American Rapture follows Sophie, a sheltered Catholic girl, as she traverses the hell scape created by a pandemic that makes people feral with lust.

This was verrrrry different from Leede’s last novel & I really enjoyed it! I loved following Sophie’s coming-of-consciousness during the apocalypse. Leede does not shy away from the fucked up & I definitely bawled my eyes out at times. Definitely recommend for a good horror that tackles the hard topics of religion & sexuality!

Thank you to Net Galley & Tor for letting me read a copy early!!

American Rapture is a hard book to read. It deals in difficult subject matter unflinchingly, and as a result may not be for all readers.

But I cannot imagine a more necessary book in this specific moment. It is a book grappling with guilt and desire and hope and loss and a desperate need for autonomy and community.

I grew up in a very conservative, Christian home, and even as a male, the conversations surrounding sex and sexuality from my upbringing have taken me an entire adulthood to deconstruct--a process that was emotionally painful. So much of American Rapture is reminiscent of my own awakening as it pertained to my shifting in faith and understanding of how I relate to my own sexuality, my own values, my own self-worth.

Be it said: American Rapture will enrage some readers. It will remain a heavily divisive book within a certain subset of readers comfortable in their oppressive values, and I am certain it will be challenged by a small subset of people who do not want its truths to be told. But there will also be readers who desperately need this book, who have questions about their lives and their experiences, and who will feel seen by what the book has to say. It is a book that will reopen painful wounds, but only such that a proper healing process might begin. I can think of nothing more worthy for a book to do.

Disclosure Statement: I received an electronic ARC from the publisher for a review. All opinions and ideas expressed in this review are entirely my own and have not been influenced by either publisher or author in any way.

American Rapture by CJ Leede is an intense apocalyptic horror novel set against a backdrop of a deadly virus that turns the infected into feral beings consumed by lust. The story follows Sophie, a devout Catholic, as she navigates a decaying Midwest in search of her family. The novel explores not only the physical horrors of the virus but also the psychological toll of religious trauma, offering an unsettling look at desire, shame, and guilt.
The characters' journey through eerie, often unsettling landscapes makes the novel gripping, and Leede's writing is visceral and haunting. The blend of horror and apocalyptic survival gives readers a unique, immersive experience. For fans of religious themes intertwined with horror and survival, this is a dark and thought-provoking read.

American Rapture: ⛪️🔥

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

Wow. Just wowwww @ceejthemoment has done it again! 👏🏻 Maeve Fly was my favorite book of last year (maybe favorite book ever?) and the author’s sophomore novel doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.

We follow the POV of a young Catholic girl named Sophie whose upbringing has been extremely sheltered. There’s a pandemic moving across the country, and of course her parents and community think it’s the “rapture for sinners.” What I loved the most about this premise is how the reader is constantly questioning whether this is really a pandemic, or if it’s actually an ‘End of Times’ rapture. Much like Maeve Fly, you think you know what’s happening but do you really?

CJ’s writing is so entertaining. The little snippets of the ‘How-To’ books that Sophie reads were a nice little addition. For example: “HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE LAST MOMENTS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS: You won’t.”

I related to Sophie going to all the bookstores during an apocalypse. Might as well find a silver lining 🤣 As someone who’s lived in the Midwest their whole life, the back-to-back “Jesus Saves” and “Strip Club! Next Exit!” type billboards on the highways are so spot on, as was the quintessential Culver’s and cornfields and churches on every block. ‘Murica!

Side note: I’ll never go to House on the Rock, because GOOD LORD what in the ninth level of hell is that place??! But also I kinda really want to go there?!!

In the end, I thought about this book for days. I still think about it often. Especially Barghest… the goodest boy. Enough said. CJ’s ‘Letter to the Reader’ was so heartfelt, personal, and moving. Thank you for sharing that part of your life with us. My doggo Max says hello. 🫶🏻

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

WOW. I am obsessed with this story, but it's so hard to describe because so much happens that I dont want to give anything away.

So let me sum up a few highlights...

