Rolfe’s new novel is a real summer treat full of heart, intrigue and characters that gives the novel a sense of enjoyment and wonder.

Until Summer Comes Around is one of those rare finds that really captures the imagination and yet has a mystical quality that is deeply rooted in reality. Encompassing a late 1980’s aesthetic that works very well within the confines of the story.

The characters are richly woven and developed creating a three dimensional platform for each. They are truly heart felt and their quest in life is harrowing and emotional. The relations between the characters are deeply moving and the reasoning for their predicaments is well handled. Even the evil characters are well flushed out.

The plot is extremely well done and yearns the reader to keep reading to its magnificent conclusion. The story is a cross breed of horror, mystery and self discovery and this mix works very well. Rolfe has really outdone himself with a story that is richly woven.

Overall, this is an incredible read and thoroughly enjoyed every page and word. I could not put this novel done and highly urge all people who love a classic story to give this a try. Richly textured plot and characters, a great summer read that grabs the reader’s full attention and the emotional depth of the ending really lends itself for this to be a true fire winner. The review is quite difficult as people really need to experience this without any spoilers but I really urge this to be read as you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flametree Press for sending this my way! Really appreciate it.
Glenn Rolfe has been a favorite of mine since I first read 'Land of Bones.' To this day the story 'Simon' has stuck with me and even yesterday I was thinking about it as me and my son went for a walk and the rain had brought worms out to play. His book 'The Window' was one of my favorite reads of 2018 and at the time I called it a 'future classic.' It was really outstanding.

Now, Rolfe returns with his 80's inspired coming-of-age story, which I was excited for since it was announced.

What I liked: Am I becoming a softy in my advanced age? It hit me somewhere in the middle of this book that I loved Rocky and November's love story. I wanted her to be at the pier each and every time he went looking for her! The story is super straight forward; it's summer, Rocky's best friend Axel heads to England with his family, leaving Rocky bummed about what to do. Then he sees an out-of-towner. They connect and then carnage ensues. The absolute highlight for me was these two falling in love. Rolfe nailed that young-love pining that comes from the magic of knowing you only have two months together.

What I didn't like: I'm tapped out on Vampires, which is hilarious because two of the four books I'm reading at the time of writing this are about Vampires. I also found I've fallen out of enjoyment of the rash of 80's pop culture reference heavy books, movies, and TV shows. Maybe blame it on 'Stranger Things' and the abomination that was 'IT Chapter 2.' Saying that, I knew what I was getting into with the synopsis and that this was set in 1986.
On the other side, I found Rocky's parents to be throw away characters, so when one of them became involved near the ending, I didn't have any connection or sorrow over it.

Why you should buy it: Rolfe is a fantastic writer and this definitely captured the feeling and essence of young, summer love. This could've been set in any decade really and the spark that Rocky and November caught would make for a stellar read. I loved seeing their arc and how it progressed as things played out.
Definitely one you all should check out!

Wow, that was quite a ride. Can’t believe I read this book in two days! Probably would have done it in one sitting except I was teaching.

When I requested the book, I didn’t realize it was about vampires. Many years ago, as a middle school librarian, I read the first in the Twilight series and thought that’s going to be big, but it wasn’t for me. Rolfe is a fabulous storyteller and has the gift to make writing play like a movie.

This was more graphic than I like to read, but what a page turner.

About to be sixteen, Rocky Zukas lives a quiet, unremarkable life in Old Orchard Beach.. OOB is a tranquil resort town on the coast of Maine. In the summer of 1986, Rocky falls hard and fast for a strange and beautiful summer girl named November Riley. Unbeknownst to Rocky, he has fallen for a vampire. Yes, the Riley family are vampires. November’s older brother, Gabriel, unlike the rest of the family is a savage monster. His lust for human blood leaves a trail of missing persons and bodies in this otherwise peaceful town. He seems unstoppable.
November is torn and must choose between her family and her love for Rocky.

This book is perfect for diehard vampire readers. It is a blood-spattered tale that moves at a blood curdling pace.

