Frendo Lives!

If you loved the first book, you need this, because I swear it’s even better. The return of a badass final girl, creepy clowns in abundance, and cornfields full of horror make the return of Frendo a wild ride that gets kickstarted even earlier in the novel this time.

This is an absolute MUST buy and read for all horror fans. Don’t wait for spooky season, because Adam Cesare brings spooky season to you in this novel.

I’ve read this twice and I’m absolutely obsessed. I loved the first book and while so many people are leery of sequels, there’s no need to be nervous here. Cesare wrote an action packed thrill ride that I might like even better than the original.

Thank you to Adam Cesare for bringing back the characters we loved and the clowns we feared, and absolutely knocking this sequel out of the cornfield.

Needless to say, this was absolutely a five star read for me.

**Many, many, MANY thanks to #HarperTeen and #NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. My gushing opinions are my own.**

Clown in a Cornfield moved at a relentless pace and had impressive character development, particularly considering the short timespan the novel covered. Sophomore novels can be challenging at the best of times, but with such a strong first book in this series, it was valid to wonder if the sequel would maintain the pace and quality, or if it would falter.

YA horror fans can take comfort in the fact that Cesare shows he’s on top of his game. Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives isn’t simply a rehash of what happened in book 1. It breathes new life into the story by introducing new characters and widening the reader’s perspective. Jerri is unlike Quinn, Cole, and Rust. She’s a survivor, but she lacks the confidence to defend herself. Her struggles are relatable and realistic. While Quinn and Rust have trained to fight, in case they ever needed to defend themselves again, Jerri works at the theater and goes through life more as an observer than a participant, friendless and lonely and overlooked by her grieving mother.

In many respects, she’s the heart of the book. Quinn’s tough and trying to push her way forward, acknowledging that she’s a different person now and friends of old have become acquaintances, that she can’t be anonymous anywhere she goes. She suspects the worst of almost anyone, and that compounds her emotional journey in this story.

A common trope in several genres involves splitting up groups before reuniting them, and Cesare uses that effectively here. Their actions are plausible and set the stage for the events that occur.

While the core characters have evolved somewhat from book 1, they’ve all grown in realistic ways. As a wealthy individual, Cole’s the most nonchalant, the most accustomed to glossing over uncomfortable situations with slick PR tactics. He isn’t always on high alert, which is believable for someone with the privilege he’s enjoyed, and that contributes to his experiences in this story. Rust is always suspicious, and he’s prepared. His finely tuned radar informs his decisions as events unfold. Quinn’s loyal and relentless, qualities she draws on as things turn ugly.

This book moves just as fast as book 1, and it moves the three primary protagonist’s forward in their lives as they fight for survival. It’s fair to say this book feels pretty political. Cesare must have the ability to see the future, because Frendo Lives capitalizes on conspiracy theorists and the distrust of the mainstream media to show what happens when people start listening to fringe voices with agendas instead of researching events and making informed decisions. Ten years ago, perhaps some would have argued this could never happen. Now, it seems all too plausible, given the events of recent years. 5 stars for a fantastic, entertaining, heartfelt read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

Jumping right into it, I have to say that I liked the first Clown in a Cornfield better. While it was still fast-paced, this one didn’t have as much gore and I found the plot to be a bit off. I know that this is YA, but it is unbelievable that three teenagers can face-off, and ultimately win, against a huge horde of armed adults. It was a quick read that kept my attention throughout, so I did enjoy it; just not as much as the first one. This series would be a perfect start for someone who is trying out the thriller/horror genre for the first time.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first Clown in a Cornfield book was a fantastic and unique story reminiscent of a classic slasher horror film. For the last year, when students asked for a “scary story”, it was my go-to. It’s sequel is no exception.

Readers are welcomed back to Kettle Springs for round two of the battle against Frendo the Clown. Familiar fan favorite characters return in all their glory alongside new characters. Get ready for just as much suspense and shock as book one served up.

Cesare has a way of pulling readers into the thoughts and situations of the many characters whose lenses we get the pleasure of viewing the story through. I knew I was engrossed when the sound of my air freshener going off in my house made me jump out of my bones while reading a particularly suspenseful scene. And the momentum never died out.

Clown in a Cornfield 2 is an excellent addition to any library collection as well as a personal collection. I recommend this title for libraries with patrons/students who are fans of horror novels.

