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.

This book is a masterpiece and is great as an audiobook as well. This is one of the best books of the decade and will be a standard in the Apocalyptic genre for years to come.

Another absolute BANGER by CJ Leede. As an ex-catholic lesbian, I loved the queer representation and the relatable new twist on the typical zombie dystopian concept. Definitely needs some content warnings because I think it’s an easily triggering concept, but it didn’t make the story completely unreadable. It took me a few tries to get into, but once I did I was HOOKED and devoured the story very quickly. I loved how whimsical and it got towards the end and can definitely see this becoming a movie or tv show eventually! Also the author’s note at the end made me tear up. American Rapture has been one of my favorite books of the year thus far

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

The flu is making its way through America but this isn’t your average flu. Sophie, a sheltered and well-behaved Catholic girl, is just trying to make it through the awkwardness of her teenage years; feeling ashamed and embarrassed when faced with the secular world. But when this “flu”—causing manic and lustful behavior in the infected—makes its way to the midwest, Sophie will have to do more than just face the secular world… She’s going to have to fight it, causing her to question everything she believes.

I love books with religious themes but they make me shake with rage because of their insanity and how close to reality it is sometimes. Very dystopian/apocalyptic which isn’t usually my cup of tea but alas, I loved it. Leede’s storytelling is distinct and refreshing; it’s hard not to gobble up her stories even if they tend to be slightly repulsing at times.

Compelling reflections on faith, sexuality, identity, mortality, and the freedom of choice.

A dark but brilliant novel brilliantly narrated by Moniqua Plante who was the perfect fit for our MC. The audio was mixed well and Plante helped add even more life to this twisted story.

Thank you Macmillan for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Out 10/15/2024!

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.

Let's take a moment to celebrate the amazing work by narrator Moniqua Plante. Since this story centres on a group travelling together through the apocalypse, it's important for the narrator to differential between all of the characters clearly, which Moniqua does brilliantly here. I actually like when she does men's voices more than I think I like the actual voice of men. This is my first book I've heard her narrate and will definitely be looking for her in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

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

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.