Religion and dealing with shame and guilt. What it really means to be a good person.
Pandemics and how fast choas and disinformation can make things go from bad to so much worse, and how the essence of hope and kindness is what prevails and pulls us out.
Trust, friendships, and how dogs are really mans best friend.
First love and coming of age.
The questioning of religion and who deems things right or wrong set on a pandemic climate feels very fresh and also familiar.
This could have just been a post apocalyptic story but all the characters are written to have heart and it makes the story really fast-paced and heartbreaking at times.

C.J. Leede’s 2023 debut, *Maeve Fly*, introduces a sociopathic protagonist, Maeve, who defies female role expectations as she navigates her life as a princess in a Disney-like world while engaging in hedonistic and violent behavior. The contrast between Maeve's dark activities and her princess persona critiques the sanitized image of Disney mythology.

In her follow-up, *American Rapture*, Leede shifts focus to Sophie, a sheltered girl trapped by her parents' extreme Catholicism. As a virus turns people into violent creatures, Sophie embarks on a journey of self-discovery amidst chaos, grappling with her emerging sexuality and the traumas of her upbringing. Sophie also searches for her missing twin.

The narrative explores themes of shame and desire, with Sophie’s growth facilitated by Cleo, a mentor who embodies truth and challenges societal norms. The story is marked by relentless trauma but hints at hope as a poignant reflection on hypocrisy and resilience.

*American Rapture* commences with trauma and maintains a relentless pace, reflecting the harsh realities of its apocalyptic setting. Leede explores themes of desire, guilt, and violence, remapping them into a narrative that, while dark, offers a glimmer of hope amidst chaos. The story is a multifaceted exploration of love, coming of age, and the struggles against hypocrisy and hatred, all set against a surreal Midwestern landscape. The characters' emotional depth and experiences promise to resonate profoundly with readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for a digital review copy of CJ Leede’s new book American Rapture in exchange for an honest review.
When I requested American Rapture I didn’t think that it would hit my list of one of the best books I read this year but here we are. I had to sit with the ‘train of thought first person’ style that it was in but I eventually got into a groove with it. It broke my heart that each time Sophie took a chance to stop toeing the ‘good Catholic girl’ line and do the ‘bad’ thing, perceived ‘punishment’ would follow soon after. Any time she questioned her faith, any time she questioned her true purpose as female. Also the ever present ‘It’s always a woman’s fault’ fallacy. The virus in the story has a feminine name. It all just melded together so well.
Sophie is a sheltered Catholic school girl living with her parents in the Midwest. Separated from her brother early in life, Sophie grows up believing it her fault that he was taken away. She starts out the story in a state of confusion as there are changes happening, but no one will come out and tell her what it is. In the background there is news of an outbreak spreading quickly through the United States but it is sprinkled through because Sophie’s parents keep her dependent and ignorant. Suddenly everything is happening too close to home and Sophie is thrust into this apocalyptic hellscape by herself. Along the way she meets up with others that she is able to travel with as a unit but it is the constant thought of reuniting with her brother that keeps her going.
It also shows societies hyper dependence on religion and the start of Sophie’s deconstruction. We start out with the world as we know it now. Through apocalypse, we see how those that depend on scripture and figures that are proclaimed to be holy become the devils that they decry. Those that are good because it is the right thing to do are punished either by contracting the virus or being killed off by those same hyperdependant religious people.

I read Maeve Fly by CJ Leede earlier this year and expected much of the same (in a good way) but was surprised by this novel that felt so utterly different from what I read previously from this author. I knew going into it that it was one of those "surviving the apocalypse as it happens" books and while those aren't my favorites by any means, I loved this book a lot. The description of all of Sophie's surroundings and how sheltered (a la oppressed) she was and to be thrust into a situation no one is prepared for... loved it. Her struggling with her budding sexuality and her PTSD surrounding that was visceral. Would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a different kind of Catholic guilt and trauma unpacking coming of age story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Wow. This was a lot and there’s no way to articulate the sentiment of the book better than the author’s note at the end, but I also have to express my appreciation for this story.

C.J. Leede simultaneously delivers a gore-soaked apocalyptic horror novel and a heartfelt coming of age novel in one without either side diminishing the other.