🎡book review🎡⠀
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UNTIL SUMMER COMES AROUND⠀
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“There weren’t much worse things than seeing your idol transform into something less than that before your eyes.”⠀
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Can you remember that feeling way back when you were a kid, the creepy, someone’s watching me, run as fast as you can when you turn off the light to jump on your bed? And don’t get me started on basements. I don’t care how fun your basement is, it’s creepy. And I hate it. ⠀
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This book captures that nostalgia perfectly. The hyper sense of awareness that something wasn’t right. It’s set in 1986. Rocky is a 15 year old kid preparing to kick off his summer without his best friend. He meets a girl, November, who he’s instantly captivated by. I got major lost boys feels with this. November and her family are in town for the summer and as Rocky & November get to know each other, November’s brother, Gabriel starts terrorizing the town. As the missing person numbers rise so does the bravery and loyalty of the two teens as the truth about them both come out. ⠀
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This was a fun read and I enjoyed the story. The author definitely surprised me with the end - I thought I knew where it was going and I was glad I was way off. Thanks to my peeps who listened to my rants on how frustrated I was with one of the characters (Gabriel👀). The only thing I wished I could have had more backstory on was the vampire fam - but the rest of the characters had good development. ⠀
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This comes out 5/21! If you love vampires and coming of age stories, it’s definitely a treat for both!

Thank you @netgalley for providing me with an ARC for a review.

I love these coming of age horror novels because they transport me back in time and relive fond memories of my youth. Granted I was 10 years older than Rocky in 1986 but I recognized many of the pop culture references of which Glenn Rolfe wrote so fondly. This was a horrific novel but with a heart. You felt for the characters' losses. This is my first read of anything by Mr. Rolfe but definitely won't be my last. Highly recommended.

This was great story - I am quickly becoming a big fan of Glenn Rolfe. This book has great horror elements and good characters that you care about. Very easy to read and gets you right into the story right away. It pulled me right back to those magical days of summer of my early to mid-teens, when you're old enough to appreciate and enjoy some freedom and doing your own thing, but still young enough to not have the weight of responsibility. A fun read!

‘His heart pounded heavy, a tribal calling to the gods of the night. The rush was intoxicating. He could feel every pore of his flesh. There was a world of flesh and blood upon which to feast.’

This is the kind of Vampire romance novel that I have been thirsting for. It has a lively synopsis that any horror fan can indulge in: a wimpy teenager (Rocky) living in a summer resort area that attracts the likes of bikers and perverted foreigners entices a bad ass goth chick (November), who just happens to be a vampire. She’s not your typical bloodsucker; however, she must devoir rabbits and other creatures to survive. It’s her maniacal brother, Gabriel, who seeks revenge and bloodlust, and that’s where the massive killings begins.

The picturesque and coastal Maine community, in which the story takes place, is comforting and hypnotic at times. It has vivid passages that bring out the best of its communal boardwalk, and there is a significant amount of detail focusing on the entrancing amusement park. All of these elements, and the fact that the story takes place in 1986, coaxed me into watching ‘The Lost Boys’ once again.

I cannot recommend ‘Until Summer Comes Around’ enough. It’s the perfect spring to summer transition read that will lift your spirits in a nostalgic way.

5 Stars!

Glenn Rolfe quickly became one of my favorite writers when I first picked up one of his books several years ago. Since then, he has become essential reading for me. When he e-mailed me to tell me that an advance reading copy of his next novel, Until Summer Comes Around, was available on NetGalley, I did not hesitate to request my copy from Flame Tree Press and jump into the novel.

Rocky Zukas was only fifteen, but he had just met the girl of his dreams. November was a stranger to the small town but there was something about her that immediately captivated Rocky. The two become inseparable and feel like they were meant to be together even though they both knew it would not last forever. The summer would come to an end and it would be time for November to move on. Even though this was to be a brief relationship, some people did not approve of the couple. People like November’s brother, Gabriel. Unfortunately for Rocky, there was more than meets the eye with November and he soon discovers that he may not live to see summer’s end.

November and her family are vampires. While November and her mother do not fit the bill of the classic horror villain, Gabriel does not keep a tight grip on his hunger and is slowly turning into a monster. Rocky cannot believe what November is trying to tell him until he puts the pieces together and realizes that Gabriel is behind the missing people from the posters that have been popping up all over town. Now that Gabriel has his sights set on Rocky, it may be too late for him to save his family and himself. He is going to have to trust in November to help him against Gabriel. The only problem is that November may be turning into a monster as well.

Glenn Rolfe turns his deft hand to vampires and I was looking forward to this one. Overall, it did not disappoint. While the novel starts a little slowly, it never seemed dull or dragged. Rolfe has put more emphasis on character development in his past couple novels and I think it is a step forward to him. While I have enjoyed all of his books, he has grown as an author and is getting better with every book. I have had vampire burnout for a while s so many of those stories seem to be trying, and filing, to copy Anne Rice and the genre has grown a little stale to me. Rolfe presents the vampires in this novel as fully formed characters and not either the one-dimensional monsters or whiners that fill so many books. This was breath of fresh air for what used to be my favorite horror monster but one which I have largely left behind in recent years.

