Scan barcode
readraterelate's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fun slasher book in the style of 90s slashers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
chelseamayxxx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow this book was incredible I don’t like clowns as they scare they hell out of me and this book did exactly the same-thing scare me but I really enjoyed this book it had me hooked from page one and didn’t let go till the very last page. The cliffhanger at the end of the book has got me wanting to buy book two to read it straight away. The clowns in this book were described so well and the amount of detail into each individual clown was told so perfect as you found out who most the clowns were and what there reasons were for been so bad and angry. The teenagers in this book worked well together and they all made the book that more connected and made the story more enjoyable. I really liked the newbie girl in this book as she doenst take no shit and I liked how well she fitted into this book aswell. The writing was so descriptive and so well written though out the whole book. Can’t wait to read book two and book three when it’s realised xxx
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Blood, Violence, and Murder
theknm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book was definitely a great read in the case of the second half where i couldn't put it down. The suspense did take a bit and the side characters did annoy me a little which is my only con but i think it was called for a bit cause of the big reveal - but everything else, the pacing, the past/future chain events that lead to the big climax, the small town lore of Frendo the clown mascot, and even horror movie aspect of it. One of the parts i didnt expect was of the big climax obviously but the main one was when the mayor or mayor candidate gets killed in plain sight. All and all cant wait for the next one !!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Blood, Death, Gore, and Suicide attempt
kikis_a_book_wh0r3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was a really good story. Adam Cesar definitely keeps you on your toes and gives an amazing anxiety ridden tale of small town folks going crazy. Ultimately I feel like this would be a plan that MAGA would try to pull. Scary to think about. Its genocide but kept local? Lol I love that the ending sets it up for a sequel in true movie ending form!! A perfect nod to the classic slasher films. The audio performance was great as well! Definitely going to be checking out 2 & 3!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Grief, Police brutality, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Bullying
dblue236's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The title and cover tell you pretty much everything you need to know about this book. It's part teen slasher, part satire, all gore, and I honestly kind of loved it despite itself. It reminded me of the movies I loved as a teen, and the "reveal" toward the end that made it feel more like satire added to the fun, rather than detracting from it. This definitely didn't move any mountains, but that wasn't the intent and sometimes that's okay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Suicide, and Drug abuse
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Alcohol, and Vomit
belalugosissdad's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was a good story and I would have went crazy for this book in high school which is the intended audience being a Y/A novel. Pretty graphic and uncomfortable but if you really get down to brass tacs it’s not that far off of the reality of a lot of American school trauma…just with killer clowns and a looming generational difference. Good read! Will probably listen to the second book on audio.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Gore, and Mass/school shootings
kromez7's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury
karlaolivera's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
An amazing, fun slasher!
It uses some of the main tropes of the genre por I've never come across a slasher so thought out!
I've seen some mixed reviews but to me everything seemed intentional and when you thought some cliché was comming, it would take a 180 and surprise you!
Amazing horror youn adult novel. (but still very gruesome specially because there is the killing of teenagers involved)
It uses some of the main tropes of the genre por I've never come across a slasher so thought out!
I've seen some mixed reviews but to me everything seemed intentional and when you thought some cliché was comming, it would take a 180 and surprise you!
Amazing horror youn adult novel. (but still very gruesome specially because there is the killing of teenagers involved)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
djm_chal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I'm writing this a few days after finishing because I can't stop thinking about it. Horror novels aren’t really something I have gravitated towards in the past, and I don’t even remember why I picked this one up to begin with, but it hooked me right from the beginning. Listening to this was a wild ride and definitely helped me not accidentally spoil myself by looking at the bottom of the page before I got there. I had the same kind of reactions I get when watching a horror movie, and kept surprising me until the very end. I'm very intrigued about where the next book will go with these characters and hope it will be just as terrifying and surprising as this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, and Murder
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a fast-paced story with a very good menacing slasher versus high school kids premise. And hey, there’s a clown involved and there’s not much that’s scarier than a clown showing up in your house at night… with or without a knife!
The story primarily revolves around a group of high school students, most of whom are entitled, immature, disrespectful, and reckless in their behavior. I imagine that’s requisite to understand why they might end up in the crosshairs of a psycho killer, but it’s also pivotal to the storyline. After the main character, teenager Quinn, and her physician father move from the city to a small rural town, she finds herself accidentally falling in with a group of popular and influential high school peers, the aforementioned teenagers whose behavior is more often than not an annoyance to the adults and authorities in the little town.
The book’s timeline is set during the town’s Founder’s Day celebration, which includes a parade and festival set near a cornfield. Unfortunately, this year’s festivities include a serious dose of revenge and murder with the town’s teen population being dealt most of the damage. Are all the characters likable? Nope, but many are good-hearted people, like Quinn and her father, and the story is packed full of action as they fight to survive Frendo, the town’s clown mascot, recently turned into a killing machine.
I enjoyed this well-written story and felt invested in the outcome of everyone, even the snotty and arrogant problem teens. There are a lot of adult perspectives presented throughout the story so it’s definitely not solely focused on the teens’ experiences. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Jesse Vilinsky, did a great job presenting the story and portraying a wide range of characters.
The story primarily revolves around a group of high school students, most of whom are entitled, immature, disrespectful, and reckless in their behavior. I imagine that’s requisite to understand why they might end up in the crosshairs of a psycho killer, but it’s also pivotal to the storyline. After the main character, teenager Quinn, and her physician father move from the city to a small rural town, she finds herself accidentally falling in with a group of popular and influential high school peers, the aforementioned teenagers whose behavior is more often than not an annoyance to the adults and authorities in the little town.
The book’s timeline is set during the town’s Founder’s Day celebration, which includes a parade and festival set near a cornfield. Unfortunately, this year’s festivities include a serious dose of revenge and murder with the town’s teen population being dealt most of the damage. Are all the characters likable? Nope, but many are good-hearted people, like Quinn and her father, and the story is packed full of action as they fight to survive Frendo, the town’s clown mascot, recently turned into a killing machine.
I enjoyed this well-written story and felt invested in the outcome of everyone, even the snotty and arrogant problem teens. There are a lot of adult perspectives presented throughout the story so it’s definitely not solely focused on the teens’ experiences. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Jesse Vilinsky, did a great job presenting the story and portraying a wide range of characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent