I'm very sad to say that I did not like this book. Not exactly disappointed, because, honestly, I didn't particularly like this author's previous horror novel, so it wasn't like I had huge expectations for this one. Yet, the art cover and the synopsis intrigued me a lot (I tend to like horror stories mixed with Catholicism discussions). That's pretty much why I decided to give this author another chance.
I won't rant. I'll simply say that some topics discussed in this book did not please at all - some of them annoyed the hell out of me. I didn't appreciate the protagonist at all, and the writing bothered me nearly the whole time.
As for the audiobook: there were moments I enjoyed the narrator's work, there were other moments I didn't like it. I thought her voice was too soft, too low.
But what most frustrated me was that the audiobook/title page says that it is 9 hours long. It isn't. It is actually over 14 hours long. Personally, rarely do I like long horror novels, and considering that I didn't like this author's previous work, had I known that this audiobook was over 14 hours long I wouldn't have even requested it.
Yet, I can recommend this book to readers who enjoy (or really don't mind) very long horror novels and story envolving religion in a horrific and very disturbing way (triggering for sexual content!).

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing me to listen to a free audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
I hate to do this, especially with ARCs, but I'm DNFing this. This is gross. This is gross and I haven't even gotten to when the shit hits the fan. I'm 19% in, and there's already a teenaged girl being sexualized and being weirdly horny for her brother. I was so hoping this would be up my alley, as I adore Catholic horror, but yikes. Big fucking yikes, man.
There's also the issue of the terribly choppy writing style. Two words isn't a sentence, C.J. Where is this woman's editor? Because they clearly aren't doing their job.
Cool it starts in Wisconsin, at least, since that's where I live! And the narrator is really good! Plus the cover and title are both phenomenal. Shame to waste them on this nastiness, though.
One star for American Rapture.

Wowowowowow. When I say I like reading horror books, THIS is what I'm talking about!

CJ Leede's observations about Catholicism are razor sharp. I grew up Catholic, and there were points in this book where I had to stop for a few minutes, just to stare at the wall and process what I read. Her examinations are so acute, so specific, and so completely accurate. It truly is the most fear-based, dread-inducing, guilt-ridden subsect of Christianity.

"𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆."

It’s for the girls who were told that Eve took the fruit of the Serpent and gave it to Adam because women are foolish, more easily tempted into sin. That their virginity was our most precious gift, and by “losing” it, they were irrevocably stained. Sullied. Less desirable, less lovable. Less worthy of their womanhood, their personhood.

It’s for those with LGBT identities who have been told time and time again that they have forsaken God; that they are wicked, depraved, and blasphemous. That their sins are that of Sodom and Gomorrah, worthy only of being wiped clean from map.

This book is a meditation on what, and who, is truly evil in this world. Repression, shame, guilt. It’s a reminder that the Bible was written and translated by imperfect human being with agendas. It’s a beacon of light promising that those scorned by the church are not alone.

I laughed. I paced the room in anger. I cheered. I sobbed (my husband was genuinely concerned for me, sitting across the living room as I read the last 10% of this book). This book solidified CJ Leede as an auto-buy author for me. I will purchase each and every book she puts out without question. I wish I could give this book six stars! I highly recommend you check this one out.

For our lovely narrator, Moniqua Plante - a standing ovation. Her 1.0x speed is perfectly paced, and where she slows down (the emotional parts of the narration) it underscores the gravity of the scene in that moment. You can hear the emotion in her voice, especially toward the end, but not in a negative way. It made the book feel all the more real, because her and I were both emotionally invested in the book as she read it and I listened. I loved it! Her voice is also perfectly feminine for this story, where women and femininity are villainized as the bane of male existence in religious circles. I don't know how Moniqua isn't narrating more books, her work is incredible. If I was on the fence about an audiobook purchase, and found out that Moniqua was the narrator, I would absolutely buy it.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this audiobook prior to publication!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year after absolutely loving this author’s last book Maeve Fly.
This was so different from her last read, however. In this we follow a 17 year old girl who comes from a conservative and religious family. Her brother has been sent away on suspicion that he is gay and, therefore, sinning. (Their relationship reminded me so much of Serena and Eric from Gossip Girl). When a sickness starts to infect the population, causing people to behave in violent, feral, and sexual ways, she finds herself on the run and in search of her brother.

