Book Review: American Rapture by C.J. Leede

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“No hate in the world like Christian love.”

📚

Seventeen-year-old Sophie lives a sheltered existence at the mercy of her parents and their religious zealotry. Denied access to television, newspapers, books, rich foods, mirrors, and anything else that could potentially expose her to or educate her about reality, society, her body, or other people, she believes her beauty is dangerous, sinful, and improper and her virginity is the most valuable thing she possesses. Something she must guard at all costs that, once lost, renders her permanently soiled.

Her “education” at St. Mary’s school enforces ignorance, hatred, lies, and fear; this, coupled with twisted familial dynamics and issues, leaves Sophie wracked with rage and trauma. She rebels in small ways but is inescapably plagued by guilt and shame. And when a rapidly-spreading flu mutates into a deadly, lust-inducing virus, civilization quickly morphs into chaos, and Sophie must pass through hell in order to reunite with her family.

American Rapture is a heavy and brutal dystopian tale that examines religion, autonomy, and mortality; anger, empathy, and repression; temptation, choice, and consent; love, worth, and acceptance; and authority, anarchy, and insanity. Atrocities and turmoil abound: this is an adult horror novel, yet the protagonist is a teenager. And while the graphic content and explicit subject matter are clearly geared toward mature audiences, some events are really difficult to handle. Sophie’s internal monologue feels akin to a melting pot or fever dream: innocent, confused, overwhelmed, at times repetitive, and thoroughly believable in that her world has been turned upside down, leaving her vulnerable and bombarding her with extreme iterations of everything from which she was previously insulated, producing awkward, uncomfortable, and, ultimately, lifelike interactions.

The storyline brings a simmering nightmare to life with explosive, relentless realism. It’s unflinching, refusing to sugarcoat the carnage, suffering, and ugliness that accompany pandemics, extremism, hate, and inhumanity. The degree to which plot points mirror current circumstances is deeply unsettling, adding a pulse-pounding, terror-inducing layer of tension and plausibility. The writing is beautiful and engrossing, the hellscape setting made real in a masterful, practically tangible manner. Innumerable scenes are cinematic, visceral, and beyond terrifying, the incendiary narrative capped off with a hauntingly perfect final line. And an added bonus: the closing letter to the reader, which is an intensely moving, highly impactful must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for sending this forthcoming release for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

🖤Amanda

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