American Rapture

I binge read this in one sitting and then just sat there, horrified. This isn't a *bad* thing, but I found myself being punched in the heart several times.

Firstly, I just want to give a big shoutout to @netgalley and @ceejthemoment for allowing me to give an early review on this book, it’s my first attempt at getting to be a real reviewer, so let’s get into it, shall we?
I have SO many thoughts about this story but I can’t give too much away,
even though I really want to, 🫠but I just wanna start this off by saying that if you’re a fan of Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’, I think this book is definitely for you. However, be warned, this book is slightly more disturbing with way less pages to get through, okay maybe more than just “slightly”..🫣
But I think that’s one of the things I loved about this book! Being just under 400 pages yet it said so much.
I laughed, I cried, and at times I was speechless at what I was reading because it hit so hard.
I knew I loved C.J Leeds’s writing when I read ‘The Maeve Fly’ earlier this year, but after reading this one she has possibly become one of my favorite authors, and I know she for sure wrote one of my favorite books of 2024.

If you’re into catholic school girls losing and then finding their way again. Or the tale as old as time about a near and future apocalypse,then you’re going to enjoy this book.
It hits all the horror junkie marks!
It was gross, it was sad, and it was possibly one of the most through provoking books I’ve ever read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- and I wish I could give it more but then it would just seem like I’m sucking up😂
but seriously, you guys need to read this book!
Coming to this spooky season: October 15, 2024
Thank you again for letting me get an ARC of this book. Hopefully this is the first of many, as long as I didn’t bore anyone too badly with this review 😅

First off, thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC!

This book was an absolute gut punch. I loved CJ Leede’s debut, Maeve Fly, and had high hopes for this follow up. I think this second novel is on a whole different level.

Maeve fly kept us on the edge of our seat, with how unhinged our main character was. The thread throughout “American Rapture,” at least for me, was just how much my heart broke for Sophie, the whole time.

Having grown up in a similar religious landscape as Sophie, I related so much to the feelings of guilt, shame and fear that the church left her constantly battling against, amongst everything else going on around her. CJ nailed those complex emotions and the constant back and forth of wanting something more out of life and feeling deeply wrong for feeling that way.

When you set all those feelings against the backdrop of a virus that spreads across the country, indiscriminately causing the infected to violently act on their sexual urges, you get so many layers of both chaos, confusion and contemplation for our main character.

There’s so much heart and emotion in this story, and I definitely teared up on more than on occasion, but we still got that edge of your seat momentum that kept me glued to the page. I can’t recommend this enough. A very easy five stars.

Holy shit. This was intense.

End of the world and a virus that makes people violently sexually attack others? Sounds like it could be cheesy, right? Well..this definitely was not.

Like many other readers, I’m tired on the Covid adjacent stories. We lived through it and I really don’t want to keep being reminded of it. But while this is a virus book with all the classics of quarantine zones and quickly spreading infection, it was so well written that I didn’t roll my eyes at it.

The main character was so infuriating at times but Leede made us fall in love with her from the beginning. The whole book is full of likable characters, though. Which makes it that much more gut wrenching to read.

No one is safe in this book. NO ONE. Check trigger warnings if you have a hard time with death or murder of certain groups.

I have struggled to read anything pertaining to a virus outbreak since COVID, I never really consider it a trigger but it definitely makes me feel some type of way so I usually avoid the theme. This book made my pandemic experience feel like a trip to the beach. Holy. Fucking. Shit. This was gnarly. Gruesome and horrifying. Parts felt like a fever dream. 👀 I couldn’t put it down.

I’m a big fan of religious themes in horror and seeing a crisis that’s so familiar through the eyes of someone repressed by religion was incredible. Sophie coming to terms with how different the world is and can be from what she’s always known, dealing with the guilt and shame her religion instilled in her, and growing through such tragic times gave me so much hope for her. Hardly the best time to have a sexual awakening though 😅 Barghest was the epitome of good boy, I would level cities for him. 😫

CJ Leede knocked this out of the park, I am so excited to see what else she has in store for us. This book has left me completely GUTTED. I very nearly frisbee’d my kindle. I hated it and I loved it. I loved it so much.

CJ Leede can’t possibly write anything bad having hit another grand slam with her newest masterpiece, “American Rapture.”

This novel will have you cursing, laughing, vomiting, discovering Jesus, crying and wanting to run out and get the flu vaccination.

Leed has a gift with creating the most badass and intriguing female leads that are the heart and soul of the story and who leaves you wanting more.

