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Clown in a Cornfield #4
Lights! Camera! Frendo!
Not yet published
Expected 18 Aug 26Let the killing continue in Lights! Camera! Frendo! It’s the fourth installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, and this time Frendo goes Hollywood – with all the blood, guts, and mayhem you’d expect from the series that spawned the blockbuster motion picture.
Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.
A meditation on the villains inside us all, it’s the latest installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, Clown in a Cornfield.
Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.
A meditation on the villains inside us all, it’s the latest installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, Clown in a Cornfield.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 18, 2026
About the author
Adam Cesare
70 books2,722 followersAdam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. His books include Clown in a Cornfield, Video Night, The Summer Job, and Zero Lives Remaining. He’s an avid fan of horror cinema and runs Project: Black T-Shirt, a YouTube review show where he takes horror films and pairs them with reading suggestions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Want to Read
July 12, 2026ARC received!! Thank you so much, HarperCollins Children's Books. I actually recently read Church of Frendo ((finally)), so I'm so stoked to have the 4th-installment!
Want to Read
December 1, 2025I’m just going to bookmark my place here. 👀
Want to Read
January 23, 2026It’s absolutely fine for me to wait until August, not a problem at all. Did I mention that it’s okay for me to wait until August? Because I can certainly wait until August.
June 5, 2026
“Die, you fuckin’ teenybopper trash!”
Frendo is back and he's about to become your worst nightmare! Don't go into the cornfield alone!
CiaC has to be one of my favorite book series. It brings together two loves of mine while making them as terrfying as possible. Don't get me started on cornfields because I'll never walk through one ever again. Thanks, Adam.
This series keeps getting better and better with each book. I honestly didn't think these could get more gruesome and then he throws this book in my face. This was wild as all hell, thrilling, and gory as f**k. My horror loving heart is so full right now. The only downside about this book is that it put me into a funk because nothing I pick up can compare to this.
This book has to be my favorite out of the entire series and my fingers are crossed for more books in this series.
Frendo is back and he's about to become your worst nightmare! Don't go into the cornfield alone!
CiaC has to be one of my favorite book series. It brings together two loves of mine while making them as terrfying as possible. Don't get me started on cornfields because I'll never walk through one ever again. Thanks, Adam.
This series keeps getting better and better with each book. I honestly didn't think these could get more gruesome and then he throws this book in my face. This was wild as all hell, thrilling, and gory as f**k. My horror loving heart is so full right now. The only downside about this book is that it put me into a funk because nothing I pick up can compare to this.
This book has to be my favorite out of the entire series and my fingers are crossed for more books in this series.
May 22, 2026
It was so nice to be back in Kettle Springs and to have the focus on that with a few of the familiar faces we've grown to love. It's very clear nobody loves Kettle Springs and these characters more than Adam, and that bleeds through every page, every chapter and every word. While some of the same plotline and motives we've found in the other three books, Adam still has a way of making it feel fresh and inventive. Especially those nasty kills. Man has a way with gore. A mix of the same usual comedy and humor with some really great kills and scares.
I love that this one didn't shy away from the PTSD and grief everyone carries. Even Kettle Springs itself feels so broken and morose. It felt like such a nice companion piece to book three and how Quinn handled the fallout compared to Rust, Cole and Jerri. I did find this one a lot slower than the first three books in the series, but not in a way that dragged but more that there was just a lot of build up. More of a creeping tension waiting for the Big Moment to hit.
I think the only issue I had with was that I didn't connect fully with the new character's because I would have rather spent more time with my old friends. I wish they had been more of the focus than anything else. I also found there was too much on the characters inner thoughts or small info dumps during scenes that took away from the building tension in certain scenes. It also didn't really have any high stakes like the previous novels did.
Also, cackling at Janet's whitewashing casting getting mentioned.
Thank you to Harper Collins and netgalley for the arc!
I love that this one didn't shy away from the PTSD and grief everyone carries. Even Kettle Springs itself feels so broken and morose. It felt like such a nice companion piece to book three and how Quinn handled the fallout compared to Rust, Cole and Jerri. I did find this one a lot slower than the first three books in the series, but not in a way that dragged but more that there was just a lot of build up. More of a creeping tension waiting for the Big Moment to hit.
I think the only issue I had with was that I didn't connect fully with the new character's because I would have rather spent more time with my old friends. I wish they had been more of the focus than anything else. I also found there was too much on the characters inner thoughts or small info dumps during scenes that took away from the building tension in certain scenes. It also didn't really have any high stakes like the previous novels did.
Also, cackling at Janet's whitewashing casting getting mentioned.
Thank you to Harper Collins and netgalley for the arc!
Want to Read
January 17, 2026Don't mind me i'm just freaking out
May 20, 2026
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s for my most anticipated ARC of the year! I loved revisiting the characters and carnage we love to see from CIAC. I loved the meta nature of this taking place on a film set covering events of the first book. Adam Cesare has done a fantastic job evolving the series over four books, leaving us sated but ready for more by the end of this one. This is one of my all time favorite horror series.
June 6, 2026
It feels great to be one of god’s chosen people and have read an eARC for this book, thanks for asking.
Obviously I loved it. Very Scream 3 coded. I really should have done a reread of the other three but I was too excited obviously. That’s my recommendation to you- read the other three again before this drops on August because I think it will hit even better.
Well we are back in Kettle Springs and the kills are plentiful and brutal.
No spoilers but a standing ovation to the ending.
I think the most important thing I can convey with this review is that this is not a flop and if you’ve come this far you’re going to have a good time 🤡
Obviously I loved it. Very Scream 3 coded. I really should have done a reread of the other three but I was too excited obviously. That’s my recommendation to you- read the other three again before this drops on August because I think it will hit even better.
Well we are back in Kettle Springs and the kills are plentiful and brutal.
No spoilers but a standing ovation to the ending.
I think the most important thing I can convey with this review is that this is not a flop and if you’ve come this far you’re going to have a good time 🤡
May 17, 2026
I wasn’t sure what direction this book would go in, but boy I’m glad I read it. Kettle Springs is just as chaotic and disturbing as it always is, except this time there’s a whole movie crew there filming..you guessed it…clown in a cornfield. I liked seeing the repeat characters. And if you thought the other books were gory you better just buckle up. I think this was the goriest of them all. The surprise twist was really good. This will be out in August of 2026. Make sure to add it to your TBR for spooky season and spend some more time with Frendo.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clown and a Cornfield 4 -Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Adam Cesare) | I converse with my kid about the pre-release
Published by Toastx2 on June 23, 2026
advance arc, e-Book
So I lucked into a free advanced reader copy of Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo!. The fourth installment in the Frendo ‘Trilogy’ is set to be released around August 18, 2026. (Sorry, had to poke the bear there Mr Cesare.)
The timing for reading this was great. I had just finished Book 3 and wasn’t even aware there was a new one pending.
My son, VoidFX, was stoked, picking up an e-reader for the first time to get access ASAP. We had barely finsihed sharing notes on the third book. Clown 4 was actually pretty great.
In C4 Kettle Springs has been tapped as the filming location for a fictionalized action-horror movie based on the original massacre. Kettle Springs sees the return of Jerri, Rust, and Cole. Cole has arranged for the film’s principal photography to happen in Kettle Springs, working with Jerri to bring some money to the failing region and hopefully some closure. The town deserves a break. Rust is acting sheriff, though he says against his will.
Picking up several months after C3, we don’t have a lot of closure. Questions still exist, characters are unresolved, but the world just keeps spinning.
As you can expect, things end up sideways, with spurts of blood and viscera.
I decided to flip the script a bit and interview my son about the book. No spoilers from the book will happen. The last thing we want to do is be those dickheads that spoiled the book for everybody before it even got released. (I see you, 2005 4chan kiddos, spoiling Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before crashing your parents’ car! Instant ‘Car’ma haha)
⸻
TOAST: Let me ask you a question first, if you don’t mind, to get this started. Now that you’ve read all four books in the Clown in a Cornfield series, what are your feelings on the series as a whole?
VOIDFX: My feelings? Pretty good. As someone who mainly got into horror movies via stuff like Scream, I really like this thing as it gives me Scream vibes. I’m a big fan.
I mainly started this because of the movie adaptation.
I hope this doesn’t turn into some copy version like Scream, where the villain ends up having really no connection at all to the work, or gets included because they saw a movie and want to recreate the movie as fans.
TOAST: Well, so far, I would say that it definitely does have Scream vibes. While it has an essence of that rinse-and-repeat feel, it definitely isn’t a cut-and-paste crapshoot.
VOIDFX: I was also talking about —– ——— – ———–– — — —– –––– SPOILER ——— –. —– —– —–– – – – — – ——— trying to make the thing except… yeah.
TOAST: Do you think that the murders in this book were more or less extreme than in the prior three books?
VOIDFX: I think in terms of extreme? So I do, in terms of equipment. Beyond the equipment, I wouldn’t say it was more. Probably about the same. I wouldn’t say that much more.
TOAST: Would you say both equipment and complexity, or just equipment?
VOIDFX: — –– – SPOILER – — — in Kettle Springs — – — –.
TOAST: I’ll probably edit that part out because that’s a little bit of a spoiler, but that’s still a really good answer.
VOIDFX: OK.
Question for you! What did you think of the actual movie plot of the movie they were making in the book? Like as a fictional movie, you know what I mean?
