Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare lacks the shock and grisliness of the first book. In this one, Quinn Maybrook is away at college, trying to put the massacre from the previous year behind her, but there are now online conspiracies that the Kettle Springs Massacre was a hoax. She meets up with her best friends and fellow survivors, Cole and Rust. The three attend a frat party and get attacked by a murderous clown, while Quinn’s dad (now the mayor of Kettle Springs) gets attacked at the same time. Quinn, Cole and Rust have no choice but to return to Kettle Springs and face these new (and possibly old) threats, and make sure everyone knows the truth about last year’s massacre.

Overall, Clown in a Cornfield 2 took too long to get to the action and any murders. It was just slow until about halfway through. I appreciate Cesare following up with these main characters from the first one and continuing the story, but I feel like this book was really unnecessary. This book was missing the shock factor from the first one, all the multiple, gory deaths and also the menacing atmosphere. I will say I liked the ending to this second one and how fierce Quinn has become. I also liked how her father became the mayor of Kettle Springs. I enjoyed how Cole and Rust’s romantic relationship was further explored in this book, too. Other than that, this book was disappointing as a horror/slasher novel and was just not at the same level as the first one.

This series is like a love letter to slasher movies. It's clear Adam Cesare has a deep appreciation for the subgenre and it shines in this sequel. Seeing how "the Three" as they're called in the book (Quinn, Rust, and Cole) deal with the trauma from the first book differently was interesting and fit with each of their personalities. I also like Cesare's commentary on the internet being a breeding ground for conspiracy theorists/skeptics and how them forming an alliance is deadly. If there's any negative feedback I can give about this book and series, is that it would work better as a movie franchise. That may be blasphemous for me to say, but it's just one of those books I can't help but read and think "I wish this was a movie". Cesare is an undoubtedly talented horror book writer, but if he ever wanted to take a stab (no pun intended) at movie scripts, he should be all means go for it!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This I have to say was wild ride that had me in all directions. This second slasher book was definitely longer and I really enjoyed it. I loved going back into Kettle Springs and this time around there was a haunted attraction? Sign me up! I was really loving the vibe of this second book and just how much goes on. I’m sitting there reading thinking wow, so much has happened and I’m only a third of the way through the book, what else could possibly happen? In short, a lot haha. I loved all the horror elements in this one. We had the Eureka, a vintage movie theater. Once again, the haunted attraction as mentioned earlier, and the clown theme of course. I also got some vibes similar to The Purge. We dive deeper into relationships on this one, and take a look back through Jerri’s eyes at what happened on that fateful day over a year ago on the B-field. I like that the author gives you a look at things from the perspective of someone that was in the attack from the first and starts to look at those that were not in it, and paints a picture of what maybe they think of it. Of course not everyone believes that things happen a certain way. You will always have your conspiracy theorists and I like that it was a factor in this too. Overall I had fun with this one and hope there is a third!

I enjoyed Clown 2, but not with the same immediacy as the original. The first time I tried to read it I got through the first chapter, then laid it down for several weeks. Once I picked it up again, I almost laid it right back down after the second chapter. I'm glad I didn't, because chapter 3 introduced a new character and took us back to Kettle Springs. From that point on, the story had me.
Clown 2 is not as good as Clown 1. It has none of the 80s slasher vibe that made the first book such a treat. Nevertheless, it's still a wild ride and doesn't scrimp on the violence.
I would be happy to see Clown 3 happen. It would be a nice opportunity to better utilize Jerri, the previously mentioned new character. She has potential to be a great main character.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy. My review is honestly and freely given.

Great sequel, this book pairs perfectly with the first book. If you haven't read either book and are a horror fan I highly recommend them.

When I tell you this book is scary, I mean it’s scary. Just over a year from the events of the last book we are reunited with the survivors of the Kettle Springs Massacre or should we call it The Baypen Hoax.

Conspiracy theorist’s have taken hold of the story and run rampant making our survivors out to be the true villains of kettle springs and if that’s not scary enough Frendo has resurfaced along with some new faces that have insight on what really happened over a year ago.

Cesare really set out to torture our protagonists in this sequel and us right along with them. The conspiracy nut angle felt too relevant to current times, it filled me with honest fear and dread, people can be the worst 😂 but that’s also why I’m haunted by this book unlike the last. This one just hit different, in a fantastic way.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars hands down

Thank you to NetGalley and Harpercollins for the ARC. Pub date August 23rd

This book manages to be two things at the same time: both a breath of fresh air in a genre that's seen the same thing done into infinity, and hat-tip to the classic fundamentals that made slashers big.

