If there's one thing you can count on with a successful horror movie, it's that there will be sequels. Whether they're any good is almost irrelevant. If the first one is a hit, the franchise will ride that success for as long as possible. And when it inevitably fizzles out, well, there's always a reboot waiting just around the corner.
It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that Adam Cesare is now on the fourth installment of his hit Clown in a Cornfield series. Fortunately, these books have never felt like sequels for the sake of sequels. Cesare likes to swing for the fences, and each new installment has taken Frendo and the characters he terrorizes in a different direction. That's what has kept me coming back. Four books in, I was more than ready to see what he had up his sleeve this time.
The subtitle Lights! Camera! Frendo! more than hints at where Cesare takes things in this fourth novel. The dust has mostly settled on Frendo the clown and the terror he brought to Kettle Springs. There have been articles, news stories, podcasts, pretty much every possible medium used to dissect the massacre that rocked this small town. So naturally, it's Hollywood's turn to take a crack at the story.
Enter Sabrina Alvarez, a complete unknown thrust out of obscurity to take the starring role in a movie based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Playing ultimate final girl Quinn Maybrook is the opportunity of a lifetime, but when Sabrina arrives in the actual town for filming, she can't shake the feeling that something is off. Maybe it's the resentment simmering among the townspeople, many of whom aren't thrilled about Hollywood capitalizing on their tragedy. Maybe it's the eccentric director determined to turn their trauma into art. Or maybe the thing that haunted Kettle Springs in the first place never really left at all.
Whatever it is, Sabrina and the people of Kettle Springs are about to discover that recreating a massacre can be every bit as dangerous as the real thing.
With Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo!, Adam Cesare brings his horror series into an exciting new chapter. He manages to draw on the history of the previous books while introducing a largely new cast, turning the whole thing into a page-turning bloodbath that I found to be the best installment since the original. There's a self-awareness to this one that makes it all the more fun. Cesare doesn't shy away from the familiar tropes of the genre. He embraces them, playing with our expectations just enough to keep us on our toes.
Sabrina proves to be a fantastic addition to the series and a compelling final girl in her own right. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about following a new protagonist this far into the series, but she quickly won me over. It shows just how much Cesare has built around Frendo and Kettle Springs. There's enough history, mythology, and lingering trauma here to support a whole new group of characters while still feeling like the Clown in a Cornfield series I've been reading all along. Four books in, there's still plenty of life left in that creepy clown. If horror franchises have taught us anything, it's that there's always room for another sequel. When Clown in a Cornfield 5 inevitably comes along, I'll be ready to read it.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 67)
That is so true. Hollywood will take something that does well and just make sequel and sequel until it's run dry. I'm not a fan of clowns.
ReplyDeleteThis one was creepy in all the right ways. If you're going to make a sequel, then do something interesting. This one does just that!
DeleteWell, that's a neat premise to keep telling Frendo's story. It's great that the author managed to infuse the series with new life while staying true to its roots.
ReplyDeleteThe whole series has been a blast!
DeleteThis is why people are terrified of clowns. LOL! I can sense your excitement for this series. Great review!
ReplyDeleteYes, they earn the creepy reputation!
DeleteIt's nice when one of the sequels can live up to the original! This sounds like a fun horror series I'd enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThey're all a good time!
DeleteI can't believe I haven't started this series yet! I have the first book but honestly forgot about it. I'm glad to hear the series is still going strong, and the horror movie setting sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteYou're in for such a treat!
DeleteI've only read the first book in this series, but it was a fun horror romp. And you're right about horror novels/movies and sequels! ;D
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun series!
DeleteClowns are scary!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
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