TOAST: Honestly, I thought that it was very spot on. Like the Clown in a Cornfield movie in reality, or Hollywood in general, where the details weren’t the same as in the book, but it followed just close enough that you were like, “Oh crap, I know what’s about to happen… I think.”
VOIDFX: I like that too, though I do wish they didn’t have a clown flying an airplane and attacking people.
TOAST: No spoiler here. There’s definitely a reference, not a scene or anything that gives away plot, where a Frendo in an airplane is mentioned, which would have been a total jumping-the-shark moment, don’t you agree?
VOIDFX: I do.
What did you think about the cops in this book? Because the cops are always the most interesting.
TOAST: Dude. Rust as a sheriff just makes sense.
As always, Rust was pretty rad, to be honest. The dude knows what he’s doing and is a general stand-up guy, which the town really needs after such a bad run of corrupt police in prior books.
VOIDFX: Right?
Sheriff Dunne in the first book, the second one we really did get a really good cop, in Book Two, but yeah.
TOAST: So, all right, a couple more thoughts here.
Do you think people should read the books in order, or do you think they could skip to this book and enjoy it as a standalone?
VOIDFX: It would be good if they had already read the first three books, but as a standalone, it doesn’t work.
Due to the references to some characters, I would not say this could be a standalone.
TOAST: I found myself, for the last 24 hours since I read the book, absolutely saying to myself, WWQMD: What Would Quinn Maybrook Do?
Do you find yourself imagining scenarios that make you ask that question?
VOIDFX: Not really.
Without saying too much, I wish Sabrina, the cast member playing Quinn in the C4 movie, had done this less. I do. I wish she would’ve committed more to herself and less to her part.
Sabrina had the way to be a much stronger version of herself and didn’t have to lean into her role as much.
VOIDFX: Since we were talking about the actor Sabrina, what did you think of the cast for the movie? The cast characters?
TOAST: I thought they did a pretty good job with that.
Just like in real movies, where the people that I think are gonna be the characters are kind of misdone, I thought that kind of nailed Hollywood. The characters were not all how I would have cast them, so that felt real.
TOAST: If you could say anything to a fan who’s picking this book up, taking it home, and immediately cracking it open, what would you say to that fan?
VOIDFX: This is not a trilogy!
It’s not. It’s not!
TOAST: You would quote the author, even though it is clearly the fourth book?
VOIDFX: Yes.
Hahahaha.
TOAST: If you could say anything to the author, what would you say to Adam Cesare?
VOIDFX: Thank you for continuing the series.
I hope you make more, and I hope this goes for seven more books, or up to seven books, maybe more.
Make this the new, but better, Halloween franchise!
Published by Toastx2 on June 23, 2026
advance arc, e-Book
So I lucked into a free advanced reader copy of Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo!. The fourth installment in the Frendo ‘Trilogy’ is set to be released around August 18, 2026. (Sorry, had to poke the bear there Mr Cesare.)
The timing for reading this was great. I had just finished Book 3 and wasn’t even aware there was a new one pending.
My son, VoidFX, was stoked, picking up an e-reader for the first time to get access ASAP. We had barely finsihed sharing notes on the third book. Clown 4 was actually pretty great.
In C4 Kettle Springs has been tapped as the filming location for a fictionalized action-horror movie based on the original massacre. Kettle Springs sees the return of Jerri, Rust, and Cole. Cole has arranged for the film’s principal photography to happen in Kettle Springs, working with Jerri to bring some money to the failing region and hopefully some closure. The town deserves a break. Rust is acting sheriff, though he says against his will.
Picking up several months after C3, we don’t have a lot of closure. Questions still exist, characters are unresolved, but the world just keeps spinning.
As you can expect, things end up sideways, with spurts of blood and viscera.
I decided to flip the script a bit and interview my son about the book. No spoilers from the book will happen. The last thing we want to do is be those dickheads that spoiled the book for everybody before it even got released. (I see you, 2005 4chan kiddos, spoiling Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before crashing your parents’ car! Instant ‘Car’ma haha)
⸻
TOAST: Let me ask you a question first, if you don’t mind, to get this started. Now that you’ve read all four books in the Clown in a Cornfield series, what are your feelings on the series as a whole?
VOIDFX: My feelings? Pretty good. As someone who mainly got into horror movies via stuff like Scream, I really like this thing as it gives me Scream vibes. I’m a big fan.
I mainly started this because of the movie adaptation.
I hope this doesn’t turn into some copy version like Scream, where the villain ends up having really no connection at all to the work, or gets included because they saw a movie and want to recreate the movie as fans.
TOAST: Well, so far, I would say that it definitely does have Scream vibes. While it has an essence of that rinse-and-repeat feel, it definitely isn’t a cut-and-paste crapshoot.
VOIDFX: I was also talking about —– ——— – ———–– — — —– –––– SPOILER ——— –. —– —– —–– – – – — – ——— trying to make the thing except… yeah.
TOAST: Do you think that the murders in this book were more or less extreme than in the prior three books?
VOIDFX: I think in terms of extreme? So I do, in terms of equipment. Beyond the equipment, I wouldn’t say it was more. Probably about the same. I wouldn’t say that much more.
TOAST: Would you say both equipment and complexity, or just equipment?
VOIDFX: — –– – SPOILER – — — in Kettle Springs — – — –.
TOAST: I’ll probably edit that part out because that’s a little bit of a spoiler, but that’s still a really good answer.
VOIDFX: OK.
Question for you! What did you think of the actual movie plot of the movie they were making in the book? Like as a fictional movie, you know what I mean?
TOAST: Honestly, I thought that it was very spot on. Like the Clown in a Cornfield movie in reality, or Hollywood in general, where the details weren’t the same as in the book, but it followed just close enough that you were like, “Oh crap, I know what’s about to happen… I think.”
VOIDFX: I like that too, though I do wish they didn’t have a clown flying an airplane and attacking people.
TOAST: No spoiler here. There’s definitely a reference, not a scene or anything that gives away plot, where a Frendo in an airplane is mentioned, which would have been a total jumping-the-shark moment, don’t you agree?
VOIDFX: I do.
What did you think about the cops in this book? Because the cops are always the most interesting.
TOAST: Dude. Rust as a sheriff just makes sense.
As always, Rust was pretty rad, to be honest. The dude knows what he’s doing and is a general stand-up guy, which the town really needs after such a bad run of corrupt police in prior books.
VOIDFX: Right?
Sheriff Dunne in the first book, the second one we really did get a really good cop, in Book Two, but yeah.
TOAST: So, all right, a couple more thoughts here.
Do you think people should read the books in order, or do you think they could skip to this book and enjoy it as a standalone?
VOIDFX: It would be good if they had already read the first three books, but as a standalone, it doesn’t work.
Due to the references to some characters, I would not say this could be a standalone.
TOAST: I found myself, for the last 24 hours since I read the book, absolutely saying to myself, WWQMD: What Would Quinn Maybrook Do?
Do you find yourself imagining scenarios that make you ask that question?
VOIDFX: Not really.
Without saying too much, I wish Sabrina, the cast member playing Quinn in the C4 movie, had done this less. I do. I wish she would’ve committed more to herself and less to her part.
Sabrina had the way to be a much stronger version of herself and didn’t have to lean into her role as much.
VOIDFX: Since we were talking about the actor Sabrina, what did you think of the cast for the movie? The cast characters?
TOAST: I thought they did a pretty good job with that.
Just like in real movies, where the people that I think are gonna be the characters are kind of misdone, I thought that kind of nailed Hollywood. The characters were not all how I would have cast them, so that felt real.
TOAST: If you could say anything to a fan who’s picking this book up, taking it home, and immediately cracking it open, what would you say to that fan?
VOIDFX: This is not a trilogy!
It’s not. It’s not!
TOAST: You would quote the author, even though it is clearly the fourth book?
VOIDFX: Yes.
Hahahaha.
TOAST: If you could say anything to the author, what would you say to Adam Cesare?
VOIDFX: Thank you for continuing the series.
I hope you make more, and I hope this goes for seven more books, or up to seven books, maybe more.
Make this the new, but better, Halloween franchise!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The first Clown in a Cornfield novel by
Adam Cesare
captured my attention in ways that surprised me, making it one of my favorite books of all-time, if not my favorite altogether. Even with
Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo!
, the fourth installment, Cesare still has the ability to craft a unique and utterly surprising story that had me on edge from start to finish.
Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.
While we haven't been on the journey our friends from Kettle Springs have been on, we have been on a journey as the reader. From a quiet any town USA locale, unsettling events of in Pennsylvania, and a road trip of revenge, it was nice to be back in old Kettle Springs for this go-around. Not to mention the return of some fan favorite characters and the introduction of a few new faces.
I felt I would've dug the direction Cesare takes the Clown in a Cornfield series with a story where a film based on the tragic events is the main plot, even if there wasn't recently a film adaptation of the original novel. It makes so much sense that this would be something that actually happens in the fictional world Cesare created. But as we all know with horror stories, things will never go as planned and it's how Adam crafts Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! that made it stand out.
Filming in Kettle Springs brings authenticity to the feature film, but its a town that is still reeling with the events of a few years ago that can make it difficult for some of those who are still around. Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! has classic gory horror, but its also a book filled to the brim with post-traumatic stress disorder and grief which brings real life horrors to the page. It's not just the people who are still around that feel broken and rundown, but it's Kettle Springs itself that has a real dilapidated feel to it. Not to mention a film crew coming in and taking over to recreate the traumatic events.