This is beautifully written and there are many genuinely heartwarming quotes from this that deserve to be embroidered on a pillow somewhere by a badass old lady (especially part of Cleo’s speech to Sophie at the casino).

It’s entertaining and fast paced. Nowadays, I usually only read audiobooks but I was so interested in the plot description that I requested this ARC as an ebook and I still devoured it.

The themes of religious trauma and guilt are explored with great care throughout Sophie’s chaotic journey. One of the most impressive parts of Leede’s writing to me is the total lack of cheesiness. While this specific flavor of Catholic guilt hasn’t been dissected in a lustful zombie tale like this (to my admittedly meager knowledge), the themes about growing up and self acceptance certainly have been flayed wide open in every genre.

Despite the expansive canon of works attempting to pin down that experience, the author manages to deliver their own take in a descriptive and wholly original way.

I give it 5/5 rosaries covered in a suspicious concoction of bodily fluids.
✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️

I have this book pre-ordered and am actually going to wait to read until. receive my physical copy!! I was obsessed with Maeve Fly and can't wait to get into this one!

I have been anxiously awaiting AMERICAN RAPTURE ever since I finished Maeve Fly last winter! Maeve was my jam! CJ Leede is back, with an unsettling post-apocalyptic novel that will leave your heart racing.

American Rapture follows 16 year old Sophie who has major Catholic guilt, new feelings of love, and is questioning her religious upbringing now that she is faced with the ‘end of the world.’

So basically there is a virus outbreak and if you catch it you turn into a sex-crazed zombie. Yes that’s right, you are mostly undead yet you are very lustful and no one is safe from your… emotions. Or your zombie boner. Ok, really this book is more than just raping zombies but I really wanted to type zombie boner into this post. 🤣🤣

This book has no shortage of blood, gore, and cringe. I liked the action and all of the characters but I MUST WARN YOU… major trigger warning… this book includes one of the most violent dog deaths I have ever read. Ever. Ever.

After reading the author note I understand why she wrote it the way she did. This book is supposed to portray everything horrible and unimaginable. So yeah, goal achieved. I get it- but I didn’t like it!!

ALL IN ALL (besides that death) this book was so exciting and I think it would make an amazing mini series! …without the dog death.

This book is out October 15! Thank you @netgalley/@tornightfire for this advanced digital copy!

Has anyone read this?? I’m dying to know more thoughts.

🖤🖤🖤

The number of horror novels which take sideswipes (or direct hits) at religion continue to drop at pace, with American Rapture one of the whackiest yet. If you enjoyed Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus, Jimmy Cajoleas’s The Good Demon, Katie Coyle’s Vivian Versus the Apocalypse, or Andrew Joseph White’s Hell Followed with Us and you might well enjoy this one. Note that the aforementioned four novels are either YA or have strong leanings towards the teen age group. American Rapture has some of the same traits.

Until the zombie style and sexual violence arrives I did wonder whether I was reading a YA novel as it incredibly angsty and is written in a first person point-of-view from a girl who turns seventeen over the course of the story. Sophie has been raised in an incredibly sheltered ultra-Catholic environment and knows nothing of the outside world, little about boys and suffers from guilt for just about everything. Her feelings and thoughts dominate large sections (too much) of the book and this has a solid YA feel. She goes to Catholic school, has no mobile phone limited access to the internet and there is the shadow of her twin brother Noah who was sent to some sort of reform school years earlier, the reason for which is revealed (but is pretty obvious) later in the story.

At various times Sophie’s upbringing is so strict I was thinking about sects and cults, but there are other girls who have boyfriends (so her classmates are not so sheltered) and she smuggles books out of the library she is not allowed to read. Although these early sections read like a teen novel, with Sophie realising she is attracted to Ben, but feels shame about it, it remains very engaging and I was fascinated in which direction the story might head.

Although Sophie’s narrative keep the YA feel the rest of the novel hurtles into adult territory with bloody graphic descriptions of faces being chewed off and slightly more retrained sexual violence or happening in the background. Early in the action we find out that there is a new type of virus which leads to those afflicted being viciously sexually aggressive with death following an undiagnosed time later. Incredibly, due to her sheltered existence, Sophie knows nothing of this virus and it turns out it has been headlining news for ages as it spreads across America. Sophie knowing nothing of this virus was more farfetched that the infection itself.

