus tainted her views of sexuality. However, the writing style was not for me. I know that the narrator is a teenage girl, but I found the short, simple sentence structure to be boring. There were a few beautiful turns of phrase, like light peeking out from behind the clouds, which was almost more frustrating for me as a reader because the potential was there.

Overall, if you like zombie-esque apocalyptic works, you'll likely enjoy this, especially if you have a repressive religious background. However, for fiction that deals well with similar themes, this book would not be my first recommendation. (Check out Mister Magic by Kiersten White.)

Note: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Sophie is a 16 year old trying to navigate a world in which a virus is quickly spreading across the U.S. that causes those infected to go out of their minds with lust. That is bad enough but imagine trying to do that when you have spent your entire life completely sheltered. Sophie has been raised by very strict Catholics. She is not allowed a phone, she can only read books that are approved by the church, she cant read the newspaper or go online. She is at an age where her body is changing and other people are starting to notice. She feels an immense guilt and is ashamed most of the time because she is questioning everything. So when the virus envelops her small town she is forced to flee and look for her brother on her own.

This story had me hooked from the very beginning. I had no idea what to expect, this was a literal journey filled with so much raw emotion that it is hard to explain. I cannot remember the last time I had an emotional connection with a horror book as i found myself getting teary through certain parts of the book. The story is brutal, frightening, infuriating, empowering and sad. I loved Leede’s first book, Maeve Fly and I loved this one too. They are completely different stories but are filled with Leede’s signature style. To top it off it takes place in Wisconsin, where I live so that was an added bonus. Sophie travels throughout may of the landmarks and places that are home and a perfect setting for many events in the book! CJ Leede has become one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to see what is next.


5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

American Rapture is a brutal, merciless story with a heart of gold. As a big fan of Maeve Fly, I was incredibly excited to check out C.J. Leede's latest offering. I was worried that it wouldn't live up to my own expectations after enjoying Maeve Fly so much, but ultimately, I think American Rapture is the stronger book.

Stories that take place just before and during the apocalypse are right up my alley, and C.J. did a fantastic job of making me just as interested in the before times as I was in the later chaos. Sophie's home life was rough enough that it could have been a horror story on its own...

Overall, this is essentially an incredibly dark, apocalyptic coming of age story. The main themes center around religious trauma, womanhood, and the intersection of the two.

For most of the book, I had a hard time setting it down. I don't think many—if any—pages could have been culled. There was a slowdown about three quarters in, but otherwise, I was thoroughly captivated the entire time.

While not incredibly gory or gruesome, its content is incredibly dark and disturbing. Cheap shocks aren't necessary when the entire premise is this vile.

For me, this type of content bothers me more than a lot of other things due to how possible it feels. After experiencing a global pandemic and seeing how governments and individuals reacted to it, this book felt so painfully and disappointingly real at times. The story was awful and beautiful, and the ending could not have been any better. This is, to me, a near perfect book.

There were a couple of things that I disliked, such as a bizarre sequence that almost seemed like a dream due to how impossible it sounded but turned out to be real. Additionally, there was a bit of plot armor and a few other moments that I felt needed an explanation. (There was a bit of "somehow Palpatine returned.") In the end, everything else was so good that these things didn't bother me that much.

If you are up for the content and think you are remotely interested, absolutely read this. It is one of my favorites of the year, and C.J. Leede has cemented her spot as one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the advance copy.

American Rapture by CJ Leede is a thought-provoking exploration of identity, culture, and the American experience. The narrative weaves together personal stories and broader societal themes, creating a rich tapestry that examines the complexities of contemporary life. Leede’s writing is both poignant and incisive, capturing the nuances of human emotions and relationships. Through vivid imagery and compelling characters, this book invites readers to reflect on their own experiences while navigating the intricate landscape of modern America. A must-read for those seeking depth and insight in their literature.

This was a bloody nasty wonderful journey. As a person raised in a strict faith who left, it struck a particularly sensitive cord with me. The characters were believable, the setting was great, and we'll definitely be pre-ordering a stack of copies.