Revisiting with Cole and Rust, as well as Jerri and Glenn Maybrook, was a delight. Even though we will never get the same characters we got in the first part of the first novel, as they have been through the wringer and have both grown and filled with grief. The one drawback that I could find was my inability to connect with our new faces, Sabrina was the most connectible, but even she was a distant second to the old school characters and how we all connected throughout the series.
Cesare continues to terrifying me with stories of clowns, even if this is a young adult horror novel, it still frightens this 40-year-old reader in ways that surprised me. Adam knows just how to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in a YA novel and squeezes every ounce out of the terror within.
Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! proves that Adam Cesare still has plenty up his sleeve in Kettle Springs. A slasher horror with the addition of grief and trauma delivering another fantastic addition to the Clown in a Cornfield saga. Cesare continues to push the boundaries of YA horror with another terrifying, blood-soaked nightmare that will scare those of all ages.
Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! hits bookstores everywhere on August 18, 2026 from HarperCollins. The audiobook, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, is available via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.
While we haven't been on the journey our friends from Kettle Springs have been on, we have been on a journey as the reader. From a quiet any town USA locale, unsettling events of in Pennsylvania, and a road trip of revenge, it was nice to be back in old Kettle Springs for this go-around. Not to mention the return of some fan favorite characters and the introduction of a few new faces.
I felt I would've dug the direction Cesare takes the Clown in a Cornfield series with a story where a film based on the tragic events is the main plot, even if there wasn't recently a film adaptation of the original novel. It makes so much sense that this would be something that actually happens in the fictional world Cesare created. But as we all know with horror stories, things will never go as planned and it's how Adam crafts Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! that made it stand out.
Filming in Kettle Springs brings authenticity to the feature film, but its a town that is still reeling with the events of a few years ago that can make it difficult for some of those who are still around. Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! has classic gory horror, but its also a book filled to the brim with post-traumatic stress disorder and grief which brings real life horrors to the page. It's not just the people who are still around that feel broken and rundown, but it's Kettle Springs itself that has a real dilapidated feel to it. Not to mention a film crew coming in and taking over to recreate the traumatic events.
Revisiting with Cole and Rust, as well as Jerri and Glenn Maybrook, was a delight. Even though we will never get the same characters we got in the first part of the first novel, as they have been through the wringer and have both grown and filled with grief. The one drawback that I could find was my inability to connect with our new faces, Sabrina was the most connectible, but even she was a distant second to the old school characters and how we all connected throughout the series.
Cesare continues to terrifying me with stories of clowns, even if this is a young adult horror novel, it still frightens this 40-year-old reader in ways that surprised me. Adam knows just how to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in a YA novel and squeezes every ounce out of the terror within.
Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! proves that Adam Cesare still has plenty up his sleeve in Kettle Springs. A slasher horror with the addition of grief and trauma delivering another fantastic addition to the Clown in a Cornfield saga. Cesare continues to push the boundaries of YA horror with another terrifying, blood-soaked nightmare that will scare those of all ages.
Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! hits bookstores everywhere on August 18, 2026 from HarperCollins. The audiobook, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, is available via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As devastated as I'll be if this is the end, I can't think of a better conclusion for this story.
Incredible. Emotional. Show-stopping. Healing.
Over the span of this saga, Clown in a Cornfield has showcased all of the different things horror can be: a story about love; about grief; about fear; about acceptance; about resilience; about community; about life. Lights! Camera! Frendo! is mostly a meditation about grief and legacy and how desperately we cling to the memories of those that we have loved and lost, but it's about all of these other things too: the love of family; the love of partners; the love of life itself. It's about finding your people and your community and never letting it go. It's about standing up and facing hatred and refusing to let someone else's beliefs define you. It is also about surviving murderous clowns, but I'd hate to see anyone dismissing this as simply another horror story about clowns.
Adam Cesare loves his characters; that's plainly obvious in every word he writes. He loves this setting, and this universe, and he pours so much heart and hope into it. One of my favorite things about a book is when the place is as much a character as the characters, and Kettle Springs truly does feel like a living, breathing entity. Its rich, dark past continues to be so vibrant on the page, aging and growing alongside the cast; despite hardly being present in book 3, Rust, Cole, and Jerri hardly miss a beat in showing the ways they've matured since book 2, without leaving the reader with the feeling that important moments were skipped over during the events of Church of Frendo. The slight shock at where they start the story feels almost instantly natural, like they were never gone at all. For me personally, Rust and Cole's relationship has always felt like the focal point of the story that so much has been built upon, their feelings for one another foundational, and that's no less true here; their love for one another as partners is a driving force of the narrative, relentless and all-consuming. I'd had hopes that maybe they'd spend more of the action together, rather than repeating the pattern of being split up as in books 1 and 2... but honestly, after how the climax plays out in this book, I completely understand Cesare keeping them apart. Rust is just too powerful. It never really feels like too much, though. His capability could easily become boring, or feel cheap, and yet... it never does. He's consistent in his strength, and he's far from perfect. No one in this series is perfect. They all have their flaws, and I'm constantly grateful Cesare never shies away from that.
The returning characters really are the highlight of the cast. I'm a little disappointed that the actor characters don't get much depth; not even Sabrina really feels fully formed. It's probably my only real critique, which is a shame, because I was very much looking forward to the meta aspect of the movie-within-a-book. I love film set horror, it's a subgenre I've been really into recently, so I was very excited to see Cesare's take on it, especially on the heels of book 1 getting adapted to a film, which I do wonder how much of that process really served as inspiration. There's some... interesting commentary moments, and there's some aspects of the production of the fake movie that seem very personal to Cesare, and I found myself constantly analyzing every little detail and comparing to the real movie, searching for overlap and clues and easter eggs. But with a lack of real personality for most of the actors, I just kind of ended up seeing them as the cast for the real movie. I would've been interested in seeing Rust and Cole interact with the guys playing them, but that's purely a personal desire.
Even with that critique, this is still such a strong entry to the series. Like I said: I'll be devastated if this is the end, but even prior to reading the acknowledgements, I was definitely getting the feeling of finality. It's bittersweet but Cesare does a great job at it and I couldn't help but find myself satisfied by the slow way things came together. Good stories have "predictable" endings, in my view. Good storytelling involves foreshadowing and I found myself slowly piecing things together as we went along on this journey and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the reveals. The slow, creeping dread as the story inches closer to the finale is spine-tingling. The fear at what might happen is overwhelming. Every book so far has been the kind of story you both want to sit with for a while and immerse yourself in every detail, but also the kind of story you want to devour. I found myself going back and rereading passages and just being stunned with the level of care taken with ensuring every detail is exacting. A good plot is like a dance; choreographed steps, you recognize the beats, but you're still mesmerized, maybe so much so that the next move surprises you.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I really think this is a story best experienced without any, and that's a rare thought that I have. I think maybe that's indicative enough of how much I enjoyed this. I've only had the honor of having read this series for the first time last year, but in that time, it's come to mean a lot to me, but I have no doubt that the long-time fans will find this a fitting end as well (if it is). If you've never read this series before: start now. Read this when it comes out in August. Don't let yourself miss out on one of the best horror series of the 2020s. Cesare only gets better with every new book, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Incredible. Emotional. Show-stopping. Healing.
Over the span of this saga, Clown in a Cornfield has showcased all of the different things horror can be: a story about love; about grief; about fear; about acceptance; about resilience; about community; about life. Lights! Camera! Frendo! is mostly a meditation about grief and legacy and how desperately we cling to the memories of those that we have loved and lost, but it's about all of these other things too: the love of family; the love of partners; the love of life itself. It's about finding your people and your community and never letting it go. It's about standing up and facing hatred and refusing to let someone else's beliefs define you. It is also about surviving murderous clowns, but I'd hate to see anyone dismissing this as simply another horror story about clowns.
Adam Cesare loves his characters; that's plainly obvious in every word he writes. He loves this setting, and this universe, and he pours so much heart and hope into it. One of my favorite things about a book is when the place is as much a character as the characters, and Kettle Springs truly does feel like a living, breathing entity. Its rich, dark past continues to be so vibrant on the page, aging and growing alongside the cast; despite hardly being present in book 3, Rust, Cole, and Jerri hardly miss a beat in showing the ways they've matured since book 2, without leaving the reader with the feeling that important moments were skipped over during the events of Church of Frendo. The slight shock at where they start the story feels almost instantly natural, like they were never gone at all. For me personally, Rust and Cole's relationship has always felt like the focal point of the story that so much has been built upon, their feelings for one another foundational, and that's no less true here; their love for one another as partners is a driving force of the narrative, relentless and all-consuming. I'd had hopes that maybe they'd spend more of the action together, rather than repeating the pattern of being split up as in books 1 and 2... but honestly, after how the climax plays out in this book, I completely understand Cesare keeping them apart. Rust is just too powerful. It never really feels like too much, though. His capability could easily become boring, or feel cheap, and yet... it never does. He's consistent in his strength, and he's far from perfect. No one in this series is perfect. They all have their flaws, and I'm constantly grateful Cesare never shies away from that.
