Review: Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

Author: Adam Cesare
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: August 2020

Quinn Maybrook just wants to make it until graduation. She might not make it to morning.

Quinn and her father moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs to find a fresh start. But ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half. On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can.

Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.


I love a good teen slasher book and/or film.  I was holding out hope that Clown in a Cornfield would be one to add to my list of favorites.  While it didn't necessary completely live up to my expectations, I still enjoyed the overall horror aspect of the book.  The book involves Quinn, who is new to town.  Her first day at school finds her in detention with the "popular" kids who have a desire to make it famous in YouTube. She quickly realizes, the small town is at war with itself and she is caught in the middle.

As far as the gore factor goes, I loved it.  It had the right amount of gore to make is a decent 'slasher" story.  Some of the deaths were over the top, but any slasher fan will appreciate that.  I did find the characters interesting and not your stereotypical teens.  That was a bit refreshing.   I found myself rooting for them.  I also liked that no one was safe.  The epilogue was a bit predictable.

My biggest issue with the book was the lack of suspense.  I figured out what was going on very early on in the book.  There needed to be more build up and maybe a twist or two to keep me guessing.  Maybe if the whole book had been written from just Quinn's perspective it would have been harder to figure it out so quickly.  Having multiple perspectives took the surprise out of the reveal for me. I usually see slasher films as kind of cautionary tales for teens and I guess there was one here. However, I'm not convinced they learned anything in the end.  

This is the second book that I have read by this author.  I'll have to check out his back list and give him another try.  I think this would be a good movie.  Who doesn't love killer clowns?  So, would I recommend it?  Sure.   It was a fun, just not everything I wanted.