Never did I think a horror book would move me this much and render me almost emotional.

This is the story of Sophie, who grew up in a very religiously conservative home. Like many young women, it was beaten upon her that her virginity is sacred and must be preserved at all costs until marriage.

Amidst an apocalyptic epidemic where infected individuals develop lust, Sophie forms alliances while fleeing for safety and has to decide where our actual values and morals lie.

I really enjoyed the commentary about how toxic purity culture is, growing up in sheltered environments, and learning to be okay embracing values that may differ from those you were raised in. It wasn’t prescriptive or ham-fisted, but felt very natural as we watched Sophie grow into herself.

I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards an apocalypse novel, but this was well done.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

4 ⭐️ I loved this book so much more than I thought I would, it just kept getting better as the book went on. I was left in tears by the end and the author's note should not be skipped. This book won’t be for everyone and I highly recommend you check all trigger warnings and know the subject matter before jumping in. This book is a coming of age story of 16 year old Sophie, who was raised extremely sheltered (no TV, computer, phone and Jesus portraits in her room) by very strict Catholic parents in a small Wisconsin community, who also share the same extremist religious views of how women should behave, dress and of course they promote sexual repression. Then add a pandemic of epic portions, a flu that takes over the nation and rapidly spreads and mutates to a lethal version that turns people sexually animalistic before it eventually kills you - think sex crazed zombies that brutally attack and then die. This is where the book almost lost me but honestly it works and isn’t nearly as dumb as it sounds, or maybe it is, I just accepted the messaging behind it all.

This book tackles religious trauma, loss and acceptance, grief and guilt over ones desires and sense of self, and of course set in an apocalyptic environment. This would make a phenomenal movie (fingers crossed)! It definitely reminded me of every single zombie movie I’ve ever seen but it added so much more depth and emotion coming from a single POV of a sheltered teen and I didn’t hate Sophie which is crazy since I typically dislike reading about teenagers. I loved all the supporting characters too, I love the found family aspect in times of extreme horror. It reminded me of Zombieland and how they’re a similar tight knit family, I just loved it. Overall, this one will stick with me for a while and I will RUN to read Maeve Fly since this was my first CJ Leede book and it won’t be my last.

Also, I highly recommend the audio it was done so well by Moniqua Plante, there were times I was so panicked and had to pause to take breathers. Even in times where the story slowed down in pacing I never lost interest. I finished this 14.5 hour novel in half the time and 1.5 days.

Notes this book contains:
* A lot of brutality, gore, death/killing
* A lot of commentary on radical religion

Huge thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is out now. #Macaudio2024

I liked Maeve Fly and this one sounded really good but I had a hard time getting into it. Perhaps the covid-like disease story just wasn't what I was in the mood for at the time. I also thought it was a pretty long book for a sci-fi/dystopian story and I had to DNF only midway in. The narration for the audio book was still great though and I was intrigued by the main character. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. Not the book for me sadly.

Absolutely loved this one. CJ Leede is definitely an auto buy author after this sophomore novel. Different from her first but still just as consuming and layered. I expected to love this, but this surpassed my expectations. Can't say enough good things about it.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

This was absolutely outstanding. If you have any amount of history with the church this book will hit and it will hit hard.

A really well drawn apocalypse story that really gets to some of the issues at the heart of modern society.

C.J. Leede continues to be an author to watch. She's 2 for 2.

Be aware read the content warnings if you are sensitive to certain subjects as there was a death in this book that had me in absolute TEARS. It destroyed me.

Stunning - Definitely 5 stars!

CJ Leede is a new favorite author for me! American Rapture is a unique coming of age story that dramatically stands out among all the multitudes of coming of age stories that readers are subjected to each year. This one packs a powerful punch, especially coming on the heels of our worldwide pandemic.
The plot itself is simple- a sheltered teen must abruptly fend for herself as a deadly pandemic with gruesome results turns the world upside down. She's smart but not too savvy and luckily she's able to surround herself with people who care and can help. Through this all she's battling with what she was taught to believe and what's she's observing as reality. The cognitive dissonance is palpable. and it's a wild journey as she moves throughout this to discover that perhaps freedom is just one choice away.