Fingers crossed for a Sophie & Maeve crossover!!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read this amazingly brutal ARC.

American Rapture, on the surface, is a horror novel about a lustful virus that spreads across the US. (If you're someone who can't handle sexual assault or rape depictions, I suggest skipping this one.) But this book is also about grappling with desires in a world where lust is deadly, finding yourself and your truth after being raised Catholic and sheltered, and coming to grips with the beauty and wretchedness of being human, all amid a national pandemic.

While apocalyptic stories aren't my usual go-to read (or watch), I found this book compelling and traumatizing... but in the most beautiful, heart-wrenching way. Leede's descriptions are visceral, poignant, and altogether immersive—exactly what you want from a horror narrative.

I recommend American Rapture to anyone looking for a coming-of-age horror with smatterings of religious trauma, unique pandemics, and a diverse cast of characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.
This book crushed my heart but in the best way. We have Sophie, who is a sixteen year old Catholic girl who is searching for her twin brother after a virus starts to spread, which makes everyone deranged with lust.
In this book, we see how Sophie struggles with her religion and who she is as a person. I personally haven't gone through religious trauma myself, but I grew up surrounded by extremely religious people in the South. The way C.J. Lede handles it is beautifully done, and I can just feel the internal struggle throughout the whole book.
I absolutely love all the characters in this. Barghest is the best dog ever, and Cleo is just the sweetest, most kick ass character.
While I would definitely still be wary going into this book for triggers, I would say the way the themes were handled was amazing. Nothing too overdone and just enough to send the right messages. The deranged lust part could have really been written to be too much, but I think it was written with just the right balance.
This book really breaks your heart but also somehow leaves you feeling hopeful. This book is one of my favorites I've read so far this year. It's definitely one that will stick with me.

CJ Leede is just phenomenal. In a lot of ways this novel is exactly what I expected and what I’ve been craving in a follow up to her debut Maeve Fly (one of my favorite reads last year).
I expected the gore and horrific details that CJ is so skilled and well versed with. What I did not expect is how much HEART is in this story. I can tell how much she put into these characters.I won’t soon be forgetting them. This book is a gut punch in the very best way. I felt all the feels. Applause to you CJ, you knocked it out of the park!

This is a pulse pounding, unrelenting, gut wrenching horror novel. It has elements of grief horror, loss, guilt, and religious oppression while also being a full on blood drenched apocalyptic story.

Sophie is sixteen when a virus turns the world on it's head and very quickly runs out of control. Her entire life has been extreme religious indoctrination. She knows very little of the world as she has been raised to follow God's teachings and only those teachings. Her twin brother was disowned by her parents after discovering that he was gay and she's always looking for him.

Once the shit hits the fan, Sophie must leave her home to find her brother, hoping he's still alive. This virus is always fatal and those infected spread it as much as possible in some horrific ways before succumbing to it.

The author does a fantastic job with combining this almost coming of age story with the terrifying gory action of this new world she finds herself in. There's plenty of brutality, plenty of blood. But there's also plenty of heart and thoughtfulness.

We're going to meet some amazing characters along the way and they'll be with us through most of the book. Of course, not all of them will make it through. This is especially emotional with a few of them as the reader has gotten to know them. On more than one occasion I found myself saying, "NO....". when certain characters left us. That's the power of the author's writing. She made these characters feel so real that I thought of them as real beings.

This is a superb horror novel and one that will be on the best of 2024 lists at the end of the year. I highly, highly recommend it.

R.I.P. Barghest

To say that I am a fan of CJ Leede would be an understatement. Not only is she one of the most unique authors currently writing but she also rally’s for Weird Girl Representation which is such a gift to find in an up and coming author. The confidence with which American Rapture is written is something that only an author sure in their vision could pull off.

As for the plot of American Rapture it certainly is A LOT but in all the ways I have come to expect from Leede to deliver, The grotesque description of body horror as well as the description of moments of innocence from our MC are very well balanced serving to make all of the gore and horror that much more jarring to come across.

The only thing preventing me from rating this 5 stars is that the heaviness of this book would have benefitted from a bit of humor, something like what we read in Maeve Fly. There’s certain parts of this book that evoke such a visceral response out of me that it’s been hard not to shiver every time I think about it. That being said this is truly just a personal preference and not something that makes this book not worth reading.