Once the novel kicks off Sophie tries to find her brother Noah, but how can an incredibly naive seventeen-year-old survive in a world where you could be raped to death by thousands of infected? There were some startling scenes where both men and women and pulled from their cars, others turn in populated locations, but Sophie is protected by a vicious dog and builds a group of new friends around and a potential love interest. The middle section of the novel stalls somewhat, with Sophie and her group spending too much time in the same location with the action stalling slightly.

It is impossible to not make comparisons with Covid-19 and how different people reacted to the vaccine and the manner in which it was distributed, embraced or refused. American Rapture goes one step further and takes a (somewhat heavy handed) look at how some of the Christian community saw the virus as a sign from above and fight against the distribution of a potential antidote, seeking the infected as fornicators and sinners.

I found Sophie’s personal journey to be the strongest aspect of the novel, as she slowly shakes of the shackles of brainwashing and even though the world is in turmoil she still hopes to find her brother. Although American Rapture alludes to it, I would not consider this a full-blown zombie novel and was more reminiscent of Paul Tremblay’s Survivor Song, with added religious reflection. Teenage girls can make great survivors, another point of reference is fifteen-year-old Temple, who stars in Alden Bell’s zombie masterpiece The Reapers are the Angels (2010) where guilt also bubbles under the surface.

I have tried multiple times to try to get into this and I cannot. I really want to love this. I might come back around to try again. I’m not sure what it is at the moment.

American Rapture Review! 🧟‍♀️

I ate this book up!! American Rapture was a 3.75/5 ⭐️ for me. It gave the same dread as watching the movie It Follows. I loved the main character, but the dog was of course my favorite. This would have been a 5 star read for me, but the ending kind of killed it.

Fantastic. Pacing was for the most part great. Really identified with the main character. I left the church at the age of 17 and this very much summed up some the inner turmoil. Will be handselljng this through spooky season!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of American Rapture!

If I could rate this over 5 stars I would.

American Rapture completely exceeded my expectations in every way possible; I honestly can't think of one thing that I didn't like about this story. When I read Maeve Fly, I think reviewers referring to it as "extreme horror" set me up for disappointment a little bit, because although taboo at times it wasn't really quite as "extreme" as other authors I've read. In hindsight, that book was never even marketed as extreme horror. However, American Rapture was also extremely hyped, and like any book that gets this much attention, I had my reservations.

A couple tropes I already love were already present from the start - zombie apocalypse, feminine rage, religious cults, coming of age, books set in Wisconsin...just to name a few. The ominous atmosphere throughout was eerie and definitely added to the tension. The characters were so well-developed. I was invested in all of them.

At first Sophie was just so innocent and naive, which when written this way can sometimes be extremely annoying - she was not. She was inquisitive and smart, and loved reading and trying to learn despite her parent's best efforts to keep her in the dark. Her entire journey - learning about herself, her sexuality, her religious trauma and subsequent guilt - was so well developed, and her building rage, grief, and frustration was *chef's kiss* absolutely satisfying. I love a fantastic "good for her" moment. Some of the events leading up to that were absolutely devastating, however I do feel that they were entirely necessary for her character arc.

And let me just say this - I'm a sucker for any zombie/zombie-adjacent story. This took your usual "illness infecting the world" and added a very unique spin on it - the inclusion of extreme lust, along with religious extremists. It was just SO. WELL. EXECUTED.

Everything tied in nicely, and there were tender, heartwarming moments followed by constant action. At the same time, CJ Leede gave me a LOT to think about. The pacing was perfect too - not once did I find myself bored. The book was a little slow to start, but it was necessary for character introductions and to start building the story. At less than 20% into the book, everything took off from there and didn't slow till the end. Some triggering moments include violent animal and child deaths - so please be cognizant of this when you're reading this novel - some people seemed really upset by those events (which is fair).

I absolutely LOVED this book. I honestly think this is one of my new favorite zombie apocalypse books - it was easy to read and understand, makes you think and keeps you entertained. Everything I wanted and more from a book like this. Congrats to CJ Leede for another fantastic novel!