For me personally, I liked Maeve Fly somewhat more, but I think this will appeal to a much broader readership with the themes of religious trauma, coming of age, pandemic and character growth. The horror is "less" somehow than Maeve, but the tension and drama are just as perfect. Very much looking forward to anything CJ Leede decides to write.

American Rapture is a brutal romp through a viral outbreak with an extreme juxtaposition. The virus causes intense lustful, violent attacks and the narrator is an teenage girl with an extremely sheltered Christian upbringing, trying among other things to find her twin brother, who was cast out of the family for being gay. Her upbringing causes her to be extremely late to the news about the virus, which is finally making its way to her rural WIsconsin region after having its way with the big cities for some time. She is also just coming into her own ideas about attraction as she gets separated from the denial forced on her by her family. Still, her depictions of the horrors of those possessed stays fairly fresh even after a dozen or so attacks that she witnesses, fortunately added by the human and canine protectors she meets early on.
The circles of hell reflect some major Wisconsin attractions, like cheese castles and the legendary House on the Rock, creepy carousel and all.
Her found family is interesting and inventive in their ways to attempt to stay a step ahead of the lustful lobotomized and also some opportunistic looter biker gangs and find temporary safe havens and time to add to their pack and bond.
American Rapture is a creative, entertaining take on the viral outbreak stories with lots to ponder about free will, sin, and other constructs by breaking down the society that they supposedly support.

The action really propelled this tense plot. I almost DNF'ed at about the scene with the main character and her father on the porch, but I ended up reading through the end. That scene did bother me, but the writing was wall done.

I got to read this back when I got the E-ARC and getting to listen to it on audio just adds a whole extra layer of depth to it. I love the narrator. I'm incredibly grateful to get to re-experience the rapture. The following is my original review.

This book wrecked me completely. It means so much to me in so many ways. I'm going to say it now - it's my number one book of the year, and yes I know it's only June. This book has my soul.

I grew up Catholic and homeschooled, isolated from everyone and everything and I really relate to Sophie, at least my inner child does. I didn't have a good home life. As an adult, I relate with Cleo so much and I absolutely adored her. Also, the Spotify playlist CJ made for Cleo has my heart and I've been listening to it on repeat since finding it.

This is such a heavy story with so many deep and dark topics, but it was also extremely healing and validating. I'm so very grateful to CJ for this story and appreciate all the heart she put into this. There were multiple times I screamed "how are you in my head right now?"

CJ is one of my all time favorite authors now. She was one of my favorites already for Maeve, but this just further solidified that standing for me and bumped her up on my chart.

Thank you to CJ, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for allowing me to read and review an E-ARC.

Talk about a book with a bloody mix of religious trauma and coming of age all while trying to survive a raucous apocalypse. The story follows Sophie, a teenage girl raised in an extremely religious & sheltered home, during a pandemic that makes the afflicted s*xually violent. We travel with her as she confronts the only world view she’s ever known while navigating what new found family can look like when you begin to let your walls down. I’d definitely check out the trigger warnings before going into this one (the infected in this one are unlike any other believe me) but if you are able to dig into this read, I guarantee it’s a wild time! I ended up giving it 5 stars, because of the writing obviously but equally the pacing as it kept me hooked the whole time, and I truly can’t wait to read more from CJ. Huge thank you for the advanced copy, it really did exceed every expectation in the best way!

3.5 ⭐️
This story illustrates the damaging effects of religious trauma while offering an intriguing and layered exploration of its themes.

A new virus sweeping through the Midwest ignites overwhelming lust among those infected. As the virus spreads, Sophie embarks on a journey to find her brother. Along the way, she is questioning her sheltered upbringing and the beliefs instilled in her by her parents and community.

