First of all, I really, really love the cover to this book.

This book was (mostly) enjoyable to read. It's a neat take on the zombie trope and the storyline is never boring. The writer has a real way with keeping the reader engaged and invested in what happens next to each and every character. The characters are (mostly, except the villains) easy to get attached to and each are interesting in their own personal way.

I also appreciate the weavings of religious trauma throughout the book. Having my own, it was interesting to read and really helped me to connect to the MC. Her journey so far has been of great interest to me and I hope that I can look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a good horror book. It should appeal to anyone.

(Mostly because of the puppy.)

Sophie lives in an ultra-religious household and she doesn’t have the life of an average sixteen year old. She is not allowed any devices such as phones and tablets and her computer time is strictly monitored. So she is almost completely unaware that a deadly flu virus is sweeping the country and doesn’t really understand the implications and presentations when it ultimately lands in her backyard. She embarks in a quest to get to the brother that was ripped away from her. What will befall her on her journey?

Wow this book was a lot. It is at times gory and violent but I enjoyed it just the same. There is near constant action and the tension was heightened by ending each chapter with the rote how-to information that Sophie was forced to read instead of more interesting, engaging secular stories.

The characters are well thought out, each needing to hold on to some semblance of their old way of life. For Sophie it is the constant pressure to be good and without sin that drives her along with the need to find her brother.

The story skewers those that use religion to propagate hate, violence and as a weapon against information. Because Sophie was brought up in such a rigid way, she is at a disadvantage in the new world that is unfolding due to the mysterious virus. She doesn’t understand how to read social cues and often thinks the worst will befall her due to the influence of certain dark bible stories and the near constant threats of the devil and what will happen to her if she sins. Definitely an interesting read with a couple of strong trigger warnings: lots of violence and sexual assaults. That may sound like a reason to skip to some, but all in all an interesting read with profound insights into the misuse of religion to control and ruminations on the dark side of society and American culture and norms. If this hasn’t turned you off, you may also enjoy this action packed end of the world thriller. I certainly did. Four stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

This one is epic. Think 28 Days Later with major religious themes. Check the trigger warnings. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that it felt a little too long in places. I read this as a mix of audiobook and e-book via NetGalley and the publisher . Will recommend.

Do you like religious trauma, misinformation, sexual awakenings, and apocalyptic literature featuring pandemics? Well that is a very specific wheelhouse, but luckily American Rapture caters to all of it. Personally, while I am slowly coming down from my stance of “too soon” when it comes to anything regarding lockdowns or flu outbreaks, I will say that this book hit right in that sweet spot where the infection spreading was there, but as a narrative catalyst as opposed to a focus. So it didn’t feel too reminiscent of real life, and instead part of the world building.
American Rapture is one such example where I think the story itself couldn’t have been told in any other way but first person. Sophie’s burgeoning sexuality, her fascination with secular books, and her quest for forbidden knowledge directly precede the breakdown of her faith and overall way of life. However, it is the fact that these occurrences are met while the reader is inside Sophie’s head that reveals the depth of her indoctrination, isolation, and religious trauma. To then take that point of view and cast it over a world where humanity is going mad with uncontrollable lust? Both the feminist in me, and the part of me that loves speculative fiction is absolutely fascinated by it. What this feels like is essentially a play by play of the superficiality of a patriarchal “success” story, and then what comes after when it becomes clear that naivety, feminine guilt, and maintaining Biblical purity is not conducive to modern survival—especially for a woman.
Overall, I really liked this. It was a weird one, and definitely dealt with a lot of heavy topics, but I would recommend it if you’re wanting a bit of horror mixed with some philosophy and theology.

I'm a recovering Catholic and an epidemiologist, so this book really spoke to me. What a combo, eh?! If you like The Walking Dead or The Last of Us (specifically, the relationship between Joel and Ellie), I think you'll enjoy this book. The characters are all experiencing a lot of the same things the characters do in those shows except here, we have excellent commentary (and context) of religion and sexuality/purity culture. I thought Leede did a great job with the relationship between Sophie and Ben but wish there had been a bit more with Maro. There are a lot of thing that happen in this story and as is the case with good horror, you get suckered punched and pulled in by the non-human factor and then you continue to get pummeled and be horrified by the humans in the story. The ending is WILD and very well-executed by Leede.

