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A review by leandrathetbrzero
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ghostface Gets a Makeover...Meet Frendo the Clown
↓ Similar Reading/Watching Experiences ↓
(1) Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare (book 2, TBP)
(2) Watch: Scream
(3) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Quinn Maybrook and her father move from Philadelphia to Kettle Springs, Missouri, in hopes of a fresh start. They don’t realize that they’ve entered a community with a ticking time bomb. When Quinn is invited by the school’s cool kids to a party out in the corn, what begins as an odd yet fun barn party quickly turns into a bloodbath. Quinn and other party-goers must do all that they can to survive the night, running from the town’s mascot: Frendo the Clown.
I borrowed this book from my hometown library while visiting my parents one week during August. The book was devoured and returned within 2 days of my receiving it. As soon as I heard the synopsis for Clown in a Cornfield, I knew I had to give this YA Horror a try. It seemed like a book that would give me Scream vibes from start and finish, and I wasn’t wrong! The tension was palpable among the characters and, as soon as the action started, I lost track of the body count. I also loved the social commentary on the war raging between today’s generations over politics, culture, and social justice reform. It isn’t something you expect to see in a slasher, but it also did not overpower the narrative at all.
While the book ends in a fiery ball of chaos, I was totally along for the ride. And I am fully satisfied with the ending. So much so, that I will likely not have the emotional strength to pick up book 2, Frendo Lives. I’ve heard we can’t trust that those who lived through book 1 will survive the sequel. This likely excites the hardcore horror readers, but not me. I would rather believe the survivors attended life-long therapy after such traumatic events and died of old age.
This book is 100% Certified Fresh (blood). It’s not one to miss this spooky season!
↓ Similar Reading/Watching Experiences ↓
(1) Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare (book 2, TBP)
(2) Watch: Scream
(3) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Quinn Maybrook and her father move from Philadelphia to Kettle Springs, Missouri, in hopes of a fresh start. They don’t realize that they’ve entered a community with a ticking time bomb. When Quinn is invited by the school’s cool kids to a party out in the corn, what begins as an odd yet fun barn party quickly turns into a bloodbath. Quinn and other party-goers must do all that they can to survive the night, running from the town’s mascot: Frendo the Clown.
I borrowed this book from my hometown library while visiting my parents one week during August. The book was devoured and returned within 2 days of my receiving it. As soon as I heard the synopsis for Clown in a Cornfield, I knew I had to give this YA Horror a try. It seemed like a book that would give me Scream vibes from start and finish, and I wasn’t wrong! The tension was palpable among the characters and, as soon as the action started, I lost track of the body count. I also loved the social commentary on the war raging between today’s generations over politics, culture, and social justice reform. It isn’t something you expect to see in a slasher, but it also did not overpower the narrative at all.
While the book ends in a fiery ball of chaos, I was totally along for the ride. And I am fully satisfied with the ending. So much so, that I will likely not have the emotional strength to pick up book 2, Frendo Lives. I’ve heard we can’t trust that those who lived through book 1 will survive the sequel. This likely excites the hardcore horror readers, but not me. I would rather believe the survivors attended life-long therapy after such traumatic events and died of old age.
This book is 100% Certified Fresh (blood). It’s not one to miss this spooky season!