Clown in. a Cornfield was a good book - fairly quick, action-packed, with twists and turns reminiscent of its genre. Clown in a Cornfield 2 is even better. It's a more quickly-paced return to the original characters, where we get a look at how the events of book 1 and the following year shaped them & their relationships, and then we watch them gear up to do it all over again.

Slasher sequels often end up with a bad rep. This one, however - the story gets better as it's fleshed out in the second edition. The changes in our three main characters are not only believable, but they gain significance through being the reason that they survive round 2. At the end of the first book, the reader walks away with a vague idea of the struggles the teens are going to face through having survived the massacre, and this installment brings those to life, albeit to an extent I didn't expect (this is a good thing). I can't shake the voice in the back of my head telling me this series bears some resemblance to Scream - it's not very overt, it's more in the attitudes of the characters, but it's a pleasant similarity.

Pros: Cesare is a fantastic writer, and his words flow into your brain as easily as watching a movie. It's very easy to get into, and there really aren't any lulls for readers to find boredom in. It's action-packed, with three very different, very individual main characters, and you're rooting for all of them for different reasons. I appreciate the alternating perspectives: I don't think I'd like Cole if I didn't get to see him through Rust's eyes. To call it action-packed is to put it lightly. With most slashers - book or movie - there's some element of the audience just begging the main character to wake up, move, take action, but you don't have to worry about that in this one. These characters have seen this before and they're not waiting around for permission to act, and that is, quite frankly, refreshing.
Cons: I'd like to have spent more time getting to know the characters - especially the side characters, who I feel like I could have been led to care much more deeply about with a deeper glance into who they are outside of the main plot. I'd also like to have seen more of the interpersonal relationships between the main characters. There were moments, between the events of books 1 and 2, of bonding and healing - and coping, which might've been more relevant - that are referenced as background for this story, but we don't experience them firsthand, and.I wish we would've. One of the biggest strengths of both of these books is the fast-pacing, but it almost feels like it was over before it started (however, consider what this means - the book was good enough that I finished it wanting more).

This one was a success. I'll be recommending it far and wide & can't wait to have the print edition on library shelves. Thanks to the publisher & to NetGalley for early access!!

if there’s one thing thaf adam cesare knows how to do, it’s right a slasher.
this duology is hands down one of my favorites of all time & i’m definitely going to be reading this again during October.
we get the mix of old characters + new characters - that makes the story feel new and refreshing yet wraps up everything so well.
i will say, i thought book 1 was more face paced but this one was still excellent. the plot line behind this works so well, and honestly makes it feel so real. the parallels between the two books - simply a masterpiece.
i’m usually not one that enjoys books with modern references but adam does such a great job of making it flow so well and actually work.
the CHARACTERSSSS. god, i wish some of the new characters would have been in the first book bc i loved them so much and i need more of them. quinn rust and cole will always be my fav trio tho
the plot twist were definitely there and left me very shocked, especially the ending - it ended so well.
the writings in these books are just done so well to the point where they come to life. they feel like true slasher films and i can’t get enough of them.
this book was an amazing sequel - we got closure, and growth and ugh it had me tearing up at some points.
i’ll always recommend this duo! so so good

Absolutely perfect sequel to the predecessor! It’s surprisingly hard to find a horror book that feels like you’re watching a slasher film, but this author nails that feeling, and I found myself on edge and loving every second. Didn’t have the feeling of over-played tropes, and remained original, even for a sequel. Highly recommending to all horror fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-Arc copy. I am rating this book based on my own personal opinion and was not given anything in return. I am not leaving a entire review because I read so many at a time that I physically cannot right now. #ClowninaCornfield2FrendoLives #NetGalley

I received a free digital ARC from HarperTeen via NetGalley. If you read Clown in a Cornfield you will not be let down by this sequel that has all the horror story stamina a sequel should have. Quinn, Rust and Cole are all back. The internet is raging about “fake news” in relation to the Kettle Spring Massacre, which frustrates Quinn to no end. The blood and gore is abound as clowns start their rampaging. Cesare alternates characters and voices very well to really keep the story flowing. My only quip is the absurd lack of common sense in not taking bad signs seriously, which I guess comes with the horror sequel anyway. I would totally read a Part 3 because this is the perfect combo of Scream and The Purge. Nice.

