Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publishers and the author, Glenn Rolfe, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Window in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I jumped at the chance to review this book after I read the premise of the storyline. Unfortunately, I don't think it lived up to my expectations.
Not a book for me sorry.

I loved the concept of this story, but I had some issues with the execution. I felt like the sexual aspects of the story got cheesier and more repetitive as the story went on. For an example of the cheesiness, a blow job is compared to the "most delicious blue raspberry slushy in the whole world." I have a hard time taking the rest of a book seriously when it's not a comedic book, but says stuff like that. I ended up just skimming them after a while because it felt like the same thing over and over again. There were also quite a few grammatical and spelling errors, and I don't really like mentioning this in reviews, but it was to the point where it was distracting

5 Stars!

I have waited way too long to review The Window by Glenn Rolfe. The truth of the matter is that I read it a couple months ago but for one reason or other never wrote a review. That gave me an excuse to read it again so that it would be fresh in my mind. Rolfe has quickly become a must-read writer for me and “The Window” does not disappoint.

Richie felt buried by the events of his life. His ex-wife had recently moved to a different town with his son and he was having difficulty finding a steady job. He had a girlfriend who truly loved him but he felt humiliated that he had to rely on her income to survive. Richie’s bitterness had turned his life into a dark place and a black hole opened in his heart. When his son, James, returned to spend the summer with him, he thought this may be the thing to get him back on track. What he did not know is that there are dark demons that live off of the bile of regret and resentment and one of these demons had taken up residence in Richie’s bitter heart.

James begins to notice that his father’s behavior is erratic. He does not know that his father had been looking for answers to his problems in the window and found them in the dark entity in the glass. It offered him everything he ever wanted: to get his girlfriend away from the coworker he believed her to be having an affair with and to form a family with her and his son together all of the time. Dreams come with a price, however, and every glorious experience Richie got from the creatures in the glass came with a price. When James finally saw the demons and what they were doing with his father, he knew it was up to him to save his father from the demon’s evil clutches. But demons have families and dreams too and this demon was not going to give up easily. It was close to getting what it wanted and was not going to go quietly into the night.

The Window promises a peek into the darkness of the human soul and Rolfe delivers. This is a very dark read that has many sharpened edges to it that make it pack a punch. There are some scenes of strong violence and sex in the novel, it is definitely for mature readers, but it never feels gratuitous but rather adds to the brutal impact of the story. In the midst of the mayhem, there is a soul to this story that reminded me a little of early Stephen King, especially with James and his friends. There is bond between these friends and an innocence that not just offsets the evil of the demons but draws the reader into the story and gives it a realism. The reader is able to relate to what the children are going through in their “normal” lives and this provides a foil to the darkness they are up against. With the second installment of the “It” movie adaptation just released, the bond between James and his friends reminds me a lot of the bonds the children in that movie (and the book it is based on) formed.

Rolfe quickly became a favorite of mine when I read his first novel and The Window is a prime example of why. There is an almost sublime mixture of innocence and violence in this novel as he rounds out the children that are central to the story but balances that with the violence and depravity of the demons. There is that comparison to early Stephen King with the handling of the characters yet Rolfe attacks with a ferocity that King never brought to his novels. There are passages in this novel that can make even a jaded horror fan cringe yet Rolfe handles those extreme scenes deftly and does not cross over into gratuitous violence and sex. The Window is a prime example of just how good a horror novel can be and it is a shame that Rolfe has yet to find a wider audience. His fans are sure to revel in this novel and readers who have not been exposed to his work yet should prepare to be entertained by one of the best horror writers around.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Glenn Rolfe, and Alien Agenda press for this review copy. The Window is available now.

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

The Window by, new-to-me author Glenn Rolfe, was a fascinating coming-of-age story that I really enjoyed! I don't often read horror but this one wasn't too left-field for me to savour. I appreciated the way the story was told - short chapters served the fast pace of the story and well-drawn characters immediately evoked strong feelings within me, be they favourable or objectionable. The Window was an interesting blend of goriness and perversion combined with emotion and fervour.

Don't read this at night if you are a troublesome sleeper! A very worthwhile read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Alien Agenda Publishing via NetGalley, at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is a truly spine-chilling premise with evil intent lurking behind every shadow. The characters were well drawn and empathetic, and the declining sanity of the father emits palpable menace. Anyone who loves reading tales of possession will definitely turn the pages just as fast as I did. Highly recommended!

*My sincerest thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing an ARC at no charge.*

A bit much for me. It could have used some editing. I feel some scenes were just obligatory that the Author put in there for the "horror" aspect.