I don't tend to mention trigger warnings, especially because if you're reading horror, you pretty much expect it to be a potentially rough read. However, there is an absolutely horrific dog death in this story that is really hard to get through. You'll see it coming so you might consider skimming over that section.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital ARC. Leede is an auto-buy author for our household and I know we'll be purchasing a copy, but it's always nice to read the book ahead of publication!

MAJOR TW (spoilers included in these TWS, scroll down if you don’t wish to see): extreme religious violence, sickness, graphic and violent animal death, violent and graphic rape, violent and graphic deaths of humans, violence in general, graphic descriptions of dead bodies, religious trauma/extreme religious circumstances, gun violence (IF I FORGOT ANYTHING PLEASE LET ME KNOW!)






american rapture is simply one of a kind. it reinvents the story of the sheltered christian girl, makes it interesting, and makes it a critique of conservative american christianism and religious violence.

the premise sounds bizarre at first- a 16 year old girl who grew up in a rural conservative christian family having to survive a sex apocalypse? but trust me, via that premise it brings you deep introspections from the mc that surprisingly, felt natural and not forced.

and as for the religion part, as someone who struggles with their religion and figuring out the nuances of religion and what is right or wrong, and the feeling of constant guilt, this one hit home. it perfectly captures the feeling growing up christian as a teen girl- and even if my circumstances weren’t as extreme as our mc’s, it was still a relatable experience. i don’t know c.j. leede’s relationship with religion, but whatever their connection, you can tell they have put in a lot of passion and research into this story.

spoilers ahead//

my only critique is the fact that everyone gets killed off towards the end. other than Barghest and maybe maro, the deaths felt more like cheap shock rather than actual meaningful deaths.

spoilers over//

bottom line: this one is for all my religious trauma and religious guilt girlies

American Rapture hit so personally for me. Although not Catholic, I was raised in a conservative Christian home where a lot of the same values were revered. Like our main character Sophie, I questioned a lot and rebeled and thankfully found truth for myself. So the subject matter rang true for me. The purpose of this book was not the apocalypse but Sophie's discovery of what she actually believes during the breakdown of society. Her continued innocence and naivety as the book carries on becomes unbelievable but I still liked it.

I'm initially struck by the style with which it's written. Sophie is coming of age during a deadly pandemic in an extremely strict, rigid Catholic family. The latter stages of the disease cause red palms. I don't know if it's an intentional mocking of stigmata or not but I loved that detail. Her every action is restricted and her thoughts, guilt ridden. The only approved books she's able to check out from the library are "How To" books. CJ Leede uses these "How to" snippets smartly, blending them with the plotline. Think of Fight Club's "I am Jack's..." quotes. It gave a creative and entertaining tilt to an otherwise seriously dark subject. Major spoiler coming, I had no idea this was a zombie book going in, which actually was a pleasant surprise. The infected are similar to 28 Days Later initially. As a zombie fan I was happy to see this emerge personally but I know some aren't thrilled with them so there's your tip of the day. These are sexually aggressive zombies.

TW: Homophobia, Catholic behavior seen as cultish, Institutionalization, SA, physical attack, pet murder

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.

This book made me cry in the school pickup line. Later, the note to the reader also made me cry. It is so beautifully written, at turns nostalgic, frantic, and soaked in grief. Some sentences hit me so hard they almost took my breath away. Sophie... I just loved her. The characters are so human.
There are some real heavy hitters here as far as triggers, the very least of which is religious trauma. I read Maeve Fly earlier in the year and loved it, but American Rapture is something completely different and it might just be my favorite book of the year so far. 5 stars

American Rapture is a wild ride through a plague/zombie apocalypse told through the eyes of a teenaged girl raised in an extremely repressive Catholic household. It explores the mysteries of faith and anguish of teen desire. The build-up is slow, like any good zombie horror setting, and the payoff is terrifying. Imagine a flu that could mutate and turn you into a super strong sex-craved demon. The sin! The guilt! The violent assault! We follow Sophie, just shy of 17, as she tries to survive amidst the ongoing and increasing mania around her, and search for her twin brother who was whisked away in the night several years ago to a Catholic conversion center for wayward teens. Sophie and a small group of survivors must deal not only with the fear of infection and attacks from the infected, but also the evil machinations of religious Crusaders who believe they must help God's plan for the end times along by attacking vaccination centers. American Rapture is timely, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and horrifying. A perfect read for the upcoming spooky season.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book.