5 Stars
Genre - Horror / speculative fiction
Tone - Bleak, tragic, hopeful
Tropes & devices - apocalyptic zombie-like virus
Reps - FMC reads white; a few secondary characters are Native American, others are racially ambiguous.
CW - violence, gore; religious themes; sexual content including assault and rape, some of it towards children; pandemic themes (including pandemic denial, masking, anti-vaxxing, etc); homophobia; physical abuse; alcohol consumption and smoking; explicit language; death, including children and animals; brief reference to self-harm.

Sophie isn't just a 16-year-old virgin - she's wildly sheltered. So sheltered, she doesn't even know about the "flu" spreading across the country. The flu her parents told her not to worry about. The one her church's congregation is viewing as the vengeance of the Lord. No phone, no internet - just the occasional call to her twin brother, separated from her in childhood. So when the flu's "sexual fervor" finally hits her town and she's forced to flee, she runs to her twin - the only person she knows who might give her some clear answers. Along the way, her horizons are expanded in ways she could never have imagined - for better or for worse.

Wow. This one hit me in the gut and just kept punching. I went to an author event for Bury Your Gays, and this was Chuck Tingle's recommendation. And what a good one it was! If you liked Camp Damascus, this one will be right up your alley. This is great for the ex-vangelicals, the ones with religious trauma (watch out though, it'll trigger you). If you love being triggered by your ex-fundy past, you might like The Free People's Village; and for non-fiction, Counting the Cost and the very popular I'm Glad My Mom Died.

I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whether it is a superbug killing everyone or an old school living dead situation apocalypse narratives are one of my favorite things and American Rapture does not disappoint. Fair warning, the virus in this book is described as making people "feral with lust" and as such there is on page sexual violence. However, the story is very nuanced and the virus is not used as pure splatter but instead is used very purposefully to move the story on. The main character is so sheltered and has so little knowledge about the real world, there is an added layer of terror to every step she takes.

American Rapture has made the short list of my favorite reads this year and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you Tor Nightfire for my free ARC of American Rapture by CJ Leede — available Oct 15!

» READ IF YOU «
⛪️ were a little sheltered as a child (or adult?)
🖤 love when your horror novels have a ton of heart
💧 are looking for something to make you sob

» SYNOPSIS «
Sophie was raised in a strict religious household, separated from her twin brother. A new virus spreading across the country is making infectees rabid with lust, and it doesn't seem to care who's still holding their precious V card. Sophie decides to make her way across this apocryphal landscape to find her brother, but she'll have to dodge nympho zombies and far worse evils...

» REVIEW «
You. Bitch.

Apparently, 2024 is the year for sobbing over horror novels, because what the hell. This book was perfection for me, even though I'm still furious with CJ Leede over some of the choices she made in here (you know what you did, babe). But also, read the acknowledgements. Anyway!

Sophie is a perfect and perfectly flawed heroine; there's so much teen angst and emotional turmoil in her that it's almost palpable. I was raised Catholic so could relate to a lot of what's in here, but even if you weren't, I suspect that Sophie's journey to self-empowerment will resonate. I'm not sure how CJ wrote all the side characters so well too, but mannn a couple of them ripped my heart out. The pace, the plot, the characters, the setting, all just flawless.

I don't know what else to say about this book without spoilers, except that I loved it to bits and cannot wait to read it again. Don't go into this one expecting Maeve Fly, because it's different, but I actually liked American Rapture even better! Hit me up when you're done to chat about it, because this book will absolutely be in my top three of the year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do you enjoy books about Catholic guilt and (sexual predator) zombies?
An apocalyptic-coming-of-age story?
Then this one's for you!

The book begins with song lyrics from Tori, Alanis, and Sinead (my 90s heart swoons).
We follow Sophie, sixteen, sheltered, from an extremely religious family, and about to find herself on her own through a viral outbreak, in search of her shunned homosexual brother, with a cast of chosen family.

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this one. There's too much ick to recommend to all, but some of that ick allows for character growth. There are some heavy themes and lots of religious horror.
Check the trigger warnings...
I think this one will be polarizing; find out for yourself this October!