The returning characters really are the highlight of the cast. I'm a little disappointed that the actor characters don't get much depth; not even Sabrina really feels fully formed. It's probably my only real critique, which is a shame, because I was very much looking forward to the meta aspect of the movie-within-a-book. I love film set horror, it's a subgenre I've been really into recently, so I was very excited to see Cesare's take on it, especially on the heels of book 1 getting adapted to a film, which I do wonder how much of that process really served as inspiration. There's some... interesting commentary moments, and there's some aspects of the production of the fake movie that seem very personal to Cesare, and I found myself constantly analyzing every little detail and comparing to the real movie, searching for overlap and clues and easter eggs. But with a lack of real personality for most of the actors, I just kind of ended up seeing them as the cast for the real movie. I would've been interested in seeing Rust and Cole interact with the guys playing them, but that's purely a personal desire.
Even with that critique, this is still such a strong entry to the series. Like I said: I'll be devastated if this is the end, but even prior to reading the acknowledgements, I was definitely getting the feeling of finality. It's bittersweet but Cesare does a great job at it and I couldn't help but find myself satisfied by the slow way things came together. Good stories have "predictable" endings, in my view. Good storytelling involves foreshadowing and I found myself slowly piecing things together as we went along on this journey and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the reveals. The slow, creeping dread as the story inches closer to the finale is spine-tingling. The fear at what might happen is overwhelming. Every book so far has been the kind of story you both want to sit with for a while and immerse yourself in every detail, but also the kind of story you want to devour. I found myself going back and rereading passages and just being stunned with the level of care taken with ensuring every detail is exacting. A good plot is like a dance; choreographed steps, you recognize the beats, but you're still mesmerized, maybe so much so that the next move surprises you.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I really think this is a story best experienced without any, and that's a rare thought that I have. I think maybe that's indicative enough of how much I enjoyed this. I've only had the honor of having read this series for the first time last year, but in that time, it's come to mean a lot to me, but I have no doubt that the long-time fans will find this a fitting end as well (if it is). If you've never read this series before: start now. Read this when it comes out in August. Don't let yourself miss out on one of the best horror series of the 2020s. Cesare only gets better with every new book, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With Quinn Maybrook defeating Frendo the clown thrice before the events of "Lights! Camera! Frendo!", where could this story possibly go? And where is Frendo going to pop up next? Back to the scene of the scene of the OG crime, of course! Well, Kettle Springs, at least.
What I have LOVED about this whole series since day one of reading the first Clown in a Cornfield is that it gave me the same sort of feeling that the Scream franchise does in the movie world: scrappy teens, TRUE horror/murderers, and meta commentary. And this fourth instalment continues that tradition of sorts, as CiaC was JUST made into a movie last year (and you bet your ass I was SAT in the theater for it, hoping it was as close to the movie in my mind I saw reading the first book). From the early pages, it gave me the meta jokes I wanted, exemplified by the "the lead in Clown in a Cornfield- the film's working title, clearly that'd be changed before it hit theaters..." which made me chuckle. Like yeah, simple but sort of silly title, hiding an awesome story. And yes, the political parallels are there, both make me cry and laugh through the pain (see: implying those who put on the Frendo mantle were a "patriot (taking) a swing at the system").
But anyway, this story is what happens when the kettle springs massacre is made into a movie- not a documentary, a true movie. Cole is (trying to be) a producer, Rust is stuck as acting sheriff, and Quinn Maybrook is gone- her spirit kept alive by the girl cast to play her, who sweetly kept thinking "WWQMD?" as she was slowly finding her way in this chaos. Jeri is there, struggling to find their own path and still work through trauma. Oh and also, Frendo shows back up. Imaging (none of) our surprise!! And yes, there were times I thought it could be Cole, the director, the mayor, even our lead or Quinn Maybrook herself!... But let me tell you, you won't guess exactly how it will shake out. A la Scream, there's (almost) always more than one killer to expect.
And lastly, that epilogue? YES. There was a part of me that knew what was coming- though I almost expected that to happen in the midst of all the action. In some ways, I like the epilogue way better. It's clean, subtle almost. But also what we (or at least I) wanted!
Many many thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins, and Adam Cesare, for continuing to provide chilling clown stories well into my adulthood. PLEASE pull up this book (or the first three if you haven't yet), sit down and have a grand spooky time!
What I have LOVED about this whole series since day one of reading the first Clown in a Cornfield is that it gave me the same sort of feeling that the Scream franchise does in the movie world: scrappy teens, TRUE horror/murderers, and meta commentary. And this fourth instalment continues that tradition of sorts, as CiaC was JUST made into a movie last year (and you bet your ass I was SAT in the theater for it, hoping it was as close to the movie in my mind I saw reading the first book). From the early pages, it gave me the meta jokes I wanted, exemplified by the "the lead in Clown in a Cornfield- the film's working title, clearly that'd be changed before it hit theaters..." which made me chuckle. Like yeah, simple but sort of silly title, hiding an awesome story. And yes, the political parallels are there, both make me cry and laugh through the pain (see: implying those who put on the Frendo mantle were a "patriot (taking) a swing at the system").
But anyway, this story is what happens when the kettle springs massacre is made into a movie- not a documentary, a true movie. Cole is (trying to be) a producer, Rust is stuck as acting sheriff, and Quinn Maybrook is gone- her spirit kept alive by the girl cast to play her, who sweetly kept thinking "WWQMD?" as she was slowly finding her way in this chaos. Jeri is there, struggling to find their own path and still work through trauma. Oh and also, Frendo shows back up. Imaging (none of) our surprise!! And yes, there were times I thought it could be Cole, the director, the mayor, even our lead or Quinn Maybrook herself!... But let me tell you, you won't guess exactly how it will shake out. A la Scream, there's (almost) always more than one killer to expect.
And lastly, that epilogue? YES. There was a part of me that knew what was coming- though I almost expected that to happen in the midst of all the action. In some ways, I like the epilogue way better. It's clean, subtle almost. But also what we (or at least I) wanted!
Many many thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins, and Adam Cesare, for continuing to provide chilling clown stories well into my adulthood. PLEASE pull up this book (or the first three if you haven't yet), sit down and have a grand spooky time!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When I was a kid, my family had this little pub-style restaurant we really loved. We would go on Friday nights, order the same things, talk, and just be together. I loved that place. I especially loved their buffalo tenders.
Then, one day, my dad told me they were closing. But never fear, it wasn’t over. Another group was coming in to remodel the place and open their own pub. I didn’t like that. I didn’t know this new ownership group. What would happen to my buffalo tenders?
Turns out, all of my anxieties were unwarranted. The new place was just as good. I’d argue better. Also, the buffalo tenders were exactly the same.
I share that little anecdote because Lights! Camera! Frendo! put me through the same journey as that pub. I loved the original trilogy. Sorry, Adam, I know it’s not technically a trilogy. I am mostly saying trilogy here so I can rib you a bit. I loved the characters we had, Kettle Springs as it was, and the way the story sort of concluded. I didn’t feel like I needed another chapter.
Turns out, I did.
The fourth installment of the series is every bit as good as the others. We get familiar characters blended with the new. There is lots of Rust and Cole, which is great for anyone who complained about the lack of them in the third book. Kettle Springs is every bit as fucked up as it has always been. Seriously, at this point everyone who lives within the town lines should be forced to undergo a psychological evaluation.
I have to assume that being around movie sets for the Clown in a Cornfield movie colored a lot of this one. If the franchise is already considered a meta-slasher, this becomes a kind of proto-meta-meta-slasher. The kills are awesome. Bloodier and grosser than the last book. The twists keep twisting deep into the third act. Shit, I read it in two days. It’s just more and more of what you already love.
Go read it. Prostrate yourself at the altar of the Church of Frendo, and pray we get more. Adam has once again left the door open for sequels. Don’t call it a tetralogy. Even if this one wraps up nicely, that epilogue leaves plenty of room to play with.
4/5, because you know what you’re getting when you walk in, and it delivers it like a platter of your favorite buffalo tendies.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Then, one day, my dad told me they were closing. But never fear, it wasn’t over. Another group was coming in to remodel the place and open their own pub. I didn’t like that. I didn’t know this new ownership group. What would happen to my buffalo tenders?
Turns out, all of my anxieties were unwarranted. The new place was just as good. I’d argue better. Also, the buffalo tenders were exactly the same.
I share that little anecdote because Lights! Camera! Frendo! put me through the same journey as that pub. I loved the original trilogy. Sorry, Adam, I know it’s not technically a trilogy. I am mostly saying trilogy here so I can rib you a bit. I loved the characters we had, Kettle Springs as it was, and the way the story sort of concluded. I didn’t feel like I needed another chapter.
Turns out, I did.
The fourth installment of the series is every bit as good as the others. We get familiar characters blended with the new. There is lots of Rust and Cole, which is great for anyone who complained about the lack of them in the third book. Kettle Springs is every bit as fucked up as it has always been. Seriously, at this point everyone who lives within the town lines should be forced to undergo a psychological evaluation.
I have to assume that being around movie sets for the Clown in a Cornfield movie colored a lot of this one. If the franchise is already considered a meta-slasher, this becomes a kind of proto-meta-meta-slasher. The kills are awesome. Bloodier and grosser than the last book. The twists keep twisting deep into the third act. Shit, I read it in two days. It’s just more and more of what you already love.
Go read it. Prostrate yourself at the altar of the Church of Frendo, and pray we get more. Adam has once again left the door open for sequels. Don’t call it a tetralogy. Even if this one wraps up nicely, that epilogue leaves plenty of room to play with.
