Until Summer Comes Around

March 23, 2020
A family of vampires terrorizes a seaside town in Rolfe’s lurid tale of adolescent romance and murder. Teenage Rocky Zukas lives a quiet, unremarkable life in Old Orchard Beach, until, in the summer of 1986, he falls hard and fast for a strange and beautiful newcomer named November Riley. Unfortunately for Rocky, the Rileys are vampires, and as November’s older brother, Gabriel, tears through the town, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, November must choose between her family and her love for Rocky. Rolfe (Blood and Rain) treads well-worn ground, relying on the genre’s familiar tropes and archetypal characters: the evil vampire driven mad by bloodlust, the anguished vampire who must choose between humanity and monstrosity, and the lovestruck human unwittingly caught up in the supernatural world. This middling, blood-spattered tale will appeal to diehard vampire fans, but it offers little to grab the attention of less invested readers.

May 1, 2020
The Maine seaside town of Old Orchard Beach is packed with tourists at the beginning of summer 1986. The sun is hot, and the scents of popcorn and sunscreen hang in the air. The screams from the theme park rides mix with the beeps and chirps from the arcade. Fifteen-year-old Rocky has no plans except to sleep in and hang out with his cousin Axel. This all changes when he sees November, and his world turns upside down. Suddenly, his only plans revolve around when he can see her. Complicating his plans are the rash of disappearances around town. Teenagers and tourists alike are going missing, and local law enforcement is baffled. Rocky starts to wonder if November is involved when he meets her odd and unfriendly older brother, and it becomes clear November is keeping secrets. Rolfe (The Window, 2018) is a rising talent in the horror field, and his prose is fast-paced and humorous while expertly building tension. Fans of The Lost Boys film will enjoy this, and Rolfe puts his own spin on the standard summer bloodsucker tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)