A review by dr_dr_olshakes
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I know this is the book everyone recommends if you want to read a true dyed in the wool "slasher," and that is completely correct. From the set up, to the kills, to the final girl with an androgynous name, this is a slasher. Where it differs is that it makes me care about the usual lousy piece-of-shit teen characters. Don't get me wrong, they are definitely lousy pieces of shit (except for my king bby boi Rust), but the author didn't try to flatten them (most of them) into mean-spirited cannon fodder. I mean, they were still absolutely cannon fodder! But you get all the joys of the canon fodder with a nice bonus of interiority! 

Overall, a great time. Loved the gore, the fast pace, and the dedication to the genre!