In this story we follow Sophie, a sheltered devout catholic midwestern teen as a brutal epidemic spreads across the US. The disease causes its hosts to carry out violent sexual desires which is even more terrifying for someone like Sophie who has been told absolutely nothing about sex except how sinful it is. She also has a fear of being possessed and losing control of her will. While watching the epidemic and robed religious crusaders who believe they are “carrying out God’s will” destroy cities, Sophie has to come to terms with what it means to experience desire and grapples with understanding how much of it is human nature, the beginning stages of the disease, or the devil himself.

Leede does an excellent job of showcasing the shame and guilt that a lot of people who grow up in in organized religion are conditioned to feel, especially women as well as the hypocrisy that many religious zealots embody. She gives us a lot of heavy topics to think about while also expertly crafting a vivid picture and vibe of the Midwest including everything from tornadoes to cheese curds. Although I live in the South, it seems to be very similar especially in the way that people think here. I related to the way that she highlighted the stark differences in the population with a Jesus Saves billboard a few feet from an advertisement for an adult store.

The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars was because I feel that some of the topics discussed deserved a bit more nuance. Not everyone who believes in God is a religious “crusader” or even religious and I think that deserved more than just a couple of sentences in the story. People are not always so black and white in my experience. I also think that a lot of times people confuse spirituality with religion and mistake human nature for “God’s will”, using religion as an excuse to carry out their own desires as in the story. She did go on to explain this more in the author’s note but I think this could have been explored more in the story. Overall, this book was a propulsive and meaningful story that I would recommend reading especially if you have struggled with religious trauma or deconstruction.

American Rapture
by CJ Leede
Horror Science Fiction Religion
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Oct 15, 2024
Tor Nightfire
Ages: 16+

Sophie, a girl days away from turning seventeen, is being raised in a strict Catholic household after her parents find a magazine in her twin brother's room. They send him away but keep Sophie sheltered, only allowing her to read, see, and interact with things they see fit, enlisting other adults: nuns, teachers, and neighbors, to help them keep their daughter free of sin.

But they have sheltered her so extremely that she does not know the danger lurking in the virus that is spreading because they tell her she is safe. She has no idea what the real world is like, or even what the opposite sex looks like under their clothes, so when things start to sneak around the barrier her parents think they have made, Sophie doesn't understand but believes what she is seeing and hearing are sins and lies.

The virus starts like the flu but ends with the infected attempting to spread the virus through sex, (rabies-like) leaving Sophie oblivious to the danger she is in, leaving her to believe that Jesus and God will save her only if she would stop thinking sinful thoughts.

With her parents, and town infected, she runs, searching for her twin brother.


When I requested this book, I imagined hell on Earth' demons, monsters, and the Anti-Christ, instead, I got a virus and people being people, the religious being the biggest monsters, plus pages upon pages of the internal confused religious thoughts of a sixteen-year-old who seemed to have the mindset of a six-year-old or was severely mentally disabled.

Yeah, I get the religious crazy still do that to their kids, it's brainwashing renamed as religion so those who want power, (the church and politicians) can preach their beliefs for their own gain. I have nothing against having faith in something 'bigger', but I have everything against those who force people to become sheep and if they don't, they die. A lot of religious pros and cons were brought up in this book, and yeah... The biggest is how violent and controlling religion is, and if you're not a part of their 'flock' you are evil.

I was hoping for a serious, but enjoyable horror story but this failed. There was a lot, A LOT of religious lectures, and beliefs, and those took the story over. But worse, it was in first person so Sophie kept rambling on repeat, and it got to the point to where I started skimming when she started thinking. But the virus, even though a little far-fetched, (the infected are not going to have the intelligence to remove clothing if they can't recognize their own reflection) I get the idea. This country has no morals, it is all about sex/beauty/vanity, but having no dignity/self-respect. (Just look at the 'spice' in books craze...)

But I did find the other characters more interesting than Sophie. They had personalities and I could relate to them, Sophie I did not like because of her weakness. (Yes, religion, IMO, CAN be a weakness.) Sure, she started to grow, opening her mind to the truth of the world, but that wasn't until close to the end, and it took a major trauma to wake her up.