This was an awesome sequel! So creepy and scary at times! Frendo is an awesome character! Highly recommend!!

Wow this was just as the first book ,maybe even better, it was everything i was hoping it would be and so much more , though out the book it kept giving me the vibes of the movie Scream .

There were two things I did not know about Adam Cesare’s first Frendo fright that had strong impacts on my reading. Firstly, I had the book was recommended but not as a YA book. Not that it matters much but there is a clear line of detail that separates YA slasher from a full fledged adult horror. Second was the Trumpian politics that showed up in the second half. With both of those known, I think I was able to appreciate Frendo Lives more.

Cesare actually kicks off the sequel with a healthy dose of commentary that works. Here we follow our three survivors dealing equal parts with deniers and frenzied believers.

Splitting the story between different groups and different post trauma responses helps get the momentum going before the bodies start falling.

But once they start falling the novel takes off. Cesare is talented at writing tense slasher scenes that work without needing the extra gore.

This book was so much fun! I enjoyed the first Clown in a Cornfield, and this was such a satisfying sequel. The story was very enjoyable, the gore was fantastic, and I enjoyed getting to know the main characters of Quinn, Cole, and Rust so much more. If there is a 3rd book, I'll definitely be reading it. Such a fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Clown in a Cornfield 2 by Adam Cesare

Clown in a Cornfield 2!? Yes please! Killer Clown meets The Purge! I was like, “how in the world is he going to be able to write a sequel that doesn’t just suck? That’s not just stupid and stereotypical?” Kudos to Mr. Cesare! Was it a bit unbelieveable? Of course! Was it a bit over the top? Of course. Was it good? Yes!

In this epic YA sequel, Quinn, Cole, and Rust, survivors of Frendo the Clown, are being hunted by conspiracy theorists. And these guys are whack! A few times I would question the actions of this group but then I would realize they really aren’t too far off from reality - which is both unfortunate and scary.

This was packed with action, adventure, and gore. A great kick butt sequel. Clown in a Cornfield 3? Sign me up!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

Quinn Maybrook has left Kettle Springs behind, but when her father -now mayor- is attacked at the same time a gunman wearing a Frendo mask shows up at her college dorm in Philadelphia, she finds she has no choice but to return. Now Quin, Rust and Cole are back together over one year after the violent massacre that claimed the lives of their friends and classmates. A slimy entertainment mogul has built a haunted house attraction in the once blood-soaked cornfield. And evil has returned to Kettle Springs - wearing a very familiar face.

Adam Cesare has delivered another round of bloody good fun. It had all of the gore and scares I hoped for. I enjoyed watching the development of Rust and Cole's relationship and seeing how Quinn changed and grew as she processed the events of the previous book. I would have liked more development of the new characters. Unfortunately, this led to one of the twists having less impact than it could have.

Overall, it was a blast. A gore-filled romp that delivered just what it claimed to offer. Highly recommend for any fans of horror, especially fans of the golden age of slasher films.

This revenge story hits all the right notes for a campy slasher sequel. Our original characters are getting a blast from the past as they try to move past their ptsd. All in all still an enjoyable storyline. I'll definitely be reading future installments.

Thoroughly enjoyed this sequel! Thank you to NetGalley and thank you to HarperTeen for giving Adam more clown terror air time!

This is the 90s slasher film in text (in all its trope & splendor) and I really really hope publishers keep letting Adam make YA horror!

I gladly welcome Clown in a Cornfield 3 and volunteer as tribute to read it before pub date.

*received an advanced reader copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Well then,

It is no surprise when a horror sequel comes out that does not live up to the first in the franchise, this book is an exception to this though.

From page one, I became invested in the story, finding myself as excited reading and going back to the town as I am when I start watching Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street.

The town of Kettle Springs is just as much a character as the actual characters. I found myself longing for the Fall nights leading up to Halloween, awaiting to go into haunted attractions, and going to a horror double feature.

This book still has some social commentary that was present within the past book, and it was so fitting for our times, and done in such a way that its not preachy, but absurd and enjoyable in all the right ways.

I think one of my favorite parts was the exploration of how each character responded differently to the tragedy of the year prior. It created a sense of realism, given that people do respond to trauma differently, and it was unique to see the ways it was handled.

I also found myself very sad at some of the deaths in the book.

Do not miss this sequel.

I received an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Clown in a Cornfield. I was excited to read the sequel. Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo LIves is a continuation of the story from the first book. Frendo returns to finish was he started in the first book. It was a good sequel to the first book, but I liked the book better.
If you liked the first book, you will enjoy reading the sequel.

I had enjoyed the first Clown in a Cornfield and was excited to read the sequel, usually with horror movies the sequel isn't as good but this was not the case with this book. It felt like it had improved on the previous book and I could see the growth. I enjoy Adam Casare's work in the horror genre, he has a great style and I always have a great time reading anything that he writes.

“No, don’t die,” Frendo said. “Not facedown.” His words sounded like an animal trying to imitate human speech. The accent, the inflection—everything about the man wearing the rotting clown suit was wrong."

I am so happy to have been able to read an ARC of this. I loved Clown in a Cornfield and Clown in a Cornfield 2 is just as good if not better. It is the perfect mix of horror and humor somehow and scratches that I want to read a slasher book itch. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Teen for the arc.

Following the Kettle Springs natives from the first installment in the duology, Clown in a Cornfield 2 shows the gang all grown up: fresh out of high school, adjusting to adulthood, healing from the trauma that they endured in Tillerson's B-field a short year ago. Quinn, Cole, and Rust seem to be moving in the right direction. Trying to move on, trying to get past 𝙞𝙩. Dealing with the "fans" and conspiracy theorists that incessantly shovel their opinions onto the internet and into the world is forever ripping the scab off the wound. Escape routes and weapons training and paranoia take up a larger portion of their day-to-day than they'd prefer but, it beats the alternative. This knowledge proves itself practical when tangible danger in the form of Friendo supporters and sympathizers make themselves known in Kettle Springs. They seem harmless at first, internet trolls. Over time they prove to be violent, deadly. It's adamant the gang stays on their toes, FRIENDO LIVES.

Clown in a Cornfield 2 is a campy slasher that serves as a soundboard of the times: misinformed villains basing their actions off of conspiracy theories that ~must be true~ because they saw them on the internet. This take is a direct parallel of what Americans have been living through for the past 5 years or so.

QANON and similar factions are an infection, festering and drawing in droves of misinformed people, filling their heads with misinformation that leads to divisiveness and brutality. The Friendo fiends mirrored this sentiment exactly and throughout the first few chapters, I expected to roll my eyes. I didn't, Cesare makes it work. I love the complexity of the conspiracy theorist narrative, it allows for twists that would be harder to occur if things happened in a more straightforward way.

Friendo's Posse is sneaky and vast, using multiple tactics to capture Quinn, Cole, and Rust. Imagery in CIAC2 is stronger than the first book in the series. The scenes are graphic: no sense is spared from the gore described. Unpredictable (or at least for me ok) twists added intrigue to the plot, rounded out with an ending that rings true to the characters and their developments. The perfect Summer or Halloween read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperTeen, and Adam Cesare for an ARC of this title!

3.5 stars rounded up

In the follow-up to Clown in a Cornfield, we follow Quinn, Cole, and Rust as they continue to be terrorized by various Frendos. The first book ended with a great set-up for a part two, and this definitely delivered. There was such a sense of dread and terror since there were so many Frendos and you never knew who was in on it and who you could trust.

This was definitely plot-driven rather than character driven, and while I enjoyed how fast the story flew by, I would've loved to gotten to know our main characters a little better. We got a few glimpses of how they were traumatized by the events of the previous book, but there could've been a lot more. There are so many POVs that we really only spend a little time with each person. I also enjoyed the slasher action that was quite descriptive and gross; it reminded me of slasher films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Overall a solid sequel!

FRIENDO LIVES! He surely does and I hope this series continues for at least a few more sequels. Friendo in space? I digress...I love how this sequel started right after the first. I love how Cesare takes the time to catch us up on what everyone has been up to and how the trauma from that night has affected them all in different ways. I found some of the dialogue a little cheesy and some of the plotlines for certain characters a little forced and eyeroll worthy but overall, I had a lot of fun with this book. It is one of the best slasher novels I have read in a while. Cesare really makes you care about the characters as much as you care about the inventive killings!

This is a good sequel, and begins a year after the events in the first book. If you enjoyed the first one, you'll like this as well. The action picks up right away and moves at a very quick pace. It truly feels like you're watching a slasher sequel movie, and had enough small twists to keep it interesting. And just like any good slasher, the ending makes you look forward to the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperTeen, and Adam Cesare for providing me an ARC.