This is not the best vampire novel ever but it is a very good story. Rolfe gives the story enough humanity to make the reader care about the characters. He builds the story slowly as he goes long so that it starts with an almost coming-of-age story feel to it although the reader knows that the peaceful tone of the summer story is not going to last. The first half of the story gets the reader immersed in the story and caring about what is going to happen, then Rolfe goes on the attack and everything goes crazy and violent. In all, this is another great book from one of the best in the genre right now. I keep waiting (hoping) for the world at large to realize just how good Rolfe’s novels are and hopefully Until Summer Comes Around will help get the word out.


I would like to thank NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for this advance review copy. Until Summer Comes Around is scheduled to be published on My 21, 2020, and is worth the wait.

"Until Summer Comes Around" is a coming of age story that is full of nostalgia, is a reminder of what it is to be young and in the throes of 1st love, and has shades of Fright Night and Lost Boys. Set in a seaside summer town, this story reminds us how fun and exciting summer loving can be, but also how scary. Glenn Rolfe does not shy away from blood and death, but this story is at its heart about first love, and all the joys and agonies that come along with that love.
Rocky was dreading his summer vacation, as his best friend was going to spend the summer in England; but then Rocky met November, and everything changed. However, while their young love blossomed under the summer sun, the nights were becoming increasingly fraught with danger. People are going missing, and November knows why. Can November keep her boyfriend safe, as well as keeping her family whole?
I really enjoyed this summer based thrill ride. The setting took me back to my teenage years growing up by the shore. This was my 1st time reading Glenn Rolfe, and I am now excited to search out and read more by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and FlameTree Press for allowing me the chance to read and review this wonderful story.

I had been following Glenn for a little while when his book, Until Summer Comes Around, appeared on Netgalley. I had promised myself no more ARCs until I had finished my TBR pile, but it just sounded too good to miss.

I am an 80’s girl. This is set then a la IT and Stranger Things.

It is about a vampire. I fricking love vamps.

And it is set in a seaside town in Maine, which gave me New England summertime vibes. This is very important too since Boston is my most favourite place on Earth and I love things set in that area.

Add in the fact that it is a Flame Tree Press publication (who have some of The Best writers out there) and I was ready to settle in.

So, what can I say?

WOW.

Hell YEAH!!!
This book ROCKS!

Honestly, I absolutely adored it. I had seen a quote suggesting if you liked Salem’s Lot (the very first horror book I ever read) and The Lost Boys (still one of my favourite vamp movies) then you would definitely enjoy this. Well whoever said that was dead (gettit) right. Because this book is all sorts of amazeballs.

So why did I like it so much?

Well the characters were very realistic and likeable. I felt as if Rocky would have been the kind of boy I would have been buddies with as a teen, and I loved how conflicted November was. It was coming-of-age without being slushy or cliche.

It was a vampire love story that thankfully didn’t get all Twilight. Glenn also used an interesting variation on the lore and usual tropes of vamp tales.

I enjoyed watching the baddie develop and there was a decent amount of death and gore without being over the top with violence.

I won’t give anything away other than to say the story has a satisfying ending. The only disappointment that I felt was that I had finished!

In summary - would I recommend this book to others? YES!!!

Score out of 10? 11! Oh OK, 10.

Did it make me want to read more of Glenn’s work? Well I immediately downloaded The Haunted Halls and then bought Blood and Rain so … yes.

Now, I am off to write more of my own werewolf and vampire stories, yes, Glenn has even inspired me with my own work!

*Disclaimer: I was granted an ARC digital version of this book for an honest review; which this is. In my opinion, this is exactly how i felt about this author's work*

First off, a huge thank you goes out to Netgalley, Flametree Press, and Glenn Rolfe for granting me the honor to read, and review this work before it is published.

Having never ready this author before, and normally not being a fan of vampire fiction, however; I am a HUGE coming of age in horror fan, and this book was one that knocked it out of the park! Yes, i give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating, and I will explain why later in a video review from my YouTube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror.