The story was good, the side characters great, but the MC was irritating. Instead of droning on about the real horrors of religion, and first POV, writing it in third-person, with multiple characters, I feel, could have left room for more of the story.

Not overly graphic but lot of adult content so not suitable for readers under sixteen.

2 Stars

CJ Leede has done it again! One of my most anticipated reads of the year after absolutely devouring Maeve Fly, and THIS. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT.

American Rapture is WILD, y'all. I am a massive, massive fan of end of the world/apocalyptic/plague writing and this novel has it all. It's a hold your breath, tense and gritty, sometimes sexy and a little bit gory coming of age story and I ATE IT UP. I could not put this damn book down to save my life.

We've got over the top, suffocating religion, a virus that makes people do crazy things, teenage sexual awakening, found family, THE BEST DOG, violence, friendship and love. What more do you want from a book?

The writing is perfection, the characters are so well fleshed out, the story moves along at the perfect pace to keep you engrossed. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked and saddened and horrified.

I don't even know what else to say. I could ramble on forever about how much I loved this book, but I will spare you that. Easily one of my favorite books of the year and if you don't read it, you're missing out. Run yourself to the bookstore, order it online, grab the ebook, you will not be sorry.

Wow. When I finished Maeve Fly, I knew I loved CJ Leede as an author, but after finishing this one, she’s become of my favorite authors of all time.

First of all: The research put into this book is astounding. As someone who briefly lived in WI, and has mostly lived in MN visiting WI many many times throughout her life, every time she mentioned a place like Baraboo, I felt like Leo in that meme when he points at the tv in recognition.

This book is a lot. It’s intense, and freaky, and sad, but it’s also beautiful, and funny, and hopeful. During a tumultuous time, the main character faces the internal struggle of questioning her religion, and along the way she finds people who show her kindness and have her questioning if her belief system is one she wants to follow anymore. And, not to be dramatic, but I would jump into traffic for any one of those characters.

Full disclosure, the last 10% of this book I was fully sobbing so hard that I LITerally could not see the pages through my tears. Please pay attention to the trigger warnings, and if you choose to read it (and I hope you do!) be sure to read her authors note at the end.

This one is out October 15! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this advance copy. It just secured its spot at one of my fav books this year. I can’t wait to see what else CJ Leede comes up with in the future.

This book was a wild ride. I am not sure what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't that. It was great! Hard to read at times due to the difficult subject matter. But it was so well done and written.

The constant internal shaming started to get a little repetitive towards the end of the book. It was hard to keep in mind it was only a 8 day stretch and a lifetime of religious trauma definitely isn't resolved in that short time. But it still got a tad old by the end of the book.

The tension was there. The suspense was there. The characters were generally likable. I liked the tense relationships between some of the characters. The ending was definitely hard to read. Overall solid novel that evoked a lot of emotion.

While I enjoyed a good amount about this book, the chopping writing style really ruined the overall reading experience for me. I was lucky enough to have both an alc & an arc so I tried switching back and forth to see if I could enjoy one more than the other. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. The audio intensified the choppy writing with constant pauses in what could have been flowing full sentences. The ebook made me want to skim passed it all, but I didn’t want to miss anything so I ultimately listened via audio on a faster speed in hopes it would run the sentence breaks closer together. That didn’t help either. It was very hard for me to stay invested in the story when I disliked the writing style so much.

I also really wish we would have got some time in the beginning of the book with real meaningful moments between Sophie and Noah. Sophie spends so much time searching for him and I felt like I didn’t even know him. I also think I would have preferred if Sophie had been an adult. The topic of religious trauma, sexual liberation, and finding one’s self could have still been done in someone a bit older and, for me, would have been much more interesting and enjoyable to read about.

