The Completist: CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD by Adam Cesare

Coulrophobia: the fear of clowns. The setting of a cornfield (Lost in a Maize over at TVTropes). Two prominent and familiar horror elements, so if you combine a creepy clown figure with the tried-and-true setting of cornfields, you’ve got two great tastes that taste great together in the horror genre. Thus, we have Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield trilogy. 

The first novel in the series, Clown in a Cornfield (published in 2020) introduces readers to Quinn Maybrook, who moved from Philadelphia to Kettle Springs, MO with her father (a Doctor) after the death of her mother. Kettle Springs fits the trope of many such stories: that of a town seemingly passed by the future. A once booming industry/company was at the center or Kettle Springs – The Baypen Corn Syrup Factory, which recently closed and was burned down.

Before we meet Quinn; however, Cesare introduces some of the local Kettle Spring teens hanging out at a flooded rock quarry. As teenagers are won’t to do, they dare each other to do something dangerous and potentially stupid: dive into the water. When one of the kids doesn’t resurface, the tone of the novel (and series) is largely set: there will be deaths.

Quinn is barely settled into her new home and school when Frendo the Clown makes its appearance known. Quinn is invited by her newfound friend Cole Hill (whose father happens to own Baypen) and his friends Janet, Ronnie, Matt, and Tucker to join the Founder’s Day party (the typical small-town celebration) as well as the after-party in the neighboring cornfield. Frendo shows up at the after-party, uninvited, and starts killing people. Frendo was the mascot of the Baypen Corn Syrup company, but its face and appearance have been appropriated – much like the Ghostface from the Scream film franchise – so people could begin murdering the teenagers. Especially the “troublesome” kids. Classic slasher, kill the kids. But who? We don't exactly have a Billy Loomis figure here, but Cesare doesn't try to give a red herring in that way.

Horror has often been laced with social commentary and Cesare picks up that baton from his predecessors. The parents of this community are somewhat locked in their ways, they don’t have much trust in their kids and the kids who live in Kettle Springs. The death at the rock quarry only hones those thoughts even more. One might even say these parents want to make Kettle Springs great again. There’s very much an undercurrent of that “things were better when we were younger, these kids are ruining everything” mentality that can easily lead down a path of toxicity.

Some of those adults include Cole’s father Athur Hill, Sheriff Dunn, a waitress named Trudy, among others, but Arthur and Sheriff Dunn serve as the primary antagonists of the novel who drive the adults to take care of their kids’s mistakes. 

The first novel, then, has elements of the expected (but very much heightened) friction between two generations; slashers; and small town with dark secrets. Think one part Stand by Me, one part Footloose, and one part Scream.

Clown in a Cornfield is an impressive, compulsively addictive novel. Cesare manages to craft a story that has appeal to hardcore horror fans (like myself) as well as a story that is welcoming to readers not as into the genre. The book is published by Harper Teen and has that YA appeal with the youthful protagonists at odds with adult antagonists. For his efforts and the quality that is the outcome of those wonderful efforts, Adam Cesare received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel for Clown in a Cornfield. I haven’t read the other books on the finalist list from that year, but I can say I am not surprised in the least that Cesare won the award.

The second book, Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives, picks up about a year after the events of the first novel. Few have survived the onslaught of Frendo (or rather, Frendos), although Quinn is one of the survivors as are Cole and Rusty, who are now officially a couple. Quinn is at college in Philadelphia and thanks to a “documentary” called The Baypen Hoax nobody believes that what happened to Quinn and her friends is real. Even when she is attacked by another Frendo during a college party at the same time her father is attached by a Frendo back in Kettle Springs. Quinn is still at the center of the story in the second installment, the heart of everything.

Of course, Cole, Rusty, and Quinn return to Kettle Springs where they learn of conspiracies and an internet movement around Frendo, #FrendoLives, which gives us the subtitle of the second novel. There’s a good bit of social commentary in this book again, such as that internet movement and how many people think the events in Kettle Spring are a hoax. Not quite social commentary, but a statement, I suppose is making the primary romantic couple in the book a gay couple. More than anything, it is a normalization of the relationship and it is quite welcome.

