It’s hard to think someone can write a book about a murderous clown better than Stephen King, but Adam Cesare does just that with Clown in a Cornfield.
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.
Yes, we know we are a little late to the party (pun intended), writing a review about a book that has already had a sequel published. However, we just learned about Cesare’s wonderful bibliography after reading Dead Mall #1 this fall and Clown in a Cornfield deserved to be praised.
Cesare gives us the perfect amount of blood, gore and fun in a book that turns out to be even better than expected. Although, we have become fans of Cesare as a comic writer, let’s be honest we didn’t expect much from a young adult book. We stand corrected.
Thoughts of It and Children of the Corn come to mind when reading this book and we can’t help but pull comparisons to the legendary author. The Capes and Tights office is located in the town Derry, Maine was based on and King is a large part of the community. I’m sure drawing comparisons to an author like King is never a bad thing when the book is excellent, ie. Clown in a Cornfield.
As someone who typically leans towards reading comics and graphic novels, a young adult book from Teen Harper is perfect as it is smooth to read and can easily be finished without too much effort. Cesare definitely has a talent for telling horror stories and it shines in this 2020 book.
A next generation version the 1978 film Halloween is just what we need as the iconic movie series came to a close in 2022. Frendo gives us the feel of Michael Myers mixed with Pennywise that can stand the test of time. The story is setup perfectly for multiple mediums and it’s no wonder the book series was optioned for a feature film.
Temple Hill Entertainment, known for Smile, The Maze Runner and the Twilight franchise, have named Eli Craig as director of the debut film with Carter Blanchard set to pen the adaptation of Cesare’s book. Although we are excited to see Frendo on the big screen, reading this wonderful horror story first is highly recommended.
Clown in a Cornfield is available wherever books are sold along with the sequel Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives. A third book in the series is currently in the works.