4/5, because you know what you’re getting when you walk in, and it delivers it like a platter of your favorite buffalo tendies.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I mostly try to read my ARCs closer to when they're actually coming out... But as soon as I got approved for this one I had to pick it up. I really enjoyed the first two books in the Clown in a Cornfield series, but book 3 didn't really work for me. So I was eager to get into this one since the description of it taking place in Kettle Springs as a film crew is coming to town really appealed to me. I just flew through this book, it was an absolute blast.
Like when Paul Tremblay came out with Horror Movie after The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into Knock at the Cabin, I was eager to see what Adam Cesare did with Lights! Camera! Frendo! and what moments could potentially be meta commentary on his own book getting adapted. I don't think every single character or opinion in here is commenting on the real Clown in a Cornfield movie, but there certainly are interesting things like talking about how the actress who plays Janet in the movie within in the book isn't Asian.
I enjoyed Sabrina Alvarez as the actress playing Quinn in the movie, it was nice seeing her journey to becoming more confident in herself as an actress and in the real horror situations. I was definitely glad to see a larger cast of returning characters since one thing I didn't like about book 3 was how it didn't really feature important people who has survived previous installments. Although I do wish there were more group scenes with all the returning heroes. It was fun getting to see how the characters have matured and how they react to yet another killer clown situation. And the ultimate reveal of what was going on made sense in line with the previous books in the series.
I'll be sad if this is where the book series ends, because I enjoy these characters so much. But if it is the end, it feels very complete. Even if there are threads that could be woven into a new story down the line. Definitely check this out when it releases if you're a fan of the series. Or pick up book one if you're a fan of teen slashers that also incorporate social commentary.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Like when Paul Tremblay came out with Horror Movie after The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into Knock at the Cabin, I was eager to see what Adam Cesare did with Lights! Camera! Frendo! and what moments could potentially be meta commentary on his own book getting adapted. I don't think every single character or opinion in here is commenting on the real Clown in a Cornfield movie, but there certainly are interesting things like talking about how the actress who plays Janet in the movie within in the book isn't Asian.
I enjoyed Sabrina Alvarez as the actress playing Quinn in the movie, it was nice seeing her journey to becoming more confident in herself as an actress and in the real horror situations. I was definitely glad to see a larger cast of returning characters since one thing I didn't like about book 3 was how it didn't really feature important people who has survived previous installments. Although I do wish there were more group scenes with all the returning heroes. It was fun getting to see how the characters have matured and how they react to yet another killer clown situation. And the ultimate reveal of what was going on made sense in line with the previous books in the series.
I'll be sad if this is where the book series ends, because I enjoy these characters so much. But if it is the end, it feels very complete. Even if there are threads that could be woven into a new story down the line. Definitely check this out when it releases if you're a fan of the series. Or pick up book one if you're a fan of teen slashers that also incorporate social commentary.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
May 26, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
I binged the first three of these books in about 4 days when I first discovered them. They're fun, fast paced, slashers with a storyline and characters that I had a great time following. This new installment, "Lights! Camera! Frendo!" had a similar tone, the return of SOME of the characters but, I have to admit, it did feel like something was as missing.
At face value, the premise of this novel is very fun and meta. We're following a group of young actors who are cast in a film based on the events that happened in Kettle Springs during the first novel. In practice, this also becomes the novels downfall.
Since this is all about what we already read about in the first book, there's a level of repetition that comes into play. And, since this follows the events that transpire during the making of that film, the characters we've grown attached to from the first three books take a huge back seat.
The interesting thing about this novel is that while it chronologically takes place after the events of the first three books, and it includes characters from those books, it does not feel like the next step forward in the story that those books established. It feels almost like an offshoot that is happening in the same universe.
Having said that, as a fan of the first three, I had plenty to enjoy and being back in the world was great, it just felt like at the end of the book, the events were largely inconsequential. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it felt like a "filler episode," in a TV show, but it didn't advance the larger plot, at all. I feel like if a fifth book were to come out, the events of this book could be addressed with a couple sentences in the opening chapter and then never brought up again.
I don't want to make it sound like this book isn't worth your time; the writing is great, it's fast paced, and fans of the series, I think, will have a good time with it. It just felt very odd to me that the first three books told a larger, interconnected, story that built upon a cast of characters that we knew and cared about and this one didn't advance that story, at all.
All in all, reading this was a bit like riding a roller coaster; a good time that begins and ends at the same place.
I binged the first three of these books in about 4 days when I first discovered them. They're fun, fast paced, slashers with a storyline and characters that I had a great time following. This new installment, "Lights! Camera! Frendo!" had a similar tone, the return of SOME of the characters but, I have to admit, it did feel like something was as missing.
At face value, the premise of this novel is very fun and meta. We're following a group of young actors who are cast in a film based on the events that happened in Kettle Springs during the first novel. In practice, this also becomes the novels downfall.
Since this is all about what we already read about in the first book, there's a level of repetition that comes into play. And, since this follows the events that transpire during the making of that film, the characters we've grown attached to from the first three books take a huge back seat.
The interesting thing about this novel is that while it chronologically takes place after the events of the first three books, and it includes characters from those books, it does not feel like the next step forward in the story that those books established. It feels almost like an offshoot that is happening in the same universe.
Having said that, as a fan of the first three, I had plenty to enjoy and being back in the world was great, it just felt like at the end of the book, the events were largely inconsequential. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it felt like a "filler episode," in a TV show, but it didn't advance the larger plot, at all. I feel like if a fifth book were to come out, the events of this book could be addressed with a couple sentences in the opening chapter and then never brought up again.
I don't want to make it sound like this book isn't worth your time; the writing is great, it's fast paced, and fans of the series, I think, will have a good time with it. It just felt very odd to me that the first three books told a larger, interconnected, story that built upon a cast of characters that we knew and cared about and this one didn't advance that story, at all.
All in all, reading this was a bit like riding a roller coaster; a good time that begins and ends at the same place.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ALL QUIET ON THE SET [& IN DEATH]!
Adam Cesare returns to one of the best slasher series! Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! is absolutely unhinged in the most chaotic and meta kind of way. Clown in a Cornfield recently hit the big screen, and the fictional Kettle Springs is facing the same path. Think of all the meta greatness that coincides between Scream & Stab. That is what this book feels like. This entry cranks everything up, the kills, the absurdity, the commentary, and drops Cole & Rust (and some other new faces) straight into a setting that feels primed for maximum carnage and chaos. It has that signature blend of camp and brutality that this series thrives on, where you’re laughing one second and immediately recoiling the next. It’s loud, bloody, and fully committed to the bit. Adam Cesare is the author who continues to deliver with this series. He knows horror and he knows exactly how to give it to his fans.
This story does pick up after the events of the previous three novels. Prepare yourself for the mental fortitude to make it through copious amounts of trauma, healing with sarcasm, & characters fully immersing themselves in their jobs to not face demons. These characters have been THROUGH it and come out the other side. Some characters aren't there anymore. Cole & Rust are simply trying to keep the town afloat and keep their love alive. There are new characters here in the mix that I am looking forward to seeing more of (pending another sequel). I hesitate to give too many details to ensure I don't spoil anything. However, our titular villain, FRENDO, is back on the scene in that classic way only he can be. And the reveal behind his mask and his goofy and gory kill scenes are NEXT LEVEL here.
The kills are creative, the pacing is relentless, and Frendo remains that perfect mascot of terror, equal parts ridiculous and genuinely unsettling. There are real human emotions behind his masked eyes. This series just keeps finding new ways to evolve while staying true to its roots, and Lights! Camera! Frendo! proves there is still so much more to explore in this slasher series. I will absolutely keep showing up for whatever deranged chaos comes next.
Adam Cesare returns to one of the best slasher series! Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! is absolutely unhinged in the most chaotic and meta kind of way. Clown in a Cornfield recently hit the big screen, and the fictional Kettle Springs is facing the same path. Think of all the meta greatness that coincides between Scream & Stab. That is what this book feels like. This entry cranks everything up, the kills, the absurdity, the commentary, and drops Cole & Rust (and some other new faces) straight into a setting that feels primed for maximum carnage and chaos. It has that signature blend of camp and brutality that this series thrives on, where you’re laughing one second and immediately recoiling the next. It’s loud, bloody, and fully committed to the bit. Adam Cesare is the author who continues to deliver with this series. He knows horror and he knows exactly how to give it to his fans.
This story does pick up after the events of the previous three novels. Prepare yourself for the mental fortitude to make it through copious amounts of trauma, healing with sarcasm, & characters fully immersing themselves in their jobs to not face demons. These characters have been THROUGH it and come out the other side. Some characters aren't there anymore. Cole & Rust are simply trying to keep the town afloat and keep their love alive. There are new characters here in the mix that I am looking forward to seeing more of (pending another sequel). I hesitate to give too many details to ensure I don't spoil anything. However, our titular villain, FRENDO, is back on the scene in that classic way only he can be. And the reveal behind his mask and his goofy and gory kill scenes are NEXT LEVEL here.
The kills are creative, the pacing is relentless, and Frendo remains that perfect mascot of terror, equal parts ridiculous and genuinely unsettling. There are real human emotions behind his masked eyes. This series just keeps finding new ways to evolve while staying true to its roots, and Lights! Camera! Frendo! proves there is still so much more to explore in this slasher series. I will absolutely keep showing up for whatever deranged chaos comes next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
𝐖𝐖𝐐𝐌𝐃?