In general, I think Cesare did a great job of weaving these kinds of messages into the story, making them essential elements to the story, but not browbeating the reader with any heavy-handedness. Frendo definitely lives, there’s an army of Frendos at one point in a harrowing, pulse-pounding scene. Nobody really escapes this second installment unscathed and by the end, Quinn is a mentally and emotionally scarred young woman with a list and a purpose. 

The finale, Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo, is a departure in some ways from the two novels that preceded it which is not a bad thing at all. Again, though, Quinn is a heart of the novel. She is on a mission to find the various people who donned Frendo masks and tried to storm Kettle Springs in Frendo Lives. Joining Quinn is a young man named Johnny as well as the ghost of the original Frendo masked killer, Arthur Hill although only Quinn can see Arthur. The two regularly converse which makes clear that Quinn is Dealing With Some Shit, understandably.

While Quinn is tackling her hitlist, the “dream” of Frendo is still alive back in Kettle Springs. By dream, I mean church (as the title implies), but what I really mean is a cult. Cesare gives us a great sightline into this church/religious movement through a couple of the young girls whose parents are swept up (in more than one way) in the Church. Another thing Quinn isn’t quite aware of is that somebody is pursuing her. Rather, she knows she’s a recognizable individual and just might be a fugitive, but she isn't fully aware a sinister organization is hunting her just as she’s hunting the members of the Frendo mob.

The Church of Frendo, much like its two predecessors is an addictive read; the pacing is frantic (in a good way) and Cesare continues to give his characters depth, they engender empathy, they are relatable, and they are interesting. A very satisfying conclusion to Quinn Maybrook’s story. Cesare has intimated he may have more stories set in this world, if so, sign me up for them!

Cesare has managed to give horror fans a fascinating and complex take on the “Final Girl” in Quinn Maybrook. You can see elements of Sidney Prescott (Scream) and Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Quinn is not going to be kept down, she’s going to take charge of her destiny. Quinn felt very real to me, I couldn't help but root for her throughout the saga. As I said earlier, Clown in a Cornfield is one of those great stories that has appeal to long time horror readers (of which I count myself) and people curious about the genre or somewhat unfamiliar.

As I was writing up this review, I realize how little I mentioned the fact that this is a YA set of books. I think part of that is because my experience reading these books is that Cesare just told a great story, labels be damned. The imprint is Harper Teen and Cesare explicitly aimed these books at young adults. Be that as it may, do NOT let that dissuade you or let you think these books are "soft" or "tame." That’s part of what I was getting at in that these books will and should have wide appeal horror readers of all ages. There's blood, there's murder, there's adult themes. The social commentary is woven naturally and elegantly into the story and it isn’t tacked on.  

The bottom line: Clown in a Cornfield is a modern horror masterpiece and I am looking forward to more stories from Adam Cesare. 

I am also looking forward to see the film, which is written and directed by Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Little Evil) which is in post-production as of this writing. It is listed on imdb, but I haven't seen too much official about it outside of this post at the venerable and indispensable Bloody Disgusting web site.

Dark Ink: A Day of Horror 2024 at the Doylestown Bookshop

Time to inject a little dark life into this blog… 

This past weekend (08/03/24), The Doylestown Bookshop held their first (of what many attendees and authors hope) was the first Dark Ink: A Day of Horror event, celebrating horror in its printed form. You can see from the promo image above, the event featured some of the leading voices in the horror genre. I’ve visited the Doylestown Bookshop a few times over the years, usually when Chuck Wendig is involved in the event (the release of Wayward in 2022 and before that, in the before-times when Chuck Wendig, Fran Wilde, and Kevin Hearne had an event celebrating the release of Kevin Hearne's Scourged. 

Back to the Dark Ink...

