book cover of American Rapture
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American Rapture

(2024)
A novel by

 
 
From CJ Leede, the author of Maeve Fly and a new voice in the feminist horror space, comes a scorching new apocalyptic novel.

Blessed are the meek, Sophie was taught; blessed are the pure of heart. Blessed is the good Catholic girl who honours her father and mother, who renounces the sins of pride, greed, wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth, for she will inherit the earth.

But nothing in her strict religious upbring could have prepared Sophie for the arrival of the scorching winds that sweep through the Midwest - not the righteous breath of God, but an evil gust that delivers an ungodly, fevered lust unto the virtuous and the wicked alike.

Separated from her family in the chaos of the apocalypse, Sophie is overcome by an unfamiliar fire from within, a steady pulse from somewhere beneath her belly that draws her toward the boys her mother warned her against: their eyes, their lips, their hands, their skin. The hellscape around her is foreign and strange, but so is the frantic desire that blooms in Sophie, tempting her away from the light. Though her own body has become a carnal battleground, she must somehow find her way through the ravaged world to rescue her brother, hoping the fever hasn't taken him; hoping he can still be saved.

'Keep an eye on this rising feminist voice' Tori Amos


Genre: Horror

Praise for this book

"In Leede's wholly possible American Armageddon, closed minds, cheese curds, and right-wing radio threaten to burn the whole shining city upon a hill to the ground. Cinematic, visceral, reflective, and palpable, American Rapture keeps you staying up late, hand on page ready to turn before you're done with the one you're on, and thinking about it for days on end when you finish. Bravo." - Theodore C Van Alst Jr

"A riveting, sprawling, staggeringly brilliant novel about the horrors of shame and repression and sexual violence and moral panics. American Rapture is a riotous scream and an emotional ode to anyone who has ever hidden their true self under their mattress. Blood-soaked, heart-wrenching, grim and glorious. Leede is a singular talent." - Rachel Harrison

"Forget the zombies you know! Leede's American Rapture is a brutally fresh take on the apocalypse genre. Leede blends heart and horror, taking readers on an utterly bonkers and horrific ride. Buckle up." - Jimmy Juliano

"With a heart as innocent as that of its heroine, American Rapture is a brave book, a daring book, and most of all, a timely book. It's terrifying because it's true. Kudos to CJ Leede." - Alma Katsu

"A masterful, apocalyptic fever dream. Leede has the singular ability to make your skin crawl while you're bawling your eyes out. Americana horror at its finest." - Liz Kerin

"American Rapture has its finger on the bloody, fevered pulse, fearlessly addressing notions of love, sex, faith, redemption, individuality. You won't read anything else like it." - Keith Rosson

"A bold, fiercely sharp, and deeply unsettling reimagining of the zombie apocalypse genre, which Leede crafts with equal parts anger and unwavering empathy." - Chuck Tingle

"A blistering, feverish ride through a uniquely American apocalypse. Leede crafts a deeply compelling descent through an unraveling heartland. Sure to rattle the cages of our Puritanical nightmare country." - Chuck Wendig


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