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_chelseachelsea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I finished Clown in a Cornfield in one night. Cesare is smart - he knows you picked up this book because you want to see some clowns, some corn, and some gore, so he doesn’t waste much time. Even though the fast pace makes the characters’ motivations a bit of a stretch in terms of believability, it ultimately works in the story’s favor. You get what you came for, and the book truly delivers on creepiness and slashing.
I preferred the smaller moments of horror (one person being stalked by the killer) over the chaotic, large-scale action that dominates most of the last 2/3 of the book, but again, Cesare knows what he’s trying to deliver. This isn’t a slow-burn slasher, it’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, baby.
There’s a message to the violence of CIAC that’s not very subtle and a little too spelled-out, but given the book’s YA themes, I’m going to be forgiving there. This is a scary story about rebellion, revenge, and rage, and even when the plot’s pacing is somewhat uneven, it never loses sight of those ideas.
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Car accident, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Medical content
kit's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Gore, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
kfalls's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Torture, and Violence
sheryl_macca's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
With nothing to do, nowhere to go and little phone or WiFi signal the neighborhood teenagers are thrown together and forced to be creative. Friends and frenemies flirting, drinking, letting off fireworks, gossiping and figuring out the new girl from Philadelphia with the dead Mom. Nothing seriously criminal but enough to anger the old school seemingly conservative adults of the town.
Enter a serial killer Frendo with a crossbow and a flaming torch to teach those kids a lesson. Another killer clown appears with a circular saw, even more Frendo's are hunting down the party goers with axes and shotguns. All killing indiscriminately with an insatiable hunger for a revenge that the teenagers don't yet understand. What separates the teens is quickly forgotten as they realise that they can only survive by working together. Their differences are not important right now but they won't stay forgotten for long.
Adam Cesare has created a modern slasher love child of a Point Horror book and a Stephen King short story. Clown In A Cornfield has just the right amount of cliché, a really high body count and a savage level of gore for its 15+ teen audience. As an adult horror veteran I found this book to be fun, extremely bloody and perfect for a seasonal Halloween read.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Grief
folkmare's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Addiction, Medical trauma, and Kidnapping
Minor: Drug abuse