4.5/5!

BEWARE OF SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BOOK 1!

Clown in a Cornfield was in my top 5 reads for 2021 and I instantly pre-ordered the sequel when it became available. It was really hard to hold onto this one until October, but it was the perfect time to read it!

Just like with the first book, Clown in a Cornfield 2 is filled with tense and action-packed moments where you’re not sure what’s going to happen to the characters and who’s going to make it out alive. The basis for this story is different than the first, with the use of real world events backing the frenzy that online fanantical groups can build. It’s a scary reality both in the real world and on paper. Cesare feeds off of this to create a story that fits the Kettle Springs and Frendo storyline with a chilling level of perfection. I could feel the hatred and tension dripping from the pages and I was on the edge of my seat with worry over my beloved favorite characters. Obviously, I’m not going to share any plot details in my review, but if you’ve read it and want to chat, I would love to discuss!

I hear there might just be a third coming our way for this slasher series and I’ll be eagerly waiting to order my copy!

Starting off, I wanted to explain how this is the second book (Clown in a Cornfield was the first one) I have read by this author. With that in mind, I was kind of excited that this book got a sequel. The first book was kind of a let-down for me, but I am a sucker for sequels and continuing on to see if anything gets better.

Personally, the sequel was not as good as the first one. However, I have personally experienced that sequels are never better, or even as good. The sequel is still a really good slasher, I will admit that. The gore and suspense are always good and well written. But, for me, the characters fall short and don’t resonate as much with me as they did in the first one.

There were multiple viewpoints and point of views, and it got a little overwhelming at times. I felt confused and jumpy at a few things. However, I do absolutely love final characters and girls, and I will forever love Quinn being a final girl.

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reviews will also be submitted to Goodreads.

I can count on one hand when a sequel to any book has managed to live up to its predecessor like Clown in a Cornfield 2 has. While designated a YA title, Clown in the Cornfield 2 is insanely enjoyable and readable for adult readers. Adam Cesare did a fantastic job carrying over what was so compelling about the story and its characters from the first book that nothing fell flat. I savored reading it and look forward to what Adam brings in the future!

I felt like there was a lot of people to follow compared to the 1st book but, I still really enjoyed this read. Looking forward to reading more from Cesare as the unexpected twists and turns are a breath of fresh air.

This book really got to me - but it was still an excellent slasher novel.

After surviving a town massacre Quinn, Rust, and Cole (the 3) are trying to deal with this new found fame and getting through the year anniversary of the massacre. However, not everyone is ready to put this tragedy behind them and soon the clown masks are back.

First, this is a great slasher book. It has everything you need for a great slasher sequel. The final people are just trying to move on while also completely living in that fight or flight space. The way the group ends up back in a similar predicament is not far fetched at all. Actually the motive behind this book is a lot more believable to me and sadly mirrors parts of society in general (at least in the US). There were times that I wanted to stop reading because my heart hurt knowing there are real people out there that think and act like this. But I managed to get through it and overall enjoyed the read.

Also, I have to add that I think Quinn makes it up there with some of the best final girls. She's a legit badass and honestly makes the book(s) for me.

A great follow up to the first book. I love how Adam’s books read like movies. Nonstop action and plenty of spooky scenes. The multiple viewpoints seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but it really is essential to the story. The ending also felt rushed and unresolved.

A year after the events in the first book Frendo is back! I enjoyed this sequel and thought it lived well up to the original. Multiple POVs had me confused at first, but definitely hope the series continues and I think this should be picked up for a movie immediately 😉

Unrealistic and overly dramatic. Virtue signaling comes to mind. I liked the first Clown in a Cornfield but this sequel just fell flat! Would not recommend to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.


Description from NetGalley:
After barely making it out of the Kettle Springs cornfields alive, Quinn’s first year away at college should be safe and easy. All she wants is to be normal again.

But instead, Quinn finds that her past won’t leave her alone when she becomes the focus of online conspiracy theories that claim the Kettle Springs Massacre never happened. It’s a deranged but relentless fantasy, and there’s nothing Quinn can do to get people to hear the truth—not even on her own campus or in her own dorm room.

So when a murderous clown attacks Quinn at a frat party while another goes after her father in Kettle Springs at the same time, Quinn realizes that the facts alone are never going to save her. Her only option is to go back into the cornfields, back where the nightmare began, to set the record straight the only way she knows how. Because when the truth gets lost in the lies, that’s when people start to die.

