Clown in a Cornfield (Clown in a Cornfield #1)

[Trisha]

This thread is to discuss Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare, the first book in the Clown in a Cornfield series.

Pages: 346 pages

Length: 1 Month (June)

Participants: D.L., bailey, Rebecca.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

[bailey, Challenges]

Currently waiting for my hold to come though on this title but I’m excited to get into it!

[Rebecca]

I'm probably going to start this one sometime next week. I'm kind of trying to finish Chances before I start this one.

[D.L.]

I am excited about this one. I also need to still read Chances. I haven't forgotten about that. May was just a weird month & I didn't get to read anything.

[Rebecca]

D.L. wrote: "I am excited about this one. I also need to still read Chances. I haven't forgotten about that. May was just a weird month & I didn't get to read anything."

I am almost (but not quite) done with Chances, and Clown in the Cornfield is one of the first things I'm picking up next week :-) I thought I'd pick it up sooner, but then the readathon started, and it's changed my reading plans some for this month.

[bailey, Challenges]

Rebecca, I was also waiting for the readathon to finish before I picked this one up so I’m glad to see we’re all on the same page!!

I got my hold today and just finished the prologue and I already have thoughts: (view spoiler)[ First of all, the writing. I am NOT a fan of this style of writing so far. Is this YA? It reads like someone’s first try at writing on Wattpad (which isn’t a bad thing, just weird for a published novel). I’ve also had a hard time visualizing some of the things going on because of the lack of descriptors? Like when Ronnie gets thrown in the water all the author describes is “her legs were all over the place.” And when Victoria jumps he just describes a bump on her head but not when she bumped it. Maybe this is intentional but I’m not super into it. I’m hoping it’s just the prologue that’ll have this style but who knows. (hide spoiler)]

[D.L.]

My hold just came in at the library on this too. I'll try to start it tonight :)

[bailey, Challenges]

I just finished chapter 15 and I’m embarrassed by how much this has sucked me in.

(view spoiler)[ I’m such a sucker for light romance like has been portrayed with Quinn and Cole. Just the sweet beginnings of a new relationship are so wholesome to me.

I’m also a sucker for a good (or bad) slasher so now that I’m in the heart of the murder spree I’m more into it. It helps that I don’t have to read any more Mayor Harlan chapters and we’ve seen less of Sheriff Dunne.

I still think the writing is bad but maybe it’s just not my style. I’ve also been disappointed by the lack of accuracy about anything Missouri-related since I grew up there. Most of these characters are nothing like the people I knew as a teen so I wonder if the author has any history with the state or just chose one at random that has cornfields. It is a big state so I have to give some grace because not every town has the same culture as mine.

Anyways, looking forward to seeing how the story progresses/ends and if any of the main cast survives! (hide spoiler)]

[D.L.]

I haven't gotten to start it yet but it's next on the pile lol

[bailey, Challenges]

No rush, D.L.!

I just finished it so I’ll give my current thoughts here: (view spoiler)[ It was good enough for me to read In a short period of time but there was just so much cringe. I feel like every page one character or another was saying something stupid that didn’t add anything to the story.

The slashing was really what carried the book for me. Though I was disappointed that the killer wasn’t an enigmatic entity like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees because that’s what makes slashers fun for me is when the killer, despite being mortally wounded, continues the chase and somehow always comes back.

I was also let down that Quinn and Cole didn’t end up together in the end even though Cole and Rust is also a good combo. It just felt like Quinn and Cole were being built up the whole time and then we got hit with “just kidding they were only friends.” I guess that could be a twist that the author wanted but it didn’t land for me because Rust was only in a handful of chapters prior. We got no info about their relationship before their falling out so it didn’t feel like it was “meant to be” or something like that. Not sure how to explain it but it just felt like something was missing to make this better (more chapters from Rust’s POV, more info about Cole, etc.).

I wasn’t jazzed about Cole’s dad surviving either. Sure this is probably what secured a sequel but it would’ve been way cooler IMO if the sequel introduced a “real” Frendo the clown that wasn’t one of the parents from this story. I can just imagine one of the survivors coming face to face with “real” Frendo thinking it’s a person and then being stunned by the suit being empty or whatever other fun 80s horror trope. (hide spoiler)]