Throughout the book, Sophie faces significant changes and meets various individuals who help her navigate the world she is discovering. It's a compelling narrative, and I appreciated how Sophie’s extensive reading, despite her sheltered background, equips her with some survival skills for her journey. However, at times, her character comes across as more childish than naive.

Overall, I believe this book will resonate with readers who appreciate stories of religious trauma and protagonists striving to untangle themselves from its effects.

Narrator Review: I did not enjoy the narration. At times, the narrator seems to be whispering and it was very distracting.

CW:
- Homophobia
- Attempted S.A
- Death of an animal
- Murder

Thank you Macmillan for this ALC.

I am obsessed with this book! Sometimes I struggle with audiobooks as I can lose interest and get bored easily. Not with American Rapture though. I was hooked right from the start handing onto every word. I was hesitant initially to start this audio as I heard there is a graphic dog death. That is usually a no go dealbreaker for me. However, I found myself crying over a horror book for the first time! Emotionally damaged for sure but do not regret it. The best audiobook I’ve read this year and the best horror book I’ve ever read. I will be doing a full review post on my Bookstagram which I will post early next week, and will update the link below.

3.5 ⭐

This may be more a case of the wrong reader but I was kind of like, wait what? for most of this book. I love books about the apocalypse that examine human nature and what might happen in the case of a mass plague or deaths. This was that, but it was kind of weird. 🙃 I mean, it was supposed to be weird, but also, horror? I didn't really get the horror vibes until almost the end with some of the graphic deaths.

I could see this being a horror comedy movie and I would totally watch that! So, imagine you are in highschool and are super sheltered. You don't even have full length mirrors in your house. You've never read the newspaper, you don't have a phone, and you aren't allowed to read books outside of your parents' set reading list for you.

Then you start hearing murmurs about a flu that is spreading and taking over cities. You don't read the news but it's on everything and everywhere and eventually you see a newspaper with the flu as a headline. You start to wonder what that could be and why nobody has told you about it.

Then one day, you walk in on your parents being physical. It's weird and very unlike them. When they see you, your dad starts chasing you and grabbing at you and he seems freakishly strong. Eventually you get away, but what was that?! It was terrifying. Some more things happen and you realize that the flu has morphed into a deadly virus that manifests by making people extremely sexualized. They can't stop themselves and will assault anyone in arms reach. They are insanely strong and if you come into contact with their bodily fluids, you will catch it. 🤯

Then picture a bit of a survival story mixed with a hyper religious background, but it's like you've never left the house. (It was kind of unbelievable bc the main character did go to school.)

This might be for you if you are nodding along to the synopsis like, yes! This sounds amazing!

I will say that I really enjoyed the audio. The cover is so good and parts of this book really gave me Zombieland vibes. (Just me??)

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ALC to enjoy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6925751024 This book is going to be one I think about for a long time. This is *the* end of the world book of the year and I will not hear otherwise. Sophie is a very sheltered Catholic girl living in the bubble her parents have created for her. She isn’t even allowed a full length mirror because vanity is a sin. It’s no surprise that when a virus begins to ravage the US she isn’t aware of the severity until it ends up on her front lawn. Literally.

There were so many moments in this book that just felt like a punch to the stomach. My heart kept breaking for Sophie and then breaking even more. Yet still - she is a survivor and one hell of a final girl to root for. This was very much a coming of age story as Sophie is on her own and experiencing the real world for the first time in her life. She just happens to be thrown into an actual horror movie. I loved all of the side characters we meet along the way, especially Maro and Barghest, and they all added so much to the story.

Check trigger warnings if you need. There is a pretty horrific animal death that has me near tears even now as I write this review. There were pretty graphic instances of violence and attempted sexual assault, but I appreciate that the author kept the descriptions of the SA to a minimum. I appreciated it and found that it really drove home Sophie’s limited knowledge of that aspect to life. The audiobook narrator lended a great voice to Sophie. She really voiced the whole spectrum from sheltered girl to final girl, and you could feel Sophie coming into her own.

Thank you so much to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for a review copy. I love CJ Leede forever and ever, even though she made me cry more than once with this one.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Holy shit, this was fantastic.