This story is about survival, physically from danger and emotionally and mentally from religious trauma and indoctrination. The author had a lot to say about religion and sexuality and I think she approached the conversations with nuance and skill. This was quite dark and violent with body horror and sexual violence, but it also had plenty of heart and I found myself rooting for the characters and our main character’s growth. There were really memorable scenes in this that will stick with me for a while. 🧈

This reminded me of The Violence by Delilah Dawson for the pandemic, sickness, and critique of male culture. It reminded me of The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead for the religious trauma, brainwashing and discussions of sex/sexuality. It also reminded me of The Walking Dead in that there is a group of people moving from place to place trying to survive. I’d recommend this if you liked any of those.

TW for sexual violence and a pretty horrible animal death.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

It's been a long time since I've had this many conflicting feelings about a book.

Sophie, the m.c., is navigating a world filled with religiously based restrictions. Her ideas about intimate relationships are concerning and are only part of the reason that this novel frequently reads like YA (which I was not expecting). To add to her troubles, a horrible virus with truly bizarre side effects makes all of her worst fears come to light.

One thing is not debatable. This is definitely horrific.

While I liked the general concept, I struggled so much with Sophie's voice (both from a literary perspective and from challenges I had with what feels like particularly whiny narration of the audiobook - I'm not sure I've ever had such a negative reaction to the narrative voice and choices). This is also long and feels that way. There's less development than I'd have liked (i.e., it feels repetitive often). Oh, and there's one of the worst dog deaths I've ever read, which is, for me, unforgivable, even with further explanation in the author's note.

The highlight, and what changed many of my original convictions to some degree, is the aforementioned author's note. I think having this frame of reference initially could've changed the way I approached the text.

This is a tough read. Prospective readers who do not want to deal with horrific dog death should run. Those who are still interested should consider reviewing the author's note first.

(5.0 Stars)

This was such a well told story. I can't say it was a "good" story, because it was very disturbing, on so many levels. It is maybe like a weird cross between The Walking Dead, mixed with Chuck Wendig's Wanderers... And the satirical, sing-song nature of Palahniuk.

I absolutely loved this book. This author is one to watch for sure. Not for the faint of heart, or the easily offended. the "world" is described in an easy to relate to way and the characters are both real and revealed.

The narration had a good pace and enunciation.

If you like psychological horror, dystopian speculative fiction, and don't need a happy ending... this book could be right up your alley.

Word of warning, this book is not gentle. There is graphic violence, sexual assault, animal cruelty, and is irreligious-ish.

2.5 This book felt like the longest book of my life, and i didn't enjoy it. The writing is phenomenal dont get me wrong. But jesus, did it have to be almost 400 pages long. I was gifted an advanced audio copy from the publisher, which im grateful for because this was one book i had most anticipated this year, and sadly, it fell flat for me. Sexual zombies and religious beliefs turned me off. It took a while to get to that point, but i wouldn't even put this in the horror category. This one wasn't for me.

This was a journey.

Given the sexual nature of the epidemic the horrors and fears in this book are especially unsettling. There is the constant fear of being attacked by someone in a lust frenzy. We get the picture of what could happen and anything shown on the page was not there just for shock factor. In a book with some horrific imagery it was done in a way that was not gratuitous. More than anything though, It's a coming of age story with Sophie reflecting on her values and having to examine the beliefs she’s been taught. That’s a fear in and of itself.

The pacing was well done. The building of foreboding with every chapter and new meetup had a dread to it. I kept telling myself not to get attached to anyone. When the book ended I was finally able to unclench. What I find even more amazing is that amongst the violence of this tale there is still room for tenderness, sweetness, and hope. It's a beautiful mix.

I listened to this on audiobook and Moniqua Plante did an excellent job with her narration. It’s around 14 hours and 36 minutes. Stick around for the author's note at the end and please check the content warnings.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.