What do you think?
Rate this book
Coming Out of the Coffin
In the shadows of a double life, Vladimir Radu attempts to hold on to his many secrets. A vampire working the night shift as a store clerk, hiding away from the unrelenting sunlight and his insatiable bloodthirst, he also grapples with his own personal demons of sexuality and insecurity.
Balancing his newfound life among humans, Vlad tries to keep up appearances as an ordinary young man living in New Jersey, while keeping his old-fashioned undead parents happy. However, once they find out about his latest decision to no longer drink blood, they may have some objections.
Through it all, standing beside Vlad is his best friend, Alison Grady. Together they traverse his complex and unusual life. As the threat of vampire hunters, bashful butlers, and meddling occultists looms, Vlad must find the strength to confront his father's disapproval and embrace himself for who he actually is. It is time for Vlad to finally come out of the coffin!
Coming Out of the Coffin is a heartwarming LGBTQ+ tale and bloody coming-of-age story infused with both horror and comedy, showing the importance of friendship, the value of self-confidence, and being true to yourself.
Balancing his newfound life among humans, Vlad tries to keep up appearances as an ordinary young man living in New Jersey, while keeping his old-fashioned undead parents happy. However, once they find out about his latest decision to no longer drink blood, they may have some objections.
Through it all, standing beside Vlad is his best friend, Alison Grady. Together they traverse his complex and unusual life. As the threat of vampire hunters, bashful butlers, and meddling occultists looms, Vlad must find the strength to confront his father's disapproval and embrace himself for who he actually is. It is time for Vlad to finally come out of the coffin!
Coming Out of the Coffin is a heartwarming LGBTQ+ tale and bloody coming-of-age story infused with both horror and comedy, showing the importance of friendship, the value of self-confidence, and being true to yourself.
Paperback
First published July 28, 2023
1 person is currently reading
99 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 12, 2023
This is a great novel about a young vampire who wants to be normal. But he's got a lot going on. He's gay, he vows not to drink blood anymore, he has a crappy night shift job, a crush on the muscle head across the hall who has no idea he exists, a female best friend who tries to help (unsuccessfully), and a vampire hunter on his trail looking to get paid by taking him out.
Add to that old school parents who disapprove of his lifestyle choices and a boss who's always complaining and yelling and you have all the elements of this often funny, sometimes bloody and brutal, but redeeming story.
I really loved how the author kept some tropes of vampires but dismissed others. For instance, sunlight and religious imagery can severely injure or kill them but they don't live forever and can't turn into bats.
Through all of these things our blood sucking protagonist goes through, this is really a story about being true to yourself and being who you are despite the narrow mindedness of others. He learns this through the trials and near death experiences he encounters and does so with a sharp sense of humor amidst the bloodshed.
This could be the best vampire book you read all year. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it and it ends in such a way that there COULD be a sequel, which I'd definitely be into!
This novel is a great blend of funny and disturbing with enough heart to have you firmly on his side. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own opinion.
Add to that old school parents who disapprove of his lifestyle choices and a boss who's always complaining and yelling and you have all the elements of this often funny, sometimes bloody and brutal, but redeeming story.
I really loved how the author kept some tropes of vampires but dismissed others. For instance, sunlight and religious imagery can severely injure or kill them but they don't live forever and can't turn into bats.
Through all of these things our blood sucking protagonist goes through, this is really a story about being true to yourself and being who you are despite the narrow mindedness of others. He learns this through the trials and near death experiences he encounters and does so with a sharp sense of humor amidst the bloodshed.
This could be the best vampire book you read all year. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it and it ends in such a way that there COULD be a sequel, which I'd definitely be into!
This novel is a great blend of funny and disturbing with enough heart to have you firmly on his side. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own opinion.
July 17, 2023
The story of a vampire doing his best to fit in. On top of fighting his blood-sucking urges, Vlad is a self conscious young man struggling with his personal identity and fighting to be accepted by his parents. The character types are clearly established within the first few chapters and each interaction is easy to picture. The silly conversations paired beautifully with the graphic scenes, it was so easy to be caught off guard by the intensity of more graphic moments. Ultimately, this book is just a really good time, and the ending hints at a potential sequel!
This was my first time receiving an ARC and my first time reading a horror-comedy :)
This was my first time receiving an ARC and my first time reading a horror-comedy :)
July 28, 2024
I adore Vlad, the main character in this story, he is clumsy, funny, kind and so so so loveable… I relate to him in many aspects, specially in the being a vampire thing, but shhh don’t tell anyone… Not only did I love Vlad but I loved the secondary characters and antagonists (yes plural) as well, they add so much to the story and make it a lot more interesting.