Any reader who has survived Kettle Springs already knows the answer to what Quinn Maybrook would do: grab a weapon, run faster than everyone else, and absolutely never trust a clown named Frendo. In LIGHTS! CAMERA! FRENDO!, Adam Cesare takes the carnage to Hollywood when actress Sabrina Alvarez lands the role of Quinn Maybrook in a movie based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Instead of basking in Final Girl glory, Sabrina arrives in a town still rotting from grief, resentment, and way too many bodies. Add in a wildly chaotic film set, an unhinged director, suspicious deaths, and Frendo lurking in the background with murderous intent, and this book basically reads like a slasher movie shotgunned three energy drinks and sprinted directly into madness.
This series continues to be ridiculously fun because Cesare delivers exactly what horror fans want. The kills are brutal, the pacing moves at an absolute sprint, and the entire thing has that grimy energy that makes you want to yell at characters while rooting for them at the same time. I loved the Hollywood angle in this one because it added such a delicious layer of satire about turning real trauma into entertainment. Watching a movie crew swarm Kettle Springs to recreate all the bloodshed while the town itself is still emotionally hemorrhaging was messy in the best possible way. I adored Sabrina's character. She had massive shoes to fill stepping into Quinn Maybrook territory, but she absolutely held her own.
What I appreciate most about this series is that even four books in, it still feels like the author is having the time of his life writing these. The books never feel cynical or tired. They feel loud, chaotic, self-aware, and deeply affectionate toward the slasher genre. This installment was packed with gore, tension, humor, and enough Frendo-fueled insanity to make me question whether I’d survive five minutes in Kettle Springs. Spoiler alert: I absolutely would not. Many thanks to Harper Collins for the early copy that will publish August 18, 2026.
Any reader who has survived Kettle Springs already knows the answer to what Quinn Maybrook would do: grab a weapon, run faster than everyone else, and absolutely never trust a clown named Frendo. In LIGHTS! CAMERA! FRENDO!, Adam Cesare takes the carnage to Hollywood when actress Sabrina Alvarez lands the role of Quinn Maybrook in a movie based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Instead of basking in Final Girl glory, Sabrina arrives in a town still rotting from grief, resentment, and way too many bodies. Add in a wildly chaotic film set, an unhinged director, suspicious deaths, and Frendo lurking in the background with murderous intent, and this book basically reads like a slasher movie shotgunned three energy drinks and sprinted directly into madness.
This series continues to be ridiculously fun because Cesare delivers exactly what horror fans want. The kills are brutal, the pacing moves at an absolute sprint, and the entire thing has that grimy energy that makes you want to yell at characters while rooting for them at the same time. I loved the Hollywood angle in this one because it added such a delicious layer of satire about turning real trauma into entertainment. Watching a movie crew swarm Kettle Springs to recreate all the bloodshed while the town itself is still emotionally hemorrhaging was messy in the best possible way. I adored Sabrina's character. She had massive shoes to fill stepping into Quinn Maybrook territory, but she absolutely held her own.
What I appreciate most about this series is that even four books in, it still feels like the author is having the time of his life writing these. The books never feel cynical or tired. They feel loud, chaotic, self-aware, and deeply affectionate toward the slasher genre. This installment was packed with gore, tension, humor, and enough Frendo-fueled insanity to make me question whether I’d survive five minutes in Kettle Springs. Spoiler alert: I absolutely would not. Many thanks to Harper Collins for the early copy that will publish August 18, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What happens when an American town and its inhabitants have been ravaged by economic hardship, barely survived horrific acts, and are left with residual trauma? Hollywood decides to make a movie about it!
Kettle Springs, Frendo and our series regulars (Quinn, Cole, Rust, etc.) are heading to the silver screen, but before that happens the movie needs to be shot. Notorious director David Frank Hansen is at the helm, novice actor Sabrina Alvarez is playing our leading lady Quinn, and the real Cole Hill is producing.
Filming a horror movie about a gruesome massacre, in the town where many wounds are still open and festering after the real-life events, what could possibly go wrong?
If you, like myself, were underwhelmed with the third installment in this series, rest assured that the fourth book brings things back to the high standings of books one and two. Be warned though, it's not all slash and go. There's tension, tenderness and a natural build-up to the bloody finale. While the reveals aren't surprising, they are satisfactory.
This story is self-aware, highlights the exploitative nature of Hollywood where profit is king, and allows feelings like grief and fear to unfold and evolve in a realistic manner. Jerri was my favorite character/perspective to follow, closely followed by Rust and Cole. It was a joy to see Jerri come into her own, she truly shone. There were many big moments disguised as small moments between Rust and Cole, and one between Rust's father Jim and Cole, that shone as well.
I give Lights! Camera! Frendo! by Adam Cesare 3.75 stars
For as long as Adam keeps writing the CIAC books, I will keep reading them.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for this eARC through NetGalley! Pub Date: 8/18/26
Kettle Springs, Frendo and our series regulars (Quinn, Cole, Rust, etc.) are heading to the silver screen, but before that happens the movie needs to be shot. Notorious director David Frank Hansen is at the helm, novice actor Sabrina Alvarez is playing our leading lady Quinn, and the real Cole Hill is producing.
Filming a horror movie about a gruesome massacre, in the town where many wounds are still open and festering after the real-life events, what could possibly go wrong?
If you, like myself, were underwhelmed with the third installment in this series, rest assured that the fourth book brings things back to the high standings of books one and two. Be warned though, it's not all slash and go. There's tension, tenderness and a natural build-up to the bloody finale. While the reveals aren't surprising, they are satisfactory.
This story is self-aware, highlights the exploitative nature of Hollywood where profit is king, and allows feelings like grief and fear to unfold and evolve in a realistic manner. Jerri was my favorite character/perspective to follow, closely followed by Rust and Cole. It was a joy to see Jerri come into her own, she truly shone. There were many big moments disguised as small moments between Rust and Cole, and one between Rust's father Jim and Cole, that shone as well.
I give Lights! Camera! Frendo! by Adam Cesare 3.75 stars
For as long as Adam keeps writing the CIAC books, I will keep reading them.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for this eARC through NetGalley! Pub Date: 8/18/26
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of the ebook.
4.5*
This was an absolute return to form for Adam Cesare's Clown in a Cornfield series. It was as fun, if more fun perhaps, than the first book and just as gruesome and violent. I had a really great time with this. This is very much Scream 3 but twistier and bloodier, and I love Scream 3 so I loved this haha
I loved that we got to see Rust and Cole again, this time as the town sheriff and a movie producer (honestly couldn't think of anything better for these two, seriously how fitting haha). Jerri returns as well and has shown some growth, loved seeing her again. I also really, actually really, liked all of our new characters as well! We got DFH the asshole movie director, his put-upon second AD Kaitlyn, and the whole new cast, including new final girl Sabrina (playing Quinn in the in-universe movie), who was absolutely kick-ass. I loved we got two final show downs, even if the second one kind of fizzled but I really liked this part of the book honestly because it really showed just DONE with this shit the heroes are lol They were very much giving Sidney Prescott and I was here for it.
The setting of an in-universe film being made about what happened in the first book was so meta as well (the first book, in real life, had a film made of it). Then there was all the talk and complaints about the casting in the in-book movie, just like there was for the real book movie lol Which did give lead to some weak reasoning for the new group of Frendos but like, I don't think I cared lol I'm just a fan of a FUN slasher and this is a fun slasher!!
I totally recommend this for fans of slasher stories, and you don't need to read books 2 and 3 to read this one (though you might be confused as to what happened to some of the main characters in between book 1 and 4 but like you get a little explanation thrown in so you won't be floundering if you skip them). But even though 2 and 3 aren't my favorites of the series, I do really like this series as a whole. It's a fun slasher world, very Scream, very summery... in fact, it's perfect for summerween <3
I hope we get a book 5, Mr. Cesare! 🤡
Here's the video where I read and discuss this book: https://youtu.be/ocrchHX3do0
4.5*
This was an absolute return to form for Adam Cesare's Clown in a Cornfield series. It was as fun, if more fun perhaps, than the first book and just as gruesome and violent. I had a really great time with this. This is very much Scream 3 but twistier and bloodier, and I love Scream 3 so I loved this haha
I loved that we got to see Rust and Cole again, this time as the town sheriff and a movie producer (honestly couldn't think of anything better for these two, seriously how fitting haha). Jerri returns as well and has shown some growth, loved seeing her again. I also really, actually really, liked all of our new characters as well! We got DFH the asshole movie director, his put-upon second AD Kaitlyn, and the whole new cast, including new final girl Sabrina (playing Quinn in the in-universe movie), who was absolutely kick-ass. I loved we got two final show downs, even if the second one kind of fizzled but I really liked this part of the book honestly because it really showed just DONE with this shit the heroes are lol They were very much giving Sidney Prescott and I was here for it.
The setting of an in-universe film being made about what happened in the first book was so meta as well (the first book, in real life, had a film made of it). Then there was all the talk and complaints about the casting in the in-book movie, just like there was for the real book movie lol Which did give lead to some weak reasoning for the new group of Frendos but like, I don't think I cared lol I'm just a fan of a FUN slasher and this is a fun slasher!!
