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_ayden's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
mia_mcmurter's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
While it was a SLOW beginning the "Final Chapter" wrapped it up quite nicely, even if I do want it extended. But one chapter can't make up for the rest of the book, save for a few moments. Slower pacing and less action than the original has named Frendo Lives as yet another inferior sequel.
While it was a SLOW beginning the "Final Chapter" wrapped it up quite nicely, even if I do want it extended. But one chapter can't make up for the rest of the book, save for a few moments. Slower pacing and less action than the original has named Frendo Lives as yet another inferior sequel.
gigi_k28's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jackieyvette's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Very rarely do I like a sequel (unless it's a YA girl 12-14 series) and I can say with my whole chest this is equal to the original. It's fun and frightening in the best way. The characters from the first book expanded in ways that didn't chastise the original material.
The introduction or Jerri was so good and her story was a perfect introduction into the original three's story. The relationship she had with Ms. Reyes was complex to say the least.'You do deserve this.' will stick around in my head for a while.
Can't wait for the next chapter of this story.
Crying score: nope
The introduction or Jerri was so good and her story was a perfect introduction into the original three's story. The relationship she had with Ms. Reyes was complex to say the least.
Can't wait for the next chapter of this story.
Crying score: nope
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Death, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Grief, Gore, Mass/school shootings, and Stalking
Moderate: Alcohol and Death of parent
dani17731's review against another edition
4.0
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! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
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! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
twilliamson's review against another edition
5.0
Adam Cesare's Clown in a Cornfield was a slick slasher novel, laden with a fresh take on a formula and a social consciousness all too rare in horror. The sequel, Frendo Lives, completes a one-two punch that expands on the original's premise without being redundant. And if Clown in a Cornfield was a socially conscious exploration of intergenerational conflict, Clown in a Cornfield 2 is a socially conscious exploration of the dangers of internet extremism in the misinformation age.
Everything about the sequel seems to be firing on all cylinders, with the characters' arcs neatly expanded, the stylized violence frequently unexpected (but excellently done), and the striking resonance of the plot with recent headlines. Cesare doesn't hold back his punches here, just as he didn't with the first novel, and the book sings with his talent for building and maintaining tension.
I also think it's interesting that, in spite of the book's incredible violence (and it puts most general audience horror to shame here), it is also simultaneously capable of sweeping acts of empathy, painting even its villains with just enough sympathy as to make the outcome of the story believably tragic.
This is an incredible book, and it and its predecessor are two of my favorite slashers of all time. Here's to hoping this one performs well enough to earn another.
Everything about the sequel seems to be firing on all cylinders, with the characters' arcs neatly expanded, the stylized violence frequently unexpected (but excellently done), and the striking resonance of the plot with recent headlines. Cesare doesn't hold back his punches here, just as he didn't with the first novel, and the book sings with his talent for building and maintaining tension.
I also think it's interesting that, in spite of the book's incredible violence (and it puts most general audience horror to shame here), it is also simultaneously capable of sweeping acts of empathy, painting even its villains with just enough sympathy as to make the outcome of the story believably tragic.
This is an incredible book, and it and its predecessor are two of my favorite slashers of all time. Here's to hoping this one performs well enough to earn another.