15 year old Rocky Zukas is missing his best friend and cousin Alex who is away for the summer for school, and he is alone in Old Orchard Beach, Maine with the whole summer and not knowing what he is going to do. That is until the day November Riley and her brother Gabriel appear in town visiting for the summer months. Now, his life and his summer is going to change in ways he never could imagine, plus he will fall in love for the first time.....and to a Vampire. Yes, November and her brother are modern day vampires, now before you start to think no!, not another twilight book, or something cheesy, not at all!! This book moves incredibly fast, and both in gore, murders, and emotional heartbreak and personal loss. If you can, go into this with not knowing alot about it, you will enjoy the surprises so much more. Here is a link to a video review that i just posted on this amazingly scary, sad and just great horror novel; 'Until Summer Comes Around' by Glenn Rolfe.
Here is the link to my channel AreYouIntoHorror, enjoy. Richard.

https://youtu.be/fj0Gm2DX71M

I’ve been a huge Glenn Rolfe fan for years. He’s one of my favorite authors. When he posted on social media that his new novel, Until Summer Comes Around, was available on NetGalley, I instantly had grabby hands, or was it sticky hands? Sticky hands like those little translucent gel hands I used to get out of the quarter machines when I was a kid and sling across the room snatching up papers or pens? Something like that, anyway. My hands, my heart, my dark soul itched for a Glenn Rolfe story about vampires. So, many thanks to Glenn, NetGalley, and Flame Tree Press for allowing me to quench my thirst for this book in advance of publication.

It’s the mid-80s. The smell of Aqua Net hairspray is strong and the soundtrack, on cassette, is loud. Rocky is fifteen and lives at the beach with his family. Summer is just getting started in the little oceanside town. Old Orchard Beach is booming with tourists. The carnival atmosphere is alive, and the food trailers scent the already salty air with nachos and cotton candy. It’s the ideal place to spend a summer. Or it was until people started to come up missing. Rocky’s mom is a bit protective, like a good mom should be, and tries to make sure he and his sister are kept safe. Tension gets higher as more and more children and adults disappear.

Rocky’s cousin who happens to be his best friend, Axel, has left with his family for a summer vacation, so Rocky is pretty bummed to have to spend the summer without him. He has other friends, but there’s nothing like feeling as though your best friend is leaving you behind all summer. Then, November walks into his life.

November is one of the new people who has come to Old Orchard Beach with her family for the summer, and Rocky has never seen anyone so beautiful before. They start spending a lot of time together, and he barely thinks of Axel anymore. November appears to be the distraction Rocky needed. Despite his fears, November seems to really like Rocky, even after she learns of his flaws, which he goes to great deal of trouble to hide.

It turns out that Rocky isn’t the only one hiding secrets. Some secrets are extremely deep and dark…and unforgivable.

Being a teenager is hard enough on its own, but with the disappearances and deaths getting closer and closer to home, what should have been one of the best summers of Rocky’s life, is horrible. And to block out any glimmer of hope toward making the best they could out of the summer, November’s older brother, Gabriel, disapproves of their summer romance, and attempts to make their lives pure hell. Gabriel is a junkie for power, and when he’s flying high, he doesn’t care who he hurts.


Until Summer Comes Around reminds me a little of Stephen King’s Joyland. I guess it’s the summertime, beach town, carnival theme. I really loved that about both books.

Also, I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s Christine, and I couldn’t help but see some of Arnie Cunningham’s mom, Regina, in Rocky’s mom. I didn’t see Rocky’s mom as hateful as Regina could be, but, of course, Regina eventually had a good reason to be hateful. Rocky’s mom was trying to be a good mom. Sometimes that comes across as a bit strict, I guess, but it’s good to see strong parents who care about their kids in books. It shows the family loves each other – their closeness.

Until Summer Comes Around is going to be the perfect summer read! It makes me want to go to a little seaside town, ride the Ferris wheel, get nachos and cotton candy before taking a swim in the ocean. However, I do NOT want to be in the middle of the bloodbath and killing spree of an insatiable vampire. That’s what Glenn Rolfe does, though. He sets the scene and puts you there in a cozy, realistic place. You walk around, enjoying yourself and eating ice cream, taking in the scenery, then – BOOM! – he splatters you and your ice cream with blood. That’s just the way I like it.

Glenn Rolfe has given us a much-appreciated, fast-paced, and original nostalgic horror tale that does something new with the perennial favorite monster, the vampire! The book places us in a seaside town in the 80's, friends are trading cassette tapes of hair metal bands, and our main Character, Rocky, is falling in love with the mysterious November, a girl whose family is spending the summer at the beach. Problems arise when November's brother gets wind of the romance, at the same time his addiction to human blood is getting out of control (yes, to these vamps, human blood is like heroin -- it's a rush until it's not!), and people begin disappearing from town. It's a fun, quick read, with characters you'll end up loving...well, some characters, anyway, and this is guaranteed to scratch an itch you may didn't know you had.