I totally recommend this for fans of slasher stories, and you don't need to read books 2 and 3 to read this one (though you might be confused as to what happened to some of the main characters in between book 1 and 4 but like you get a little explanation thrown in so you won't be floundering if you skip them). But even though 2 and 3 aren't my favorites of the series, I do really like this series as a whole. It's a fun slasher world, very Scream, very summery... in fact, it's perfect for summerween <3
I hope we get a book 5, Mr. Cesare! 🤡
Here's the video where I read and discuss this book: https://youtu.be/ocrchHX3do0
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Clown in a Cornfield is one of my favorite horror series', and this installment didn't disappoint.
Adam has a skill of managing to introduce new characters in each book and make me care about them quickly. Did I prefer the chapters with the familiar faces? Sure. (Rust has been my number one boy since the first book, that will never change.) But the new additions were great too and a really good fit.
My only real critique is something I can't get too into without spoiling all of the reveals and twists at the end. I'll just say that half of it was a fun, new idea, and I really liked that reveal. The other half felt stale and something we've seen from this series before. It made sense, it wasn't any silly motive, just a little repetitive and not very surprising. Especially in comparison to the other half of the ending. That being said, I did still enjoy it and had a blast reading.
It was personally extra exciting for me because I have read a handful of books that take place on a horror movie set where there's some mystery or people start dying, etc, etc, and it's always great in premise but never in execution. This one was just great all around. It's exactly what I want from a slasher.
Also, every time the whitewashing of Janet's character got brought up, I felt justified for being as annoyed as I was about it in the movie. Adam, you're a real one.
I love the world of Kettle Springs and I will read any new Frendo book that Adam writes (any book he writes at all in general, actually). Especially after that epilogue. Oh my god, that epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Adam has a skill of managing to introduce new characters in each book and make me care about them quickly. Did I prefer the chapters with the familiar faces? Sure. (Rust has been my number one boy since the first book, that will never change.) But the new additions were great too and a really good fit.
My only real critique is something I can't get too into without spoiling all of the reveals and twists at the end. I'll just say that half of it was a fun, new idea, and I really liked that reveal. The other half felt stale and something we've seen from this series before. It made sense, it wasn't any silly motive, just a little repetitive and not very surprising. Especially in comparison to the other half of the ending. That being said, I did still enjoy it and had a blast reading.
It was personally extra exciting for me because I have read a handful of books that take place on a horror movie set where there's some mystery or people start dying, etc, etc, and it's always great in premise but never in execution. This one was just great all around. It's exactly what I want from a slasher.
Also, every time the whitewashing of Janet's character got brought up, I felt justified for being as annoyed as I was about it in the movie. Adam, you're a real one.
I love the world of Kettle Springs and I will read any new Frendo book that Adam writes (any book he writes at all in general, actually). Especially after that epilogue. Oh my god, that epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lights! Camera! Frendo! is the fourth installment of the Clown in a Cornfield series, and it just keeps slaying! I’ve been a fan of Adam Cesare’s Clown series since the beginning, and every time he announces a new book, I know I’m in for a bloody, good time!
There’s no place like Kettle Springs. In the fourth installment we return to Kettle Springs where Cole, Rust, and Jerri have been keeping the town moving along after the events of the last three books. In an extremely meta turn of events, Kettle Springs finds itself hosting the Hollywood elite. Turns out the trauma they experienced is being turned into a movie! (One I happily watched last year).
Our new cast of characters includes the actors playing all our near and dearly departed friends, but also PAs, ADs, and a director with a god complex. When you’re filming a slasher movie, it’s hard to tell the difference between movie magic and real scares!
Over the years my love and appreciation for this franchise has only grown. This was an especially fun read since Clown in a Cornfield received movie status last year. I spent much of the read wondering what bits were borrowed from real life in the moving making process.
I truly hope this isn’t the last we see of our rag tag group of survivors. They could still go to space, enter their supernatural era, or we could even get a prequel!
If you’re looking for a killer good read, I highly recommend this series!
Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Clown in a Cornfield 4) is out August 18, 2026.
Many thanks to HarperCollins, NetGalley, and Adam Cesare for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
There’s no place like Kettle Springs. In the fourth installment we return to Kettle Springs where Cole, Rust, and Jerri have been keeping the town moving along after the events of the last three books. In an extremely meta turn of events, Kettle Springs finds itself hosting the Hollywood elite. Turns out the trauma they experienced is being turned into a movie! (One I happily watched last year).
Our new cast of characters includes the actors playing all our near and dearly departed friends, but also PAs, ADs, and a director with a god complex. When you’re filming a slasher movie, it’s hard to tell the difference between movie magic and real scares!
Over the years my love and appreciation for this franchise has only grown. This was an especially fun read since Clown in a Cornfield received movie status last year. I spent much of the read wondering what bits were borrowed from real life in the moving making process.
I truly hope this isn’t the last we see of our rag tag group of survivors. They could still go to space, enter their supernatural era, or we could even get a prequel!
If you’re looking for a killer good read, I highly recommend this series!
Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Clown in a Cornfield 4) is out August 18, 2026.
Many thanks to HarperCollins, NetGalley, and Adam Cesare for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow, it is been a long time since I felt so conflicted on a book. obviously, as you can tell by my rating I did end up, loving it, but it took me a while to get to that point.
I was very excited to see a new character lead this book but there is two things about this book that kind of dimmed that experience and one of them is having so many ongoing point of views that you don’t get to spend as much time with her as you normally would with Quinn. but also the ongoing “ what would Quinn do?” throughout the book started to get very annoying and almost like the Halloween kills “evil dies tonight.” And that really erased time getting to know who she actually is.
Speaking of Quinn every time she was mentioned, I felt like I was the embodiment of “keep my wife’s name out your mouth”!
I did like seeing more, Jerri! she’s a great character, she was definitely overworked in this book especially for being a teenager like girl go take some you time.
Cole and Rust, I knew we were gonna see more of them with the premise of this book, but I do wish we had gotten to see more of them together. All of these sequels have really stressed me out when it comes to them, but the ending of this book for them was just so beautiful.
I did guess the big bad of this book, but there were definitely some surprises in there that I really enjoyed very much in tone of the original book.
The epilogue this book is definitely something that has me very excited for the next book because there’s no way Adam is ending the series on that note - or maybe he is which I would also be okay with honestly.
I was very excited to see a new character lead this book but there is two things about this book that kind of dimmed that experience and one of them is having so many ongoing point of views that you don’t get to spend as much time with her as you normally would with Quinn. but also the ongoing “ what would Quinn do?” throughout the book started to get very annoying and almost like the Halloween kills “evil dies tonight.” And that really erased time getting to know who she actually is.
Speaking of Quinn every time she was mentioned, I felt like I was the embodiment of “keep my wife’s name out your mouth”!
I did like seeing more, Jerri! she’s a great character, she was definitely overworked in this book especially for being a teenager like girl go take some you time.
Cole and Rust, I knew we were gonna see more of them with the premise of this book, but I do wish we had gotten to see more of them together. All of these sequels have really stressed me out when it comes to them, but the ending of this book for them was just so beautiful.
I did guess the big bad of this book, but there were definitely some surprises in there that I really enjoyed very much in tone of the original book.
The epilogue this book is definitely something that has me very excited for the next book because there’s no way Adam is ending the series on that note - or maybe he is which I would also be okay with honestly.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My new favorite in the series. Adam Cesare understands exactly what makes slashers work, and with Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! he delivers the bloodiest and most self-aware entry in the series yet.
What I loved most is how viciously this novel skewers horror exploitation culture while still being a wildly entertaining slasher. The setup alone is genius: a movie about the Kettle Springs massacre being filmed in the actual traumatized town where people died. It immediately creates this ugly tension between entertainment and real suffering, and Cesare digs into that discomfort hard.
Frendo remains terrifying because he represents more than just another masked slasher villain now. He’s become this ugly symbol of rage, division, and mob violence, which makes every appearance feel bigger and meaner.
The pacing absolutely rips. Once things go bad, the book barely lets you breathe. Cesare writes action scenes with this frantic cinematic energy that makes it impossible not to picture the entire thing playing out on screen. There’s also a nasty sense of inevitability hanging over the novel the whole time.
Fans of the earlier Clown in a Cornfield books are going to have a blast with this one, but it also feels sharper and angrier than ever before. It’s funny, mean, self-aware, and packed with enough carnage to satisfy any slasher fan. Beneath all the chaos, though, there’s a surprisingly thoughtful look at trauma, exploitation, and the way horror stories can consume the people trapped inside them.
What I loved most is how viciously this novel skewers horror exploitation culture while still being a wildly entertaining slasher. The setup alone is genius: a movie about the Kettle Springs massacre being filmed in the actual traumatized town where people died. It immediately creates this ugly tension between entertainment and real suffering, and Cesare digs into that discomfort hard.
Frendo remains terrifying because he represents more than just another masked slasher villain now. He’s become this ugly symbol of rage, division, and mob violence, which makes every appearance feel bigger and meaner.
The pacing absolutely rips. Once things go bad, the book barely lets you breathe. Cesare writes action scenes with this frantic cinematic energy that makes it impossible not to picture the entire thing playing out on screen. There’s also a nasty sense of inevitability hanging over the novel the whole time.