This novel narrates Vlad`s self-discovery and him standing up for what he believes is right, together with his best friend Alison, they will fight for Vlad’s freedom, love and friendship, in a series of very unfortunate events, there’s a heist, quite a few murders and going to a gay bar and a gym (the gym is the scariest part).
If you love vampires with a twist, funny and scary stories, then this is the novel for you. I know I really loved it, and I hope if you read it, you’ll love it too.
July 26, 2023
What a ride.
This book was funny, smart, touching, gory, and a fun ride with plenty of twists and turns.
The main character, Vlad, was very relatable and I think we could all see something of ourselves in him (from one point in our lives or another) and his journey of self discovery.
A familiar, yet unique, spin on the vampire tale. Quite worth picking up.
This book was funny, smart, touching, gory, and a fun ride with plenty of twists and turns.
The main character, Vlad, was very relatable and I think we could all see something of ourselves in him (from one point in our lives or another) and his journey of self discovery.
A familiar, yet unique, spin on the vampire tale. Quite worth picking up.
January 4, 2024
Vlad is a young gay vampire. He wants a boring human life and even takes on the night shift at the local convenience store to realise his dreams. However, it turns out not to be that easy; a gym shark crush, his father, a vampire hunter and an occult scholar all stand between Vlad and the life he wants.
This is a fun book, which manages to deal with tricky issues while being a delightful read.
This is a fun book, which manages to deal with tricky issues while being a delightful read.
July 2, 2024
A fun, campy horror that emotionally feels like reading a combination of the show iZombie and the book This Delicious Death - except starring vampires instead of zombies. (Obviously).
If you were looking for an entertaining read that can simultaneously tackle real struggles that anyone in the community can relate to (disapproving parents, societal rejection, wanting to be true to oneself), with humor (and blood) throughout the pages, this is it.
We star our main character - Vlad Radu, as he begins to embrace his life as a gay vampire - and all the pitfalls that come with it. Between deciding how (or if) to come out - both to his parents and to the world at large - he’s stuck living your typical “regular” human life of a minimum wage job and having a crush on your neighbor. Or he would be, if somehow he didn’t keep getting caught in more and more ridiculous (and dangerous) situations. Together with his coworker Alison Grady, who quickly becomes his best friend, they have to learn how to survive Vlad’s new life as a vampire who doesn’t want to kill humans for their blood.
One thing I really enjoyed about this novel that I don’t see too often is that while there was a bit of romance present - the biggest strength given to Vlad is from his best friend Alison, and not a romantic partner. There’s nothing wrong with novels that allow the main character to find their potential strength to stand up for themselves due to someone they’re interested in, of course, but it’s very refreshing to have that same narrative apply to platonic relationships as well. Alison throughout this novel is Vlad’s emotional support and the one providing him the strength he needs to follow through with his convictions, and that was a breath of fresh air to read. While the main romantic interest in this novel does help Vlad, it’s Vlad’s relationship with Alison that remains his closest throughout the novel.
The message that platonic relationships can be just as important, if not more important than romantic ones, isn’t one I see too often when reading. I will admit that, up until the climatic resolution, I was half-expecting Vlad’s closeness with Alison to slowly fade away as he becomes closer with his romantic interest - and that never happens. Maybe it’s the aroace in me, but that was one of my favorite aspects of this novel that was just baked into it the entire time.
Overall, this was a fun and entertaining read, and I’m really excited for how the rest of this series goes forward.
If you were looking for an entertaining read that can simultaneously tackle real struggles that anyone in the community can relate to (disapproving parents, societal rejection, wanting to be true to oneself), with humor (and blood) throughout the pages, this is it.
We star our main character - Vlad Radu, as he begins to embrace his life as a gay vampire - and all the pitfalls that come with it. Between deciding how (or if) to come out - both to his parents and to the world at large - he’s stuck living your typical “regular” human life of a minimum wage job and having a crush on your neighbor. Or he would be, if somehow he didn’t keep getting caught in more and more ridiculous (and dangerous) situations. Together with his coworker Alison Grady, who quickly becomes his best friend, they have to learn how to survive Vlad’s new life as a vampire who doesn’t want to kill humans for their blood.
One thing I really enjoyed about this novel that I don’t see too often is that while there was a bit of romance present - the biggest strength given to Vlad is from his best friend Alison, and not a romantic partner. There’s nothing wrong with novels that allow the main character to find their potential strength to stand up for themselves due to someone they’re interested in, of course, but it’s very refreshing to have that same narrative apply to platonic relationships as well. Alison throughout this novel is Vlad’s emotional support and the one providing him the strength he needs to follow through with his convictions, and that was a breath of fresh air to read. While the main romantic interest in this novel does help Vlad, it’s Vlad’s relationship with Alison that remains his closest throughout the novel.