While listening to this, which I knew would be an extreme examination of religion, I also happened to start reading Stephen King’s Carrie—which I had somehow avoided all spoilers for, and did not know it was involving religion as well. Both of them start with a kind of deep dive into the bounds in which Catholicism is designed to hold down and punish women simply for existing. While Carrie’s mother seems to be well off the deep end, Sophie’s family is simply force feeding her guilt on a biblical scale. While Carrie is so religiously uneducated in womanhood that she is unaware of menstruation, Sophie is showcased to be so far removed that she truly doesn’t even know how the world itself functions. And while she secrets away forbidden books, she still lacks that openness that comes from being allowed to explore. While my own experiences can never truly impart in me the same struggles as a girl or woman in the same religion, I did note much of the same experiences and darkness that sermons secret away as the word of god.

The truly unimaginable depths the author builds—the abyssal pits of paranoia and despair—create such a vivid atmosphere throughout the entirety of the book. I am endlessly impressed at how the author has managed to create this dual horror narrative. While Sophia struggles with guilt, sin, and existing in a world where men of all ages notice a pretty face, she also has to exist through the genuine terror of a venereal apocalypse. Men and women alike are becoming enraged, animalistic, and predatorily sexualized. The near scares of sexual assault and rape mirror Sophie’s own base desires, and while her curiosity is innocent, they’re conflating her guilt. She cannot let in to her desires, though she may try, for fear of becoming infected—and isn’t that the same thing her parents have been spoon feeding her her entire life?

The novel is also, functionally, a powerhouse of a survivalist story as well. Even if the religious factors were dialed back, there is this reminiscence of Bird Box and Your Shadow Half Remains where although not undead, the population is virtually divided and then slowly eradicated all the same. The continuous desire to group together keeping the looming threat of outbreak ever present. And this novel hits all the notes of zombie breakout perfectly. The separation or loss of loved one, the unsuspecting hero turned important member of any group, a gymnasium turned tomb scene, even the quintessential stop-for-fuel gas station mistake. The fact that these two sides represent the same coin is still blowing my mind even after finishing.

The crux of the story is that to survive, to cross whatever hurtles exist between Sophie and her twin brother Noah, she must first survive the examination and brutality of accepting herself. If she cannot find and truly accept that inner self, she can never overcome the trials before her—whether they’re Christian guilt or mindless beings. And maybe, within that, they’re all already infected.

AMERICAN RAPTURE by @ceejthemoment is another knock out of the park from this author IMHO. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the e-ARC and the audio-ARC.

🖤💚🖤

Sophie has grown up very sheltered by her uber-religious, strict and controlling parents. She is given very little time to herself, but is allowed to spend time in the library where she reads forbidden tomes along with the allowed religious and self-help texts. Returning home one day she finds her dowdy and devout parents not only attacking each other sexually, but when they notice her, they start to go after her as well. A new flu outbreak is apparently causing a terrifying urge to violently fornicate and share fluids so as to spread the disease faster. Now, Sophie will have to navigate this strange and terrifying new world with what little knowledge she has of the old one.

🖤💚🖤

Rife with religious trauma and all the content warnings (read with care💚), this post-apocalyptic story was a mash-up of harrowing adventure, socio-political commentary, and an anthem for being your authentic self. Told in the originally timid, naive voice of the MC, the voice progresses throughout the story as Sophie learns, comes into her own, and survives.

Read this one if you:

🖤Enjoy religious tropes turned on their heads
💚Love a found family vibe
🖤Are a fan of dystopian fiction
💚Are not afraid of sex and blood
🖤Love a good coming of age horror story

Really loved the audio on this one too!

This book won’t be for everyone. It’s brilliant, but it’s also extremely gritty and grim. I loved and hated this book equally. So naturally, it’s a five star read for me.

A resolute and bold examination of shame and repression, American Rapture is a difficult story to swallow. I found myself anxious and horrified, yet I felt compelled to finish this book. CJ Leede dares to go there.