Although I have to cross the State Line dividing New Jersey and Pennsylvania, I’d consider the Doylestown bookshop is the closest, good independent bookshop that supports Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. As for Dark Ink, when I saw the line up of writers who would be featured, it was a no-brainer for me to make the 30-minute drive to attend. The first panel featured Adam Cesare (whose Clown in a Cornfield teen slasher trilogy is fantastic), Rachel Harrison (whose horror novels are modern classics, like Black Sheep and Such Sharp Teeth), and new-to-me writer Caitlin Marceau. Panel moderator Violet James McMaster did a great job leading the discussion. I hadn’t encountered Marceau’s fiction prior to that day, but hearing her on the panel pushed me to buy a copy of (what I think may have been the last copy) This is Where We Talk Things Out. It was great to briefly chat with these three writers as they were signing my books and I was able to confirm with Rachel Harrison that the amusement park mentioned in Black Sheep was indeed a certain Land up in North Jersey I visited many, many years ago as a child. 

The next panel was about Cover and Book Design and featured Andie Reid, the Creative Director at Quirk Books and Todd Keisling graphic designer and author in his own right, moderated by Marguerite/Peg Turley. This was a fascinating “look” into who at Quirk makes their books look so appealing. They have some of the smartest, and most eye-catching designs in the genre. I told Andie and Todd, when I had Todd sign my copy of Devil’s Creek that when my wife and I attend NY Comic Con every year, the Quirk Books booth is a must-visit because we each always find something we want to buy. I’d heard / seen really good things about Devil’s Creek including the fact that Sadie Hartmann features it in 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered, which is enough of an endorsement for me! 

Following that panel was a “Story Doctor” workshop with Clay McLeod Chapman and Chuck Wending, that I unfortunately wasn’t able to join. There was a sign-up online I missed and seating/participation was limited. I took a little break and strolled around lovely downtown Doylestown for a while and grabbed a beer. Soon enough, I returned for the panel featuring Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul Tremblay, and Chuck Wendig. Although I own the majority of Chuck Wending’s novels, most of Paul Tremblay’s horror novels, and most of Clay McLeod Chapman’s horror novels, hearing them talk about horror in person was a great opportunity. Collectively, these three writers have a very high “batting average” when it comes to delivering books that connect with me strongly. Chapman’s Ghost Eaters remains one of the most creepy novels I’ve read in maybe the last decade. Huge kudos again to Peg Turley for doing a fantastic job moderating this panel as well as the Quirk Books panel.

There was one more panel, which featured Nat Cassidy, Sarah Langan, Brian McAuley, again moderated by Vi James. I’d heard both Nat and Brian on a few podcasts over the years (including the required listens of Talking Scared and Books in the Freezer) so I felt compelled to purchase at least one of their books. I already have a couple of Langan’s books, too. As it turns out, Stephanie, the host of Books in the Freezer was in attendance so it was cool to meet her and Neil’s Talking Scared was a point of discussion by the writers and many of my fellow readers while we waited on line to get our books signed. Because I had something already on the schedule for the evening when I learned about the event, I didn't sit in on the last panel since I had something scheduled before I knew about this event, but because I had books by Cassidy and McAuley on my amazon wishlist, I figured I pick them up during the event.

There's a pretty decent chance one (or more) of the books I purchased (and pictured above) will be featured over at SFFWorld during our annual Hallowe'en Reads during the month of October this year (2024).

The folks at the Doylestown Bookshop (and Lahaska Bookshop) should be proud and happy with how this event turned out. There were a lot of readers, some fantastic conversations throughout the day, and many books bought!  The sentiment from the staff was that this could be just the first event of its kind. I for one, hope more of these book celebrations, especially featuring horror (or fantasy) will happen in the future. One of the big themes of the day is that Horror makes us Happy and that sentiment could be felt throughout the day, from the writers, staff, and fans/readers. 

Thanks to the staff of the store and the writers for making it such a wonderful day. 

May 2022 Reading Round Up

This is getting to be a regular thing, it seems – I read some books, I post about them. Sure, I’ve been doing that at SFFWorld for years, but with far less frequency here.

I’ll briefly mention the reviews I posted to SFFWorld during the month of May before doing an overview of the goodies I read not for review for SFFWorld, i.e. books I bought or were gifted, but not sent for review from the publisher. Over the last month at SFFWorld, you’ll find my review of The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, which I posted last week. This was a haunting, excellent horror debut novel. Last month, I hinted at a book I read in April whose review would be going live May 3, that was Holly Black’s Book of Night. A review of a book I read back in March went live in May, too. An outstanding Horror Anthology edited by John F.D. Taff, Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Terror. There’s one book officially publishing in June which I’ll post to SFFWorld on the book’s publication date. I started it late last week, but will hopefully finish it in the next week or so. Here’s the rundown of what I read outside of the review books I received for SFFWorld. 