A huge thank you to Glenn Rolfe, Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Until Summer Comes Around is many things, but boring is not one of them. It starts out idyllically enough, summer boardwalks and sweet fried treats, waves crashing, kids playing, tourists in abundance. Rolfe begins with a picture of sunlight and very little worry for one teenage boy slowly coming into his own.....until people start to go missing and the darkness begins to fall over his beach town . As the summer and tourist season starts, Rocky believes that he has found the girl of his dreams when he meets November and that this will be a summer to remember...and he's right. For the wrong reasons.
A little bit Lost Boys, a little bit Let the Right One In, a little bit Nosferatu, I was glad not to have found this to be the stereotypical vampire story as Until Summer Comes Around has its own type of sparkle..the sparkle of the ocean in the daytime when you're cruising the boardwalk arcades with your best girl, the sparkle of young budding love, the sparkle of nostalgia for the reader without having to mask it with fog and glitter. This book has its own soundtrack that I adore and quite honestly, I could see this as a made-for-tv movie (hey, if it was good enough for Craven....). Vampire books have been done time and again, but it was refreshing to read one of them in a different type of light (see what I did there?)
This isn't my first book by Mr. Rolfe and it definitely will not be my last as he is starting to become one of my favorites in horror writing. I wasn't disappointed with Until Summer Comes Around and if there's a sequel in the works, I would be interested in reading more of the lives of Rocky and November. Just a thought.

Part coming of age story, part love story, all horror. Glenn Rolfe dips into the vampire genre with gusto in the story set in a seaside town in summertime Maine. Great characters (especially the vampire family) give the story heart. Fast-paced and at points graphically violent, the book is engaging from start to finish. Make this your vacation read this year, unless you are visiting Maine.

It is the beginning of the summer of ‘86 in Old Orchard Beach and 15 year old, Rocky is disappointed that his best buddy and cousin, Axel is going to England for the summer. Dreading the lonely months he happens to meet the beautiful November who is visiting the resort for a summer break.

The love story between the main characters is well written and believable, without being cheesy but the story really hots up when it comes to the horror elements of the story,

Recommended to fans of coming of age stories, vampires and 1980’s vibes.

Very good coming of age vampire tale. Loved the story line. Read in one sitting. Kept me interested. Look forward to reading more from the author.

This was a fun one! 😄 You guys, I am not a vampire/teen/romance reader, but I got this as an arc from Netgalley, based on the description. I thought, eh, let's just see here. I am so happy I did. This book is so entertaining!

So you've got your underdog, Rocky, with his back brace and what he thinks will be a long, boring summer ahead of him after his cousin/bestie goes away to England, but then he meets this beautiful, mysterious, wild girl named November, and she flips his world upside down! I was like, ok here we go with this teen romance (yawn), but then the gore hits and the 80s references keep coming and it really is like being back on my big sister's bed in 1980 something, watching movies I was too young to be watching! 😆 The nostalgia and blood and gore, and altogether fantastic story telling made this a very fun book to read. Looking forward to more by this author.

This offering from Glen Rolfe was a cute little coming-of-age/vampire story set in the mid-80s set in a touristy beach-side community.

UNTIL SUMMER COMES AROUND is a fast-paced tale, rife with romance and teenage angst and generously spattered with gore. And the nostalgia is strong with this one.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

Teenagers, vampires, a seaside boardwalk and 1986 - I adored this.

Best Read
For a bloodthirsty time travelling journey back to the 1980’s.

My Thoughts on the Book
It’s early in the year, but I’m sure Until Summer Comes Around will be one of my favourite books of 2020. The 80’s theme is multicoloured and nostalgic, transporting me back to my childhood. The boardwalk location is a great place to base a horror or a teen romance and combining the two works brilliantly. The sights, smells and sound of the Boardwalk make the reader feel like they are at the boardwalk with the characters.

Rocky is a lonely boy with a brace, left alone for the Summer when best friend Axel goes to England for the Summer. Mysterious and beautiful vacationer November turns up and Rocky can’t believe his luck. She thinks he’s cool and she wants to spend time with Rocky.

This book has the same sweet and heartbreaking first romance pangs as Eleanor and Park, the gory fun of the Lost Boys and the horror of Laymon’s Funland.

After reading Whiteout last year, I was delighted to see the fanged fiends making a comeback and this a firm stamp for me that vampires are back with a bite. And none of these vampires sparkle, so don’t think this is anything like Twilight.

Though Until Summer Comes Around is sweet in parts, it’s also dark. There is no shortage of blood and gore as the inhabitants and visitors to Old Orchard Beach are picked off by a vicious killer. The killing scenes are vivid and cinematic. Rocky and November have a Summer with moments to treasure and torment them for the rest of their lives.

To conclude, Until Summer Comes Around is a coming age tale mixed with a terrifying vampire novel. I devoured this and I can’t wait to read more of this author’s work.