I did love the apocalyptic setting though! I’m a huge fan of that sub genre and while this didn’t do anything wildly unique, it had good pacing and stressful moments spread throughout. The violence was effective and the sexual element to the virus made it all the more horrifying to read. The first experience Sophie has with the infected really set the bar high and let me know what I was in for! It made me tense for Sophie & the others as I followed them in their journey, which I appreciate and hope for in this type of novel.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio & Tor Nightfire for the advance reading/listening copies!

Wow! This book was wild. Be sure to check all trigger warnings for this one.
Sophie is 16 and lives in a very religious household and is restricted from the outside world. When a deadly virus breaks out, she has to leave on her own to find her brother.
This isn’t just any flu. The infected are completely feral with lust and sexual violence.
I fell in love with the characters and this book definitely wrecked me.
A horror that is gut wrenching and brutal.

This is one of those horror books that has a lot of social commentary and is super powerful, but also made me soooo angry and frustrated.

Sophie has spent her life being told a woman's place is to be subservient to the men around her due to her family's extreme religious beliefs. Then one day a pandemic rips through the US and changes everything she's ever known. The gore and horrific details are really what I've come to expect from CJ Leede and American Rapture definitely delivered, but it also had a surprising amount of heart and humanity.

Religious trauma is one of those topics that goes so well with horror in my opinion, and that's the aspect that made me the most angry and frustrated, seeing Sophie cling so tightly to those ideals even when she's faced with the facts that her religion didn't have her best interests at heart.

The parallels between the infected who literally can't control themselves sexually and religious teachings that sexual assault is women's fault because men can't control themselves was very clever, and also shone a light on how dangerous it can be to have a lack of knowledge when it comes to sex.

Horror as a genre is a great way to explore and address difficult subject matter, and I think this book is a fantastic example of that. There's just so much you could unpack from this book that I think could be an ENTIRE detailed discussion.

This will definitely not be for everyone, but I do think it's worth reading! Just review the trigger warnings first before jumping into this one, there's a LOT. I also highly recommend reading the author letter which gives you a lot of context and understanding about this book!

Thank you so much to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

Trigger Warnings:
- sexual assault, death of a parent, pandemic, religious trauma, bigotry and homophobia, child death, animal death (extremely detailed), forced institutionalization, emotional abuse, blood and gore, gun violence, etc.

I think I just found a new favorite author!! I love C.J.’s writing style!! This book hooked me in from the beginning and just kept getting darker! It even made me cry at one point. 💔

I love all the Wisconsin references, especially when the characters are at The House on the Rock! I knew exactly what rooms the characters were in as I read that part!! 🙌

If you love end of the world vibes with writing that really makes you think about the things we believe in, you need to check this book out!! Highly recommend!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and C.J. Leede for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for most honest review!! Now I need to go bump Maeve Fly up on my TBR!!! ❤️

TW: animal death 😭

📖 Review: American Rapture by CJ Leede
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 10/15/24

I have been looking forward to this one for a while because I loved Maeve Fly so much. This book was so different from that one! It was really interesting, and as someone who is not at all religious, it was sometimes difficult to relate to the main character. That being said, I still really enjoyed it- it was very entertaining! Thank you @netgalley and @tornightfire for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

🦠💉😷

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust. Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin.

#americanrapture #cjleede #arcreads #reader #books #bookstagram #booklover #netgalley #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #booksbooksbooks #bookish

A teen girl in a severely religious family finds herself in the midst of a deadly pandemic that causes people to become feral. She goes on a cross-Wisconsin roadtrip in order to find her twin brother.

Based off reviews and my feelings, I think you'll only love either American Rapture or Maeve Fly . I really enjoyed Maeve Fly, but I LOVED American Rapture. The tones are drastically different and this one really worked for me. This book starts and ends with horror with horror sandwiched in between. Every part of this book is full of terror and grief.

This is a very interesting book let me tell you! Definitely one of the more unique ones. So this is being promoted as American Gods meets The Last of Us so a dystopian and I do agree with these comparisons after reading it. It's about a virus that is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust and we’re following a 16 year old catholic girl through all of this and she must try to survive. A world full of sex crazed zombies. That sounds like a dag on horrifying experience and I don’t know what else to say about it besides it was kind of awesome LMAO