When I read the first book, I knew I was getting a slasher. I wasn’t sure what I would be getting with this one. Was it going to be a good sequel like Friday the 13th Part 2 or a bad sequel like so many I know. This was solid. Quinn and her friends remain at the center while adding a few new POVs, but I was never overwhelmed with who was who. The pain and trauma of the events from the first book are felt by most in this book. The Internet and the spread of misinformation are strong in this book and frustrated me to no end.

Overall: 4/5

As a YA novel I loved it. As a nearly 40 year old..I loved it! This is just a crazy homage to 80's slashers with a sprinkle of social commentary that makes it a little too relatable!! It is a perfect read for October!!!

I was so excited for this book after loving the first book so much and this was such a disappointment for me. I felt like it wasn’t as slashery as the first book which is what I loved about it. I also felt like there were too many POVs and too much information being thrown at the reader that it made it drag on and on. This just fell so flat in the horror department.

This sequel felt slightly more grown up than the first one, which makes sense when you consider how much the night in Clown in a Cornfield must have aged everyone involved.

It was a really nice touch to bring in conspiracy theorists and then show just how far some people will take their ideologies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Nothing compares to a good slasher sequel. Clown in a Cornfield 2 did a great job at expanding on the story of Kettle Springs and Frendo. The social commentary was excellent and honestly made me uncomfortable with how much it mirrored what we’ve seen in real life over the past several years. YA horror is such an underrated genre and Adam Cesare is the person who could really bring it to the forefront.

I was SO EXCITED when I saw this sequel was coming out because I fucking LOVED the first book (check out my review for it here). Who doesn’t want to read a slasher featuring teenagers, clowns, cornfields, and a small-town gone mad trying to get revenge? Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives, just like the first, would make a perfect slasher flick, and I hope the series gets picked up for film.

Now, yes, you should absolutely read the first book (Clown in a Cornfield) before diving into the sequel, otherwise you’ll be very confused. There are tons of references to characters (dead and alive) and specific events (and murder weapons) to keep track of.

The sequel, set one year after the first book, follows three survivors of the Baypen Massacre. They just want to put the past behind them and live their goddamn lives, but their trauma and newfound fame won’t allow it. That, and of course the internet is full of “theories” about what actually happened causes widespread doubt about the now infamous small town.

Instead of moving on peacefully, the survivors find themselves once again facing off with strangers in clown masks, but this time it’s worse, because all the weirdos online have used the power of the internet to organize. #FrendoLives reads as a satire of many *cough* recent events, and that commentary mixed in with this queer slasher was, in my opinion, *chef’s kiss* 👌💋

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives is another wild ride full of blood, gore, guts, guilt, revenge, and teenage angst, and I loved every minute of it.

"Here she was again. Killing clowns."

Quinn, Rusty, Cole, and a girl named Jerri that you completely forgot about survived Friendo. Unfortunately, Friendo also survived, and is coming back Joker-style surrounded by a mob of lookalikes. The internet has circulated a conspiracy theory that the survivors were actually murderers, and a bunch of dummies hiding behind clown masks and chat room handles are ready to bring the survivors to justice. I guess they forgot that these teens are really, really good at killing clowns.

This book was really fun. It's a bloody mess of a slasher sequel that doesn't ruin the original. What more could you ask for?

Solid sequel, I think my students would enjoy.

I found it predictable, and while I wasn’t sure how the author would bring back Frendo, the whole conspiracy theory aspect was interesting. Good addition to a high school library.

More clowns, not just the cornfield. I liked it, and I appreciated that to me the book somehow managed not to descend into total cheesiness. Interesting social commentary going on as well. I have some teens who enjoyed the first book, and they will be excited that there is a sequel.

Frendo’s Sequel, sign me up!!! Guess who’s back, back in town? Kettle Springs or Woodsboro? Which town, which killer? Tell me more!! This book had me at the cover!!!

Clown in a Cornfield 2 is set only a year after the events in book one took place. We are following the survivors of the massacre in book one. Did I mention there’s a whole new set of clowns to deal with?! Clowns terrify me and I enjoyed ever minute of book 2. This book is brutal, gory, and I was here for every minute of it. I truly hope there’s a third book coming our way!! I was able to score an early physical copy at the book store and devour it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of this gem in exchange for my honest review. I will say if you love a good slasher film / story this one is most definitely for you. I highly recommend both books in this series. Now if only we could just get this adapted to the big screen that would be great.

Adam Cesare once again proves that Slashers are not exclusive to film, as he cuts through this fantastic cast of characters.

Better than the first, and I LOVED the first.

Frendo is back! If you loved the original clown in the cornfield book you are in for a treat with the sequel. Lots of interesting kills, action, and a strong storyline with characters you can’t help but root for.