I am so utterly obsessed with this book and CJ Leede’s writing! Just when I thought I couldn’t love a @ceejthemoment book more than Maeve Fly…AMERICAN RAPTURE came and said, “YOU THOUGHT!”😂😂😂 This book literally flewwww by and I was entertained the entire time and was legitimately sad when it was over!

This book has everything, including an apocalyptic level contagion, sexual awakenings, a Midwest setting, religious trauma, and moments that are equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious (which @ceejthemoment has a special talent of doing like no other!!)

5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for the review eARC

Absolutely devoured this book and really enjoyed the characters and how you watch their mentality shift throughout, especially as someone who has had my world view knocked around a few times.

An emotional and harrowing coming-of-age tale, CJ Leede’s second published novel is less insane and disgusting than her first, but no less compelling. There’s a lot to juggle here - a pandemic zombie survival story about sexual awakenings and oppressive religious shame probably shouldn’t work, but this absolutely does. The writing is swift and evocative - specific in that Stephen King way that’s all about the characters instead of getting bogged down in the details themselves - and I enjoyed spending time with Sophie and her inner turmoil a great deal. In particular I appreciate her willingness to take her destiny in her own hands: there’s a more passive version of this character being carried upstream by the forces around her, but this journey of self-discovery is very clearly about a girl who had this in her all along.

I also had the privilege of experiencing this both through eARC and audiobook, courtesy of NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio, to whom I’m extremely grateful. I found both experiences great, but also think that Sophie is the most different of anything across the two versions: she’s desperate in both iterations, but on the page she’s angrier, while in the audio I found her more scared and confused. An intriguing difference.

A great book! Reminded me a lot of Andrew Joseph White, who is also consistently unafraid to write nasty, dark horror about teenagers escaping the shackles of their trauma and discovering What It Is To Be. I continue to love Leede’s interest in exploring both the liberating power and horrifying potential of lust. I found her endnote legitimately moving and quite wonderful, too. While I didn’t love this the way I loved <i>Maeve Fly</i>, I still find her to be one of the most impressive new voices in horror and am so excited to see where she continues to go from here.

What I read of this one was fantastic -- a great protagonist, a thoughtful look at religion, growing tension and horror -- but my dog died recently so after checking content warnings in reviews online, I decided to stop reading. I'm not in a place to handle a violent dog death right now, but I definitely recommend the book to readers who can.

I expect those who have read Maeve Fly will have a complicated relationship with American Rapture. It's so different from the way I think Maeve Fly reads and the kind of protagonist who runs it (I promise it's on my list) that I can understand wanting more of that kind of book and instead being confronted with Sophie.

Sophie is an interesting protagonist to me. In many ways, she can be mistaken for a good Christian every-man, timid and bland and uncertain of herself. She's so often in conflict with her own lack of agency that it would be easy to mistake her for the kind of protagonist that things happen to, rather than a driving force behind the plot. She can't understand why those around her are so enraptured by her, and frequently undersells her own skills and usefulness, despite them routinely coming in useful.

Her narration style is probably not for everyone either, but it lends to the feverishly dreamy tone that makes American Rapture so compelling once the apocalypse sets in, and further cements that she is someone with a unique point of view to tell this story, whether she believes it or not.

The plot of American Rapture is so masterfully done that it could've easily been a trilogy rather than a standalone piece. The first section of this novel in which Sophie is cloistered in her insular Catholic community and parents' choke-hold is a testament to C. J. Leede's immense skill as a writer. It's obvious to everyone but our protagonist how severe the virus has become despite her community's stalwart insistence that they remain unaffected—but even without the ticking clock of an insidious epidemic, clearly infecting those around her, this section would be compelling. Intensely claustrophobic, the horror of Sophie's isolated upbringing of forced ignorance and lack of self-determination is in many ways the most intensely frightening part of this novel. I could have read 200 more pages of it.

Thematically, there is so much to adore in American Rapture. It's an interesting take on the apocalypse—not just for its Christian-critical dystopia, which is one of my favourite niche subgenres—but for how richly internal it is. So much of what makes American Rapture riveting is its slow moments. Sophie's world expands far more from the connections she makes than her road trip across America. It's about how those you open your heart to can change you, whether from small kindnesses like Cleo's to the immense loyalty and love forged so quickly between Sophie and Barghest. Its take on apocalypse found family is intensely practical, yet so full of warmth. Love is not only what drives Sophie's journey through the apocalypse to find her other half, but is also what sets American Rapture apart from so many other dystopias—it may not be able to save you, but it's the reason you keep going.

