Clown in a Cornfield - Likewise Book Reviews

"If you're into slasher films, this is a good pick. A simple but enjoyable read. 3 out of 5."

"Ummm, this took a while to get into. The plot picked up after 100 pages and I think I only continued on because of all the killings. He describes them in different ways which was cool but the "bad guys" where a dead give away and I'm not sure if the author meant for it to be that way or not. The main character(s) were okay, switching the pov's out of nowhere threw me off a little. I don't know if I'll be reading book 2, but this is a good book to read for the spooky season definitely not for Christmas season though 😅. I still love clowns!"

"2.5ishhh? I liked some parts of this book. However, I can't look past some of the silliness of this book, although part of me thinks the author wanted to show show ridiculous politics and far right or left is crazy and impractical. Also, I do love a good, corrupted town official's suffering in the end, especially bad cops 👮‍♂️"

"Clowns in a Cornfield had all the makings of a cliche 90s slasher film but set in 2020s. But cliche in a good way. Everyone loves those movies or atleast respects them. Still while it gave me those nostalgic vibes it was more of a "I've already seen this before". In the end with the big reveal it didn't hold up.<br/><br/>When I first met these kids I ain't going to lie I was ready for all of them to get murdered. You usually have a couple characters you like and a select few who are jerks waiting for the axe to fall. I didn't care for any of these people. There wasn't much background or depth to them so when the body count started adding up it didn't affect me in any way.<br/><br/>The atmosphere was dark and creepy still there was little to no suspense. And I think the biggest issue of all was the motivation of these killings that was so far out there it was not to be believed. Sorry but without spoiling it I can't go into further detail. Just trust me it made no sense and isn't even remotely plausible."

"Loved this fast pace slasher! I couldn’t put it down, definitely recommend! "

"Clown in a Cornfield is a really fun slasher, and it was different than what I was expecting. This is my second Adam Cesare book, and both stories have been really entertaining. If you need a gory and creative slasher, I highly recommend picking up Clown in a Cornfield!"

"I loved this book! I wasn't expecting the gore and was pleasantly surprised to actually care for the characters. It also gave me major Scream vibes, so of course I was hooked. "

"The book is literally the title, clowns every where, kids are not ok by any means "

"A YA slasher with plenty of gore. A fun and wild ride."

"Not sure how this classifies as a YA novel…. Crazy, violent, good fun "

"Wow.....way better then I was expecting it to be. Graphic enough to picture what is going on yet not too graphic. The perfect blend. I can understand why this one the Bram Stoker award. I am looking forward to reading Clown of the Cornfield 2"

"I thought it was just okay. It wasn’t slow, or a bad read, I just thought it was going to be much more gore and horror, so I was a bit disappointed. "

"Going to be honest, I wasn't really wanting to read this. But it turned out to be really good, I loved the twists and all the characters!! "

"I’m trying to be more accurate with my star ratings and I just didn’t really like this one"

"this was a fun read! it was mostly what you would expect from the title (clown, cornfield) but there were definitely a few moments that had me like "woahh" and the plot did kind of go somewhere I wouldn't have expected. overall I enjoyed it and I'm definitely gonna pick up the sequel when I get a chance"

"Did I read a different book than all these glowing reviews? The dialogue was clunky, the description was often clumsy written, and the overall plot was mind numbing. I got through it to say I finished, not for any sense of enjoyment."

"It was an enjoyable and creepy book that had a few gory details the second part dragged on a bit too much but the writing was fluid and easy to read."

"Awesome killer clown story, just in time for spooky season. "

"Great spooky slasher read with all the best corny slasher movie vibes/dialogue. I loved it and can’t wait to read part two! Frendo Lives!"

"Didn't hate the book but was expecting something different, felt that the motives of the killings were stupid. Was disappointed but still a fun and quick read. It was more towards the end of the book when it fell apart."

"Great story revolving around Quinn Maybrook, a HS student, who has moved to Kettle Springs Missouri with her father after the death of her mother from drug overdose. She makes some friends fairly quickly, but things turn dark when someone in a clown costume starts murdering all of the teenagers in town. There is a lot of death and dismemberment, but the twist at the end of who is behind this will shock you. I am looking forward to reading the next one!"

"This was a fun one! "

"This was a really fun and quick read--definitely a slasher film but in novel format. I would've liked more time in beginning getting to know the characters, but there was enough background for me to care about certain characters and what happened to them. My biggest complaint is I wish the "why" was something more solid. It seemed pretty flimsy for a reason to go on a murder spree."

"Amazing book, it’s like “Scream” meets “The Purge”. This is my all time favorite horror book. I highly recommend it. "

"<strong>This was better than i thought it would</strong><br/><br/>I enjoyed it. It was definitely better than i thought it woke be... Some surprises and very edge of your seat kind of book."

"I thought I had it pinned down and then it took a helluva turn that I absolutely HATED"

"I thought this book was going to be silly and fun. Instead I got lame and terrible characters. "

"If you like slasher movies or anything to do with slashers, this book is probably for you. 🖤"

"Loved this book so much! It would make an amazing slasher movie"

"Amazing read could not put it down."

"This was definitely a fun read: super fast-paced and you’ve gotta love a book where once the bloody action starts it doesn’t let up! I loved the gory bits and thought the author could have doubled down before I realized this is geared towards a YA audience (?) What starts as a relatively straightforward teen slasher twists and morphs into something more sinister. If you love horror it will be hard not to enjoy this one!"

"If you love horror, how can you not be at least a little curious about a book titled CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD? Really though. You know all you need to to get started. Alright, I'll tell you a little more, but I don't want to ruin anything so you won't see any spoilers here.<br/><br/>Quinn and her father move to a small town called Kettle Springs (not sure they ever tell us what state the town is in) where he's accepted a position as the town's new doctor. The town seems to be stuck in a Norman Rockwell painting, or at least the adults seem to think it should be. The kids Quinn makes friends with seem to be pretty normal teenagers- too cool for the town and just want to have fun. Come to think of it, Kettle Springs kind of reminds me of the town in Footloose. So what do kids do to blow off steam? They have parties in vacant barns. Those barns are in cornfields. See where this is going?<br/><br/>This book was a ride! Like a roller coaster, it takes some time to get to that peak...but once the clinking of the chain stops, the screaming starts and doesn't let up from there. There are some twists and turns...at least one I absolutely didn't see coming. The first part of the book never feels unnecessary, but the pace is definitely slower than the second half. I didn't have any issues getting through the slower parts though as I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.<br/><br/>I'm not totally sure why this is YA? Yeah, the characters are teenagers and I can see where teens might relate Quinn or her friends more than adults do, but there's nothing YA about the horror or gore. There are some brutal kills in this book that would feel right at home in any other horror novel your parents didn't want you to read when you were younger.<br/><br/>So why not five stars? There are parts of this book that I think are timely and relevant, and I would I wish the author leaned harder into those moments. I think there was an opportunity to really "go there", but that may be an unpopular opinion. What's there gets the job done. When you read it, you'll know what I'm referring to, but I wanted more. Also I'm not entirely sure the antagonist's motive worked for me, but it may work for you. Neither of those things would stop me from recommending this book.<br/><br/>This is my first slasher and my first Adam Cesare novel (looking forward to checking out his other work), so I can't compare it to another any other slashers. But as someone that reads horror novels in general, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope it's not the last time we're in Kettle Springs."