Overall I am THRILLED to see the reactions once this book hits shelves in the fall. Best believe I will be grabbing myself a hard copy.

i am sort of conflicted about this book. It was well written and I grew to really care about the characters. The premise is wild in a good way. A pandemic comes and those infected get so horny that they become violent, murderous killers.
Sophie is a 16 year old raised in an extremely religious household. A catholic household. Her parents are basically cult members and she is very restricted in what she's allowed to do and consume. Very sheltered. Unhappy and knows nothing about nothing. When the pandemic comes to her families door she makes the first step. She takes her mom's car and drives. In a bid to find her twin brother who has gone missing.
I think this was well written and I am proud of Sophie for opening her mind. To me personally this book paints Christians in an overly crazy way. I say this as a horror loving Christian . Although I understand that the Author was drawing parallels with the extreme right in the U.S. And Sophie's experience growing up wasn't an uncommon one.
Other then that this book was engaging and well written. The ending was bittersweet. So much loss. So much unknown in Sophies future but also she has hope and is ready to take on her life. This book definitely isn''t for the weak of heart. It is a ride! I enjoyed it although I had some reservations. But that's just me. Not every book is for everyone. The chapter titles are clever. The structure is good and I came to care about the characters.
Thank you NetGalley for this E Copy of the ARC. All opinions are my own.

As someone who was a big fan of Maeve Fly, I jumped at the chance to read Leede’s newest offering. And while Maeve Fly was a blast to read, American Rapture is a major departure and, dare I say, CJ Leeds’ masterpiece.

I’m a massive horror fan, and what I love about horror like American Rapture is the amount of heart and soul, as well as a stark reflection on the human condition it provides. Beneath the apocalyptic horror surface is a coming of age story about a young girl seeing the world for what it is after living a sheltered, Catholic existence, both the beautiful and horrifying parts all at once.

I got the sense that this story was very personal to the author, especially after reading the author’s note at the end. Leede’s passion for this story and what it intends to tell us is evident and so powerful. Some
people look down on extreme horror and think it’s all about senseless violence, but this book is proof that horror media is so gorgeous and so absolutely necessary in exploring what it means to be human. I’d even argue that it’s the rawest and realest way to examine our own truths, as well as our personal morals and values. This book accomplished that and so much more.

THE END OF THE WORLD IS HERE AND IT'S HORNY !!!!!
Bible following/God fearing good Christians stay away from my review as it is unapologetic as this book is. CJ Leede's "American Rapture" ignites the page with a fiery apocalypse. As a horny virus ravages America, transforming the infected into feral beings consumed by desire, our God fearing good - christian Sophie embarks on a harrowing journey through the midwest to find her family amidst chaos.

Leede's previous work, "Maeve Fly," didn't quite hit the mark for me, but "American Rapture" devours expectations with gusto, leaving no crumb behind. This novel is a tantalizing cocktail of horror and religious fervor, where the end of the world collides with unbridled lust in a manner that's both audacious and provocative.

For aficionados of horror, this book is an unapologetic descent into madness. It's as if "It Follows" collided head-on with the Mayan apocalypse fever of 2012, with a generous sprinkling of religious terror for good measure. The book feels as a VIRGIN giving IMMACULATE birth to the Anti-Christ at-least that's how I felt.

In conclusion, "American Rapture" is a wild, feverish ride that earns a solid five stars for its audacious storytelling and unapologetic exploration of taboo themes. Brace yourself for a journey that's as thrilling as it is controversial, as Leede fearlessly takes readers to the brink of madness and back again. This book was a wild ride I would enjoy any day.

This book gutted me.

It was such a beautifully, tragic story. It was so easy to root for and get attached to the main characters. I especially enjoyed the growth of Sophie among so much destruction - she deserves all the good things. I also enjoyed that the book had background before the chaos started that you were able to get a good understanding of Sophie and her upbringing going into everything. I'm still sitting with the ending so I'll probably update my feelings on that once I figure them out.

This book is filled with so much loss and so much hope and I will definitely be buying a copy and doing a reread once it's published.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to write the best post-apocalypse novel of 2024:

1.) Come up with the most twisted pandemic imaginable: one that turns you into a feral, lust-filled maniac.

2.) Tell your story from the POV of a girl so enveloped by Catholic repression that she feels like an alien the moment she's forced to leave the nest. Sophie is a modern-day Carrie if ever I've read one.

3.) Set your story in the most liminal space in America, the midwest where highways stretch on for eternity (almost as an illusion) and billboards either remind you to stop at Cracker Barrel or warn you of the next rapture. This is a sexy, modern take on the American gothic.

4.) Give your lead the best damn doggo imaginable. A consummate protectorate that compels Sophie to tap into her most atavistic instincts as she grows into a survivor and a young woman.

5.) Devastate me over and over again. Because this new America is a hellscape indeed.

F*cking brilliant, CJ.

this book has such heart. it's so different from Maeve Fly and i mean that as a compliment. i adore them both, but in wildly different fonts. it almost feels like two different authors wrote these books, but at the heart of both is an author deeply dedicated to her craft, who approaches the page with such tenderness and heart.

cj leede takes you through the full range of human emotion in this novel. the characters will climb inside your heart and call it home (then rip it out by the roots). the premise is gripping; the storyline propulsive; the atmosphere utterly engrossing. i felt like i was THERE with sophie for so much of the book. and sophie! my god, what a lovable protagonist. it takes a lot for me to enjoy post-fundamentalist coming-of-age books (when you've lived it, it all just kind of makes you want to walk away, ya know?), but sophie's story felt familiar yet somehow fresh.

i'm so thankful for the work leede put into this book; it's evident that she really, really cares about the story. i worked 4 out of the 5 days i was reading this book and kept sneaking pages as often as i could. i don't regret a second i spent with it. i want it to be october so i can hold it in my hands.

What to expect: Found Family, Coming Of Age, Final Girl/Survivor Girl, Apocalyptic/Pandemic Horror, Open ending

American Rapture follows the story of Sophie, a 16yo who was raised extremely sheltered in a religious household. A virus sweeps the US and she is thrust, alone, into a world full of death and violence. If she somehow survives the plague, she still has to ellude the red-cloaked terrorists who have taken the plague as a sign from God to cleanse the Earth of "sinners".

Sophie finds love and comradery with a new type of family while on the road to try find her twin brother. She starts unpacking her trauma and embracing the secular world outside the bubble she was raised in.

The story is extremely fast paced. In the beginning there is a looming dread, then the virus shows up in her town and the moments of peace become few and far between. I binged this read and have been ruminating on it for days. Leede forces readers to look at the pain of grief, religious violence and internalized shame.

*I read an advanced review copy from Tor Nightfire via NetGalley. I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

Sophie, sixteen and from a very religious family is searching for twin brother Noah as the world around her is falling apart. A virus is spreading across the Y.S. Which makes people insane with lust. The end is nigh. Can Sophie and her group find safety?

In the wrong hands this book could have been an unreadable mess, and probably nothing but a great big trigger warning, and I would hope that most people are not interested in reading a book chock full o’ rape. However Leede deftly pulls this off, and actually turns it into something good.

In fact, this could even work as YA for the mature. There’s a good group of young characters (including the bestest boy). Religion is portrayed as a generally terrible thing and the billboard “the most powerful position is on your knees” is given two very different meanings.

There were some nice swipes at those who attempt to ban books from libraries and places that try to outlaw drag. In fact, nearly every book I’ve read recently has contained a great dig at Trump and/or Republican policies, regardless of the subject of the book. It’s nice to see that nearly all authors unite in their belief that these right wingers are nuts and it’s important that they be stopped.

I loved the Author’s Note, too. My husband and I have experienced that loss ourselves recently. It’s so hard, and there’s nothing quite like it. Book is recommended.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book fucked me up. In a good way. In the best way. I’m haunted. It’s heartbreaking, disturbing, tragic, devastating, and somehow hopeful. Sophie mirrored so much of myself and my thoughts from so long ago. I eat any book with religious trauma up. After reading Maeve Fly last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this author. A book that ripped my heart out and put it back in I did not expect.

First we say we love Barghest. I saw so many reviews say this and I mirror it. What a good boy. Literally everyone was so amazing. I loved Cleo the most. Fitting the big sister role who could tell you amazing life advice and then show you how to kill someone. Ben was solid and I’m so glad they found each other. Maro as well. He’s a real one.

Having the main character be 16 was a good move. We see everything through the eyes of a child. She’s frightened and questioning everything she’s ever known. Sinning, Hell, Heaven, God. Who’s good and who’s bad. What makes us rotten? At the root of this, Sophie is searching a hellscape for her twin brother. Her other half. The one her parents tossed aside. She is risking everything to find him. I was sobbing through this. I will say I loved this book and it is a favorite and nobody can tell me otherwise. Another great entry for C.J. Leede.