The message that platonic relationships can be just as important, if not more important than romantic ones, isn’t one I see too often when reading. I will admit that, up until the climatic resolution, I was half-expecting Vlad’s closeness with Alison to slowly fade away as he becomes closer with his romantic interest - and that never happens. Maybe it’s the aroace in me, but that was one of my favorite aspects of this novel that was just baked into it the entire time.
Overall, this was a fun and entertaining read, and I’m really excited for how the rest of this series goes forward.
March 12, 2024
«Coming out of the coffin» es un libro sobre un vampiro que trabaja en el shift nocturno y que no tiene amigos en general. Vive alrededor de los humanos ya que busca ser diferente que a los demás de su raza.
Cuando vi que el autor publicó este libro no dudé en comprarlo. Y es que obviamente tenía que comprarlo por el simple hecho de que es sobre un vampiro gay. ¿Necesitan más que eso? Imposible.
Me gustó mucho la trayectoria de Vlad, nuestro vampiro, rodeándose de humanos cada noche en su trabajo. Es aquí cuando comienzan los pensamientos acerca de si puede contarle a las demás personas cercanas a él (humanos) sobre su condición. Alison, la amiga de nuestro Vlad es una mujer que me dejó satisfecho con su rol en este libro como la amiga de Vlad.
Tengo mis dudas sobre ella, no les voy a mentir, pero solo espero que en el siguiente libro ella no se vuelva antagonista.
Los padres de Vlad fueron dos personajes que me daban rabia y miedo a la vez. Ya hasta parecen padres latinoamericanos de lo malos que son con su hijo. Solo quiero que abran los ojos y se den cuenta de todo lo que han hecho con su hijo.
El interés amoroso en este libro fue mínimo, está presente más no es muy importante, siento que quedó como en segundo plano. Y es aquí cuando tengo que hablar de los cazadores, no tuvieron tanto protagonismo como hubiese querido. Bueno, siento que estoy tan influenciado con series juveniles tipo Shadowhunters que solo quiero acción y peleas a cada rato.
No voy a negar que hubiese deseado más sobre ellos, pero ahí entra lo malo, eso que me hizo sufrir leyendo el libro y es el hecho de que los cazadores usan un inglés súper difícil de entender y las palabras que usaban se me hacían muy extrañas, el resto estuvo fácil de digerir.
He quedado con dudas acerca del libro y de la historia, como por ejemplo ¿de qué se trataba el libro? Porque no supe si era romance, encontrarse a sí mismo, acción, fantasía o solo era el inicio de un mundo que sería explotado en la segunda parte.
El final, dios mío, siento que nunca pensé que terminara así. Yo pensé que nunca pasaría y ¡PUM! que el autor lo hace. Estoy satisfecho con este libro y tengo ganas de leer la segunda parte para saber en qué termina la historia de Vlad.
Cuando vi que el autor publicó este libro no dudé en comprarlo. Y es que obviamente tenía que comprarlo por el simple hecho de que es sobre un vampiro gay. ¿Necesitan más que eso? Imposible.
Me gustó mucho la trayectoria de Vlad, nuestro vampiro, rodeándose de humanos cada noche en su trabajo. Es aquí cuando comienzan los pensamientos acerca de si puede contarle a las demás personas cercanas a él (humanos) sobre su condición. Alison, la amiga de nuestro Vlad es una mujer que me dejó satisfecho con su rol en este libro como la amiga de Vlad.
Tengo mis dudas sobre ella, no les voy a mentir, pero solo espero que en el siguiente libro ella no se vuelva antagonista.
Los padres de Vlad fueron dos personajes que me daban rabia y miedo a la vez. Ya hasta parecen padres latinoamericanos de lo malos que son con su hijo. Solo quiero que abran los ojos y se den cuenta de todo lo que han hecho con su hijo.
El interés amoroso en este libro fue mínimo, está presente más no es muy importante, siento que quedó como en segundo plano. Y es aquí cuando tengo que hablar de los cazadores, no tuvieron tanto protagonismo como hubiese querido. Bueno, siento que estoy tan influenciado con series juveniles tipo Shadowhunters que solo quiero acción y peleas a cada rato.
No voy a negar que hubiese deseado más sobre ellos, pero ahí entra lo malo, eso que me hizo sufrir leyendo el libro y es el hecho de que los cazadores usan un inglés súper difícil de entender y las palabras que usaban se me hacían muy extrañas, el resto estuvo fácil de digerir.
