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A review by _chelseachelsea
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
dark
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
Did you guys know it’s possible for a book to pull off a jump scare??
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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