A compassionate, contemplative take on the apocalypse, with themes and motifs that grow richer the more you reread, American Rapture is not one to miss.

This book does include rape and violence. Those triggered by those things should proceed with caution.

I am not big into zombie stories. I find myself saying that a lot but then I loved The Last of Us. Same sentiment here - This is kind of a zombie apocalypse story, but it’s a lot more than that.

There were a lot of elements that attracted me to this book. A pandemic, religious hysteria, Wisconsin (my bestie lives there) and some teenage angst. The key premise of the story is that teenaged Sophie has to head out on the run after all around her contract a fatal virus that causes them to engage in violent sexual activity. Sophie has been raised in a repressed catholic family with no access to media. Her parents even closely monitor the books she’s allowed to read. So when all of this mayhem breaks out around her she is shocked. As she heads out on the run and encounters all this mayhem she also has to face her own awakening as a woman.

I’m a sucker for a good apocalypse book and this is unlike any one I’ve ever read. There are certain parts of the novel that seemed to drag (some of the House on the Rocks parts,) I understand what Leede was trying to do- paint horror and fear. I just felt at times it was a tad too drawn out.

Overall an entertaining read! Perfect for fans of zombie apocalypse dystopias.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire, CJ Leede and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an e-copy of this book early and for letting me provide my honest feedback!

CJ Leede continues to serve. She strayed away from gory horror and brought back the epidemic (both physical and religious) horror. She created a great character who broke the walls built around her under the name of religion and with power of youth opened her mind to what life really is. Forget about the plot, I was in it for the arch Sophie went through. And CJ Leede - your note to reader wasn't lost on me!

Sophie had little too much fear of God in her. Her parents not even blurred the lines between having faith and following an organized religion but they thought those were one and the same. Sophie was stuck in a very thick jar and her only solace was library. Meanwhile, world was getting traumatized with a new epidemic making people go crazy with lust. Didn't matter how protected they were, Sophie's household was hit with it to Sophie's horror. After that moment. Sophie was a girl on a run trying to find her twin.

I'm looking forward for more Leede books. I was very impressed by her debut. This book showed me the different side of her. I hope her next books give me different faces of her.

On Goodreads & StoryGraph:
I have put off writing this review as a means to gather the correct words needed to sing its praises, but I know I will fall short. This book blew me out of the water! I knew it was going to be good because I’ve seen it everywhere and have had it recommended to me by other readers I personally know and trust, but nothing could have prepared me for how much I would treasure it.

Alright, let’s get down to business. Sophie is a teenage girl being raised in an extremely sheltered and suffocating Catholic community with a twin brother who was sent away when he was unwilling to conform to their parent’s religious ideals. When a new virus emerges and starts to spread across America, resulting in a pandemic, Sophie must navigate a world unknown to her that, itself, is trying to survive. She encounters situations and meets people that call into question her ideals and belief system, adding to her inner turmoil.

I found myself fully submersed in this story from early on. I, myself, have a Christian-based upbringing, so I deeply connected with Sophie and the transition she finds herself in as concepts that question her belief system trigger a sort of awakening for her. Yet she tends to slip back into her comfort zone from time to time, which is only natural when that is all she has known. That in and of itself lent a sense of realism to this tale. I also found myself connecting with other characters on a much smaller scale, which further committed my heart to Leede’s creation.

I can see people with a strong religious conviction pushing against this title, but I absolutely adored it…as much as one can adore a novel filled with disease, violence, evils of mankind, harm to animals, and more. All the content warnings. One in particular rocked me like no other, which is not typical for me as I do not have a difficult time with fiction.

I have not yet had the opportunity to read Maeve Fly, Leede’s debut novel, but I have no doubt I will be blown away with that one as well. If so, Leede will be shoving dozens of other authors down on my Favorite Authors list to make way for herself towards the top.

A MASSIVE thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the digital ARC, and Libro.fm for the ALC!

Note: I consumed American Rapture originally in audiobook format (the narration was decent), and immediately started reading my digital copy in order to highlight everything I mentally noted while listening. Out of the two, I would recommend physically reading it if that is an option.