He quedado con dudas acerca del libro y de la historia, como por ejemplo ¿de qué se trataba el libro? Porque no supe si era romance, encontrarse a sí mismo, acción, fantasía o solo era el inicio de un mundo que sería explotado en la segunda parte.
El final, dios mío, siento que nunca pensé que terminara así. Yo pensé que nunca pasaría y ¡PUM! que el autor lo hace. Estoy satisfecho con este libro y tengo ganas de leer la segunda parte para saber en qué termina la historia de Vlad.
October 21, 2025
A shy gay vampire trying to live a normal life? I’m obsessed. Such a great premise and an amazing read.
Vampire Vlad tries to live a normal life by working in an all-night supermarket. His parents want him to stick to tradition, drink blood, avoid sunlight, and act like a proper vampire, but Vlad’s done with all that. With his best friend Alison by his side, he’s trying to figure out who he really is while dodging hunters, awkward secrets, and his dad’s disapproval. Funny, heartfelt, and a little bit bloody, this story is about finding the courage to be yourself, even if you’re undead.
What really makes this book stand out is how it flips the usual vampire story on its head. A young gay vampire trying to figure himself out? I was hooked right away. Vlad’s awkward first steps toward coming out are so painfully real it almost hurts to read, but you can’t help rooting for him. The mix of weird vampires, even weirder humans, and totally bizarre situations makes it impossible to put down. It’s funny, a little disturbing, and surprisingly heartfelt—I laughed out loud and felt for Vlad every step of the way.
Vampire Vlad tries to live a normal life by working in an all-night supermarket. His parents want him to stick to tradition, drink blood, avoid sunlight, and act like a proper vampire, but Vlad’s done with all that. With his best friend Alison by his side, he’s trying to figure out who he really is while dodging hunters, awkward secrets, and his dad’s disapproval. Funny, heartfelt, and a little bit bloody, this story is about finding the courage to be yourself, even if you’re undead.
What really makes this book stand out is how it flips the usual vampire story on its head. A young gay vampire trying to figure himself out? I was hooked right away. Vlad’s awkward first steps toward coming out are so painfully real it almost hurts to read, but you can’t help rooting for him. The mix of weird vampires, even weirder humans, and totally bizarre situations makes it impossible to put down. It’s funny, a little disturbing, and surprisingly heartfelt—I laughed out loud and felt for Vlad every step of the way.
June 9, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
♡ Vampires
♡ Coming of Age
♡ Wholesome Friendships
Trying to live a normal life as a vampire isn’t quite what Vlad was expecting. Being gay on top of that only complicated things even more as he ventured farther into his own self-discovery.
I really enjoyed this book, Alison and Vlad’s friendship was great even if her attempts to help him were more or less unsuccessful. Their night shift job just brought in a great sense for the atmosphere as well.
Vlad’s parents deserve to be staked in the heart but other than that it was a delightful read with a sense of learning how to be yourself, good humor, and wholesome friendship. There are a few more serious issues that are brought up but it’s written really well.
Spice Level: 🌶️ (1/5)
Angst Level: 💧💧 (2/5)
POV: Third Person
Release Date: 28, July 2023
Rep: LGBTQIA+ (Characters)
⚠️ Content Warnings:
Graphic: Cursing and Blood
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Murder, Classism, and Death
August 30, 2024
This wasn't bad. I really do hate to.. put it down. But I just can't rate it unfairly. The writing is good, the story is pretty interesting, although I feel like there was a lot of buildup for nothing? I just... Hated the characters. Yeah, they were interesting and pretty realistic. But I hated Vlad at some points. Alison was also sort of.. odd. I don't really know. This book was weird. The vibes from the cover were a vampire gay romance, the book itself was a pretty brutal.. coming out story? I mean seriously, there was so much bloodshed and just.. cruelty. Idk, I guess if I expected it I would enjoy it more. I might try the second book, since this did keep me interested.
May 5, 2024
Tohle mi nesedlo zase až tak, jak jsem si představovala. Možná je to tím, že jsem trochu nepochopila ten humor nebo ta kniha možná neví, jestli si chce hrát na vtipnou nebo jestli se chce brát vážně.
November 10, 2025
Man, this one kinda hit me in the feels at times! But then it went ahead and relieved that with hella witty dialogue. Something about finding yourself and religious symbols being terrible. Vampires are usually kind of a drag for me, but this was spot on. K thx.
Read
October 16, 2023Pretty good. Read my review at MonsterBookClub [dot] com
October 10, 2024
Actual rating: 2.5 ⭐️
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews