American Rapture by C.J. Leede (Review)

Title: American Rapture
Author: C.J. Leede
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Romance, Horror
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Date published: October 15, 2024

A complimentary physical copy was kindly provided by Tor Nightfire in exchange for an honest review.

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust.

Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must survive the hellscape of the Midwest to try to save her twin brother while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin. . . .

Neil Gaiman’s American Gods meets The Last of Us in this epic and sweeping novel about the end of the world as we know it.

⤖ My Review ⬻

This was a tough one for me. Not because the writing or the story were bad—quite the opposite—but rather because the subject matter was so heavy. I’m a fan of religious horror (even though religious oppression and control are some of my top fears), but when it comes to end of the world stuff, it’s usually anxiety-inducing for me, whether it’s books, shows, movies. That being said, I was invested all the way through American Rapture (perhaps too much, haha), and I was on the edge of my seat desperately needing to know what happens next while also being afraid to find out.

American Rapture was mostly terrifying because it felt like it could be real, like it could easily just happen tomorrow. The horrors and atrocities that humans are capable of doing to each other scare me more than any paranormal monster ever could. I let myself become angry with the author, C.J. Leede, for putting me through what she did, but I also understood that it’s important to tell these stories. Leede’s end note definitely drove that home and turned my anger into gratitude for her telling this story. As I saw someone say recently, fear does not exist in a vacuum. I hope to read Leede’s previous book, Maeve Fly, as well as her 2026 release, Headlights, very soon!