May started out strong with the audiobook of Take Your Turn, Teddy, by Hayley Newlin. This is a book I’ve seen good things about on the various horror blogs and instagrammers I follow. This book starts out as a sad tale of a young boy named Teddy whose father is extremely abusive to his mother and becomes a horror novel mixed with a serial killer police procedural. Some creepy scenes, nice character development with the cast of characters, and nods to the Stephen King. It works extremely well and the narration by Thomas Gloom helped to enhance the story. Haley also reviews for Cemetery Dance magazine online. 

Clown in a Cornfield is a book whose title alone would strike a chord of creepiness in most reader’s imagination. Adam Cesare tells the story of a middle American town, but it can be seen as a microcosm of some of the issues in everyday America. Our main character, Quinn Maybrook, moves to Kettle Springs, a town whose divide between the adults and teens traces back to the recent shutting down of the syrup factory, which was a great source of the town’s economy and livelihood. Added to the chaos is “Frendo the Clown,” the mascot of the syrup factory, who begins killing people. Quinn is caught up in the mess as a new kid torn between the popular crew and the not so popular crew. 

Cesare did a fantastic job of immersing me in the story, building empathy for his characters, and keeping the tension and scares a very appreciable level. I read the book in only a couple of days because it was both relatively short and very difficult to set aside. As this post goes live, the sequel, Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives is on the horizon. 

A break in the horror with Sarah Chorn’s second novel in her Songs of Sefate series, Glass Rhapsody. I was a big fan of the first book (Of Honey and Wildfires reviewed @SFFWorld) and was eager to see where she took this fantastical frontier world. Her prose remains top notch and beautiful. Building on the momentous events at the conclusion of the first book, Sarah manages to maintain the same emotional pull that drove Of Honey and Wildfires while also examining new ways for her characters to deal with grief and tribulation. Sarah self-publishes her novels, but her storytelling ability is stronger than many traditionally published writers whose work I’ve sampled.

Back to Horror with The Troop by Nick Cutter. This book, as well as Cutter’s other books, seem to make every recommendation list I see for “recent horror” novels. After finally diving into the book, I now understand why. A scout troop goes to a local uninhabited island, Falstaff Island, to experience the wilderness as part of their annual trip. This island is essentially cut off from civilization, which is the point of the trip, especially in a world that is uber-connected. The boys and Scoutmaster arrive and are shortly joined by an unexpected visitor. That unexpected visitor brings some unexpected visitors of his own. The hype is pretty genuine with this book, it is horrific and creepy, at turns reminding me of the films Alien and The Thing, and of course the easy novel comparison, The Lord of the Flies. Some gruesome scenes, but not really gory for gore’s sake. Any of the squelchy scenes serve the story as a whole and a couple of characters are equally monstrous. Cutter openly admits the use of “real” updates like blogs, court records, and psychological transcripts interspersed in the text was inspired by Stephen King’s Carrie. It is an extremely effective method for building tension in the story. I’m looking forward to reading more of Nick Cutter’s novels in the future.

I took a break from my audiobook re-read of The Wheel of Time to finish out Lindsay Buroker’s Star Kingdom space opera series over the past month with book 7 Home Front and I started, book 8 Layers of Force at the end of the month, and will finish early June. This is a fun, character driven space epic set thousands of years in the future and unlikely hero Casmir Dabrowski who finds himself at the center of events of galactic conflict. The series features genetically modified humans, robots with AI, royalty, romance, space pirates, ancient technology and is enormously fun. In many ways, protagonist Casmir Dabrowski and his hopeful outlook in the face of tyranny reminds me of Julius from Rachel Aaron’s equally fun Fantasy/Apocalypse hybrid, Hearstrikers. I reviewed the first two books of that series for SFFWorld: Nice Dragons Finish Last and One Good Dragon Deserves Another.

On to another month of books!