Awesome sequel glad they brought back Cole and the other characters from the original. He made slashers a real comeback . I wasn’t expecting such a great book!! Would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves slashers!!

Oh wow, this was such a good book. Clown in a Cornfield was a really fun slasher and I had a blast reading it, but I wasn't expecting the sequel to be so clever. It's almost like when Scream 2 switched things up with the whole meta movie concept, except with QAnon/Sandy Hook conspiracy nut type people. Honestly one of the best sequels I've read in a long time. I would probably 5 star it, but it did feel just a tad too long compared to the somewhat tighter first book. Still, super good. I can't imagine this not being a series or movie at some point. Fingers crossed!

Kettle Springs is the new Woodsboro and you can't change my mind. I was just as excited for Quinn, Rust, and Cole's return in this sequel as I was every time I got to see Sidney, Gale, and Dewey reunite. The way Adam Cesare totally invokes all the power of the slasher sequel gods and still throws in twists as well as a deeply horrifying social satire deserves all the praise I can give. I loved seeing where everyone started off after their season of recuperation from the attacks in the first book and their entire journey through Frendo Lives. Cesare just knows how to write characters so wonderfully. And at the heart of this gory slasher (... can I put "franchise" into the universe and manifest this, please??) the friendships and relationships stand out so much to me. Don't get me wrong... there are a couple of kill scenes that had my jaw on the floor and really excited, too! I had a blast reading this and loved how it all came together at the end. I mean... I MEAN! This is a must-read if you enjoyed the first one, duh. And if you haven't read the first book, you need to so that you can read THIS one. Your brain will thank you!

I am totally looking forward to future installments like Clown in a Cornfield: Your Sister is a Clown, The Clown Party Massacre, and maybe even Frendo Takes Manhattan or Frendo's Revenge. PLEASE!

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had not read the first book in this series and I do not recall reading this author in the past. My very first impression of this book was that the first paragraph was one long run-on sentence. I am aware I was reading an ARC, so hopefully, it was corrected before going to print. The book, while being a "clowns/slasher/cornfield," book, had a lot of downtime where-in the characters just talked and talked and talked. Any reader of my reviews knows this costs points. Overall, I was disappointed in this book, the premise had so much to work with that was wasted. Of course this is my opinion.

4 Stars

Normally sequels don't live up to my expectations but that's not the case here because Clown in a Cornfield 2 was AWESOME! This one has all the thrills I was looking for, a lot of screams, and is sure to delight all horror fans!

What a time for slasher fans: both Stephen Graham Jones and Grady Hendrix's slasher novels end up on the Stoker shortlist, and now we get a sequel to Cesare's excellent Clown in a Cornfield.

Both of these books can work as stand-alone novels, but I'd suggest reading them in order for maximum effect.

I'd also suggest that you not let your guard down, knowing that this is a young adult novel. There are shocking death scenes in here. It truly is a slasher novel. Adam also injects just the amount of social commentary to give the book some thematic heft.

Well done.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc.

While I did enjoy this, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one. There were some fun and bloody times but overall I found myself getting a little lost in the story. The story was easy to follow, don’t get me wrong, but I found myself struggling to feel as engaged as I did with the first book.

I look forward to seeing what this author does in the future though!

Adam Cesare has done it again! After completely loving Clown in a Cornfield I dropped everything I was reading to read the sequel. I absolutely loved it. Quinn is such a great and complex final girl that I could read more and more of this series. The overall concept of this book was brilliant. Cesare really pushed the narrative that movies like Scream touch upon of dealing with the aftermaths of a massacre in their town and brought it full swing into current day. At times I was anxious which I think was the point the author wanted to showcase while showing the radicalized dark corners of the internet that very much exist. If you have read Clown in a Cornfield go and preorder this PRONTO. All the stars.

Thank you, HarperCollins Children's Books. for allowing me to read Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives eary!

I really, really, REALLY adored Cesare's young adult debut, so I was extremely happy when I got the email notifying me that I had been approved for its sequel. Catapulted again in this horrifying (in all the best ways) story, I couldn't put the book down for even one second, changing rapidly my devices so that I would never be without these words under my alert eyes.