3 for neutral. I tried to read this book many different times, but never seemed to be able to get many pages read. So, I will update if I am able to finally get engaged in it and able to finish!
I will let the members of Chapter Chatter Pub know about it’s release!

i.... am disturbed. this was a lot. a lot of things that made me uncomfortable filled these pages, a lot of inappropriate things, and a lot of repetition. i don't want to go into too much detail so i don't spoil anything for those that choose to read this, but some passages seemed to repeat the same information we learned just paragraphs before. this could have been great if not for the pervy fan fic feelings i got from it at times, especially near the end. i felt a lot of "yikes" moments because of children being involved. i still want to read more glenn rolfe though, this was just a wild book to start with.

The Window by Glenn Rolfe was a vividly described horror story where the images that arise from the words on the page are often confronting and horrific.

I enjoyed this book, I don't often read horror but this one wasn't too far out of left field for me to enjoy. I would not recommend this for anyone that is queasy or doesn't like graphic sexual scenes as there are many in this book, however I would definitely recommend this for anyone who loves Stephen King!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This is my book. I downloaded it to see how the NG file looked. Waned to make sure it was correct.
I have rated it 3 stars. Since it is my book, I won't give it a high rating or bottom rating, going with the middle of the pack.

Wow! Where is my brain? I follow Glenn on Goodreads and have read one or two short stories that I have enjoyed, but I’ve never read one of his novels. I have been totally missing out on a kickass writer.
This story is fun and intriguing. It kinda has a “Summer of ‘84”, “Stranger Things”, “Fright Night” (the original, of course) feel to it, but it also adds a certain dark mythos that I found extremely appealing.
I loved how the story takes place in the modern world but all the kid characters are very much reminiscent of the 70s and 80s in attitude and actions. It’s that vibe that I felt carried the book to its conclusion. There is a carefree, live in the moment , long hot summer feel, that reminds the reader of what the world used to represent, and with it came traditional values like loyalty, empathy, honesty, pride, and a black and white version of good vs evil.
I absolutely adored the conclusion. Glenn wrote: “that ability to endure, to overcome, and to carry on, to be the greatest of gifts bestowed upon them.” It not only sums up the story but acknowledges a fact that many of us living in a First World have forgotten....A quest to always fight for what you believe in.
If you are looking for a dark tale of good vs evil, with an interesting mythos, that is NOT a cookie cutter of what typically happens to characters in these types of stories, pick this up. Myself, I plan on reading many more Glenn Rolfe novels.

This is one of the most imaginative and amazing horror books that I have ever had the chance to read. The author creates a tapestry of the seekers and introduces a whole new realm of fear. for the reader. There were parts that were really terrifying in the very best way possible. The character development was well done and the subject matter was nothing short of macabre and fascinating. Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley.

Thank you to netgalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Horror, slight supernatural and suspence it has it all and it is VERY GRAPHIC but it did not work or gel with me i could not care about the characters and if anything i wanted more to happen.

A bit too graphic, which isn’t always a bad thing but I just couldn’t seem to like this book at all

A rather unpopular book that deserves as much attention as all the other window peepers out there.

Horrifying and creepy, it's refreshingly uncommercial and well thought out.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great story, very messed up with a great plot throughout. There is a lot of nervous anticipation making you really empathise with the characters

Ok, the bits I liked. Some nice character development in the book, although I think I liked them less than the author would have liked. It was easy to read, with a quick pace to it, it didn’t take me long to read.
This book was centred around a couple of sex obsessed demonic monsters, who used mirrors/windows as a portal. Their aim was to possess, mortal bodies for their own ends. A teenage group of friends were instrumental in discovering this. I won’t go into more detail, as I don’t want to give any spoilers! Very akin to a Stranger things/Goonies/Stand by me coming of age story, but much darker!
I don’t like to leave any negativity in a review. However, I just didn’t feel like this was a ‘finished piece’. I felt that the story jumped around, there were areas the author laid down a seed, but didn’t return to do anything with it. I think this is a shame, as the premise for this book has potential, but it somehow feels rushed, not developed enough, with a number of inconsistencies.

The Window

Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I didn’t like this book. I enjoy horror, I also enjoy thrillers and I have no problem with lots of sex in a book. For me this novel just didn’t put it all together in a way that I enjoyed.

First off at times I felt that I was reading a teenager’s novel. All the teenage angst between James and his friends just didn’t cut it for me. The reference to Twilight nearly tipped me over the edge. For me Twilight is the epitome of bland, whilst my teenage daughter enjoyed it and loved Edward, I always felt that the story needing a good staking.

The novel has a good vintage feel which I did like. James and his dad Richie go to a Def Leppard gig, and the novel has an 80s nostalgic, end of summer feel to it. But, the demon story I found tedious. Trapped in the window and being able to move buildings just didn’t cut it for me. So much so I started skim reading, I tried to describe this book at home to a horror lover (even more than me) and just couldn’t get a grip on what was meant to be going on.

Maybe without the sexy bits and more aimed at teenagers, or less about the teenagers and keeping the sexy bits would have cut it more for me. As it, for me it just didn’t work or join together and its 2 stars.