Read if you:
✝️ Enjoy torturing yourself
🔥 Crave intense and disturbing stories
✝️ Have religious trauma
🔥 Are interested in taboo topics
✝️ Have experienced significant loss and grief
🔥 Dare to “look the darkness in the eyes”

I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end of this book. 🖤 This was my first time reading CJ Leede’s writing, and I’ve already gotten my hands on a copy of her previous release Maeve Fly. Truly stellar!

I listened to this on audio, and Moniqua Plante was phenomenal. I listen to horror and thrillers at 2x+ speed to really add that sense of panic (am I weird? maybe…). She really nailed the emotion and trauma with this book. I definitely recommend this format.

With that said, @aardvarkbookclub has hinted that this will be a November pick. And you better believe that I plan to snag a copy for my shelf!!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the #gifted ALC. Opinions are my own.

I wanted so badly to love this because Maeve Fly was perfection. To me the writing style was choppy and disjointed, and not a single character was likeable. I love the apocalyptic vibe - but the sexual and religious trauma for ME was ... I don't know it didn't really make sense. There is a virus that makes people run around lusting after people and basically SAing them and then eating them? FMC also had a weird obsession with her twin but there was no development of that relationship.

The book felt like it wanted to be a religious trauma based Walking Dead as a unique take on zombie apocalypse. It was pretty creative as a concept and satire.

The narration. At first the breathy voice was perfect. But after about 30% it just got exhausting. It made me feel like the FMC was constantly stressed out even during moments of calm.

The book is about vibes. If the writing style and strange themes work for you, it will be a slam dunk. I think someone with a history of religious trauma will connect with this one.

I will NOT forgive the trigger at the 88-91% range.

Thank you to TOR & Macmillan for the review copies.

This book is all the things horror stories should be. Scary, gross, terrorizing. and even hopeful. 16-year old Sophie, a very sheltered Catholic girl traverses a pandemic way worse than Covid. When all hell breaks loose and people start becoming feral with lust, Sophie must find her twin( who was sent away because he's gay), and figure out how to balance her Catholic guilt with starting a new life. CJ Leede is a must-read and this is, by far, one of the best books of the year!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*.*

I was ready for a new novel by C.J. Leede pretty much the instant I finished Maeve Fly. But American Rapture is not at all the book I expected. Maeve devolved into a blood-soaked, absurdist gore-fest, and while Rapture has its moments of violence, it’s much more thoughtful and affecting than Leede’s debut.

The narrator is Sophie, a 16-year-old girl raised in an extremely religious household. Sheltered and naïve to the ways of the secular world, Sophie is wholly unprepared when a virus sweeps the U.S.: a virus that turns the infected into raging, lustful, rapey monsters. Sophie sets out into this violent, dangerous landscape to search for her brother, Noah, finding unexpected camaraderie and fellowship along the way.

American Rapture is perfectly-paced, taking its time to introduce Sophie and her circumstances before blowing those circumstances up and turning into a relentless thrill ride through post-apocalyptic Wisconsin. It’s a violent, unflinching story, but Leede is doing so much beneath the surface. She’s telling the story of one girl’s sexual awakening into a broken world, exploring religious trauma, purity culture, shame, sexual identity, found family, and redemption. Sophie is such an authentic character: a good Catholic girl who’s been taught her whole life that her virginity is her greatest gift to give, who is acknowledging her sexual feelings for the first time and is confused, aroused, and ashamed of those feelings all at once. And she’s feeling All The Feelings during an actual apocalypse, which only adds to her internal conflict and guilt as her entire worldview is challenged. It’s brilliant, the way Leede juxtaposes Sophie’s experiences of desire and shame, of innocence and violence.

American Rapture is not for the faint of heart – but at the same time, it’s full of heart. It’s a story about connection, about redemption, about the wonder of the unexpected. And I realize that sounds like a strange way to describe a book about a sexually violent apocalypse, but that’s the beauty of C.J. Leede. And just like before, I’m already ready for her next book. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the early listening opportunity.