On Fable:
Fearful that this book wouldn’t live up to the hype it has been getting, because I usually am disappointed by overly-hyped books, I gave in the to persistence of other readers whose judgement I trust. I am so glad I did! Being able to somewhat relate to the main character’s Christian-based upbringing (on a much more mild level with parents who definitely fell victim to fear-based teachings themselves and have since broken free of that) this book had me hooked, line, and sinker! I consumed this book first in audio format, and have since started reading it in digital format so I can make all of the highlights! I will then be purchasing a physical copy to annotate it like I am getting paid to do so! Remarkable! FYI: ALL THE CONTENT WARNINGS! Ok, maybe not all, but a vast majority of them. If you have a difficult time separating yourself from fiction, this is not one I recommend. However, I will be proclaiming its excellence to anyone who will listen. If you feel this book is something you would be into, then don’t add it to your TBR. Just put down whatever you’re reading right now and let this one take over immediately. Salut! [hat tilt with a wink]

This is the first book from CJ Leede that I've read and....wow..
A deadly virus is sweeping across the USA and a young girl finds herself on the road trying to find her brother. This is a quick and brutal read that I couldn't get enough of.
For a more in depth review, please check out my spoiler free youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1E3wbm6R7I

Last year, I read and LOVED CJ Leede's "Maeve Fly." It was one of my top 10 reads of 2023, and she quickly became an auto-buy author for me. When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to have it, and I was lucky enough to snag an advanced galley and an ALC of the title. I devoured it in only a couple of days.

The book is set in present-day Wisconsin, and we spend our time with Sophie, a 16-year-old Catholic girl who is very sheltered and very naive. After her parents sent her twin brother away to a hospital for troubled teens, Sophie has been a bit lost. She goes to church and her private Catholic school, prays, reads her bible, and only occasionally sneaks in books that aren't on the approved list set forth by her parents, but she wouldn't exactly call herself happy.

When news begins to break of a disease spreading through the Northeast, Sophie only receives bits and pieces of the news at school, mainly because her parents shelter her from current events at home. They tell her there's nothing to worry about, but when the virus makes its way to her hometown and eventually into her home, Sophie finds herself doing everything she can to get out of the quarantine zone and find her brother. Along the way, she'll meet new friends and new enemies and question everything she's been taught about good and evil, all while trying to survive being attacked by lust-crazed zombies that will eat your face off while fucking you to death - for real!

Needless to say, with that last sentence, this one is one hell of a wild ride, and I loved every minute of it. There's a lot packed into this novel, and I was here for it! The first several chapters are pretty low-key as we meet Sophie and get a look at her life. She's very sheltered, and we get a ton of religious BS stuffed in our faces, but it's needed to set the tone. The book is told from Sophie's first-person POV, and this gets us into her headspace. Is all the talk about sinners and God annoying? Sure - especially for those of us who grew up in religious communities and had this same crap forced on us - but this is Sophie's life, and she doesn't know any better. This all sets the stage for Sophie's journey, and these first few chapters before all hell breaks loose are necessary to help us see things from Sophie's sheltered and narrow perspective.

Once the shit hits the fan, it's on, and this one doesn't let up. It's a mad dash across Wisconsin as Sophie and her newfound friends fight to stay alive, searching for safety. What I loved about this book was how closely it mirrors our current scenario here in the good old U-S of A. Religious fundamentalists are great at screaming at us and telling us we're sinners and going to hell and that drag queens and gay people are ruining the country - precisely what they do in this book. But this book also illustrates how it's actually these zealots who are ruining the world, and it's their ignorance and the way they force their ideals on everyone that is literally destroying everything.

I had the pleasure of receiving both an electronic galley and an advance listener copy of this book, so I double-fisted the entire thing. This was great because it was a book I couldn't stop thinking about, and it helped me tear through it even faster. The narrator of the audiobook perfectly captures Sophie's innocence, and she changes as Sophie changes. She delivers everything with a lot of emotion - perfectly hitting all the marks along the way. If you're into audiobooks, definitely check this one out!

If you loved "Maeve Fly," then you definitely need to have this book on your TBR. This one may have cured my zombie burnout - I want more! It's action-packed, intense, scary, and has so much to say about the current messed-up ideals of the USA. I can't wait to get my finished copy so I can put it on my shelf right next to Maeve. I can't wait to read what CJ Leede comes up with next.

I instantly became CJ Leede's fan after her first novel, Maeve Fly. So I had to pick this up when I saw her name. American Rapture starts with a rather mundane surrounding and I thought the story would be going in a direction I could predict. I was wrong. CJ Leede knows how to bring charm and beauty in the most dark and charismatic way. I loved the raw psychological tension and this book had me going until the end. Thank you for letting me enjoy this amazing horror story. I'm becoming a solid fan.