Full disclosure, two weeks ago, I very briefly met the author at a Horror Reader Weekend event, and someone mentioned her newest release was quite good. I fully intended to buy it, but it quickly sold out...making me think that there might be something to this story.

After getting home, I snagged the audio. And I'm really glad I did. Leede takes the COVID pandemic, elements of Captain Trips from THE STAND, folds in a huge helping of Christian guilt ("There's no hate like Christian love") and the examination of how the fiction of religion can colour every perception of the world. At the same time, at the centre of this storm, is Sophie, the main character who's going through the traumas of losing first her twin brother, then her parents, then having the real world slap her around when she was completely unprepared for it.

Honestly, this book exceeded every single one of my already-high expectations, and it did so from many angles. The overal story, to start with, but also the scenes of devastating horror, as well with how much the book had to say. There's so much to unpack from this novel, it's one that begs to be read more than once.

There's so much I want to say about this novel, but I wouldn't want to steal all the thunder that's encased between its covers.

Just...read it.