Fans of the earlier Clown in a Cornfield books are going to have a blast with this one, but it also feels sharper and angrier than ever before. It’s funny, mean, self-aware, and packed with enough carnage to satisfy any slasher fan. Beneath all the chaos, though, there’s a surprisingly thoughtful look at trauma, exploitation, and the way horror stories can consume the people trapped inside them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A thrilling read! Frendo is back! As production begins on a movie about Cole, Rust, and Quinn’s lives more terror reigns. Sabrina has been cast as the leading woman Quinn and she is working hard to measure up to the role. This is her first big break and she feels a little overwhelmed in a cast full of young actors and influencers that are well known. Not to mention that playing a character that was part of the original Kettle Springs Massacre could be a little creepy for everyone. And since they’re actually filming in Kettle Springs that just makes it creepy. Little things begin to go wrong during filming, the director is not what she thought, and Kettle Springs definitely hasn’t bounced back. And it’s clear not everyone is happy they are making a movie about a dreadful time in the towns past. But Cole knows it’s what the town needs, only when Frendo returns will they ask if the danger is worth it. And this time who’s behind the masks? This one was probably one of my favorites in the series! I of course loved getting to read about Cole and Rust again! The new characters made the book exciting and I enjoyed the movie angle as well! This one’s also got a lot of gore in it and I truly some of the most give you chills deaths in the series! Adam Cesare delivers an intense, edge of your seat slasher that kept me hooked! Also the twist was really twisty and just made it ten times better!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Note: Oh snap, Goodreads has started making steps for helping books in pre-sell with reviews?? Here for thisssss
Note: received an advanced copy from Netgalley and Harper Collins in exchange for review -- this has no weight on my review. I read the previous 3 books last year and requested a copy. First and Second book are solid 4 stars, and I want to reread the 3rd now that I've read the 4th.
While this is not the finale book, it's definitely a finale for now vibes. Definitely would worry about some of the survivor's kiddos though. Honestly, solid 4.5/5 stars rounded up. I read the first three last July, and honestly, this book coming out in August feels appropriate. These are great late summer/early fall slasher books.
I do more audiobooks these days, but this was in an ebook format. I had treatment yesterday and brought it with me, and honestly, it kept me entertained and moved quickly even in my sluggish state. Even still, there were references to a few characters who I didn't remember from the first book.
The best way to handle that? Watch the movie. Get super meta with it.
I'd taken a few more pages and would have appreciated getting to know the actors a bit more, but overall I enjoyed the pace. If/when Adam Cesare puts out a 5th book, I'll be there.
There's a few quotes I really loved, and I have one burning, burning question, but I'm at peace with where the survivors of the Kettle Spring Massacre....s are.
Note: received an advanced copy from Netgalley and Harper Collins in exchange for review -- this has no weight on my review. I read the previous 3 books last year and requested a copy. First and Second book are solid 4 stars, and I want to reread the 3rd now that I've read the 4th.
While this is not the finale book, it's definitely a finale for now vibes. Definitely would worry about some of the survivor's kiddos though. Honestly, solid 4.5/5 stars rounded up. I read the first three last July, and honestly, this book coming out in August feels appropriate. These are great late summer/early fall slasher books.
I do more audiobooks these days, but this was in an ebook format. I had treatment yesterday and brought it with me, and honestly, it kept me entertained and moved quickly even in my sluggish state. Even still, there were references to a few characters who I didn't remember from the first book.
The best way to handle that? Watch the movie. Get super meta with it.
I'd taken a few more pages and would have appreciated getting to know the actors a bit more, but overall I enjoyed the pace. If/when Adam Cesare puts out a 5th book, I'll be there.
There's a few quotes I really loved, and I have one burning, burning question, but I'm at peace with where the survivors of the Kettle Spring Massacre....s are.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The characters we've come to know and love from the previous books, and some new faces, are back in the fourth installment of the Clown in a Cornfield series.
Cole Hill tries to use his newfound fame and money to reinvigorate the economy of Kettle Springs by producing a movie based on the events that took place that fateful night in the cornfield. While rising star Sabrina Alvarez tries to channel her inner final girl when she gets cast as Quinn Maybrook, Jerri struggles to find her place in this new world where she's labeled a survivor. But some people of Kettle Springs don't want this story told and will do anything to derail the production. What follows is a story of mystery, sabotage, blood, and yes, clowns.
I had a lot of fun reading this book in the series. It felt more like a "typical fourth slasher story" where, of course, they're making a movie about the original. It was campy in the right spots and gory in the best way. I really like books with rotating points of view, as it helps to keep the story fresh and fast-paced, and this one definitely delivered. The characters from the previous books are just as well-loved as before, and the new characters shook up the plot to keep it interesting. I particularly loved Jerri's story in this one. Overall, this was a good addition to the series, which could always be added on to. I'm personally looking forward to Frendo in space!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Cole Hill tries to use his newfound fame and money to reinvigorate the economy of Kettle Springs by producing a movie based on the events that took place that fateful night in the cornfield. While rising star Sabrina Alvarez tries to channel her inner final girl when she gets cast as Quinn Maybrook, Jerri struggles to find her place in this new world where she's labeled a survivor. But some people of Kettle Springs don't want this story told and will do anything to derail the production. What follows is a story of mystery, sabotage, blood, and yes, clowns.
I had a lot of fun reading this book in the series. It felt more like a "typical fourth slasher story" where, of course, they're making a movie about the original. It was campy in the right spots and gory in the best way. I really like books with rotating points of view, as it helps to keep the story fresh and fast-paced, and this one definitely delivered. The characters from the previous books are just as well-loved as before, and the new characters shook up the plot to keep it interesting. I particularly loved Jerri's story in this one. Overall, this was a good addition to the series, which could always be added on to. I'm personally looking forward to Frendo in space!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It sure feels good to be back in Kettle Springs!
The first Clown in a Cornfield book is my go to recommendation for someone who wants to try reading a slasher book, and I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of the fourth installment in this series.
The premise of the book, a film being made about the events of the Kettle Springs Massacre, had me feeling like I was reading a Scream/Stab movie in the best way. Adam Cesare always does such a great job adding meta commentary to his works, and you can tell he not only loves Kettle Springs, but horror in general.
I enjoyed the new characters in this book, but even more so was excited to see the return of some original favorites in Cole and Rust.
I also loved the exploration of previous events on Kettle Springs as a town, and how they have continued to impact the residents.
This book is what I would consider a perfect slasher summer read - it is fast paced, fun, and has great horror scenes. As a horror fan, and especially a slasher fan, this book made me feel like I was taking a look behind the curtain of some of my favorite films.
Without spoilers, I will just say that this did leave me wanting a fifth installment.
Oh, and always remember... "Don't f*** with Frendo"
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
The first Clown in a Cornfield book is my go to recommendation for someone who wants to try reading a slasher book, and I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of the fourth installment in this series.
The premise of the book, a film being made about the events of the Kettle Springs Massacre, had me feeling like I was reading a Scream/Stab movie in the best way. Adam Cesare always does such a great job adding meta commentary to his works, and you can tell he not only loves Kettle Springs, but horror in general.
I enjoyed the new characters in this book, but even more so was excited to see the return of some original favorites in Cole and Rust.
I also loved the exploration of previous events on Kettle Springs as a town, and how they have continued to impact the residents.
This book is what I would consider a perfect slasher summer read - it is fast paced, fun, and has great horror scenes. As a horror fan, and especially a slasher fan, this book made me feel like I was taking a look behind the curtain of some of my favorite films.
Without spoilers, I will just say that this did leave me wanting a fifth installment.
Oh, and always remember... "Don't f*** with Frendo"
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This fourth and final (?) installment in the Clown in a Cornfield horror series brings back some familiar faces while introducing a new Final Girl. Looking to scratch that SummerWeen itch? Look no further! Let this be your next poolside horror read.
Just as with the other 3 books, the visceral and graphic body horror of this slasher epic will have you squirming during certain scenes (as any good slasher horror should). Much like the Scream franchise, we have watched the original incident spawn countless copycats and even a cult, chasing down the original survivors and taking new casualties along the way. At the time this book takes place, the “Clown in a Cornfield” incident has become sensational to the point of urban legend, spawning a movie inspired by the incident.
Fast pacing, visceral action and LOTS of blood and gore, this is summer horror at its peak. Furthermore, Cesare continues to break horror movie tropes and the horror and death never feels exploitative. His Final Girls are always badass, never damsels, and there are usually at least one or two deaths that will make you shrug and say, “Well, they definitely had it coming!’.
If you’ve been a fan of the first three books, definitely don’t miss this. Perfect for people who love to devour horror in the hot summer months and love media like Scream or Fear Street.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for generously providing me with a copy. All opinions are my own.
Just as with the other 3 books, the visceral and graphic body horror of this slasher epic will have you squirming during certain scenes (as any good slasher horror should). Much like the Scream franchise, we have watched the original incident spawn countless copycats and even a cult, chasing down the original survivors and taking new casualties along the way. At the time this book takes place, the “Clown in a Cornfield” incident has become sensational to the point of urban legend, spawning a movie inspired by the incident.
Fast pacing, visceral action and LOTS of blood and gore, this is summer horror at its peak. Furthermore, Cesare continues to break horror movie tropes and the horror and death never feels exploitative. His Final Girls are always badass, never damsels, and there are usually at least one or two deaths that will make you shrug and say, “Well, they definitely had it coming!’.
If you’ve been a fan of the first three books, definitely don’t miss this. Perfect for people who love to devour horror in the hot summer months and love media like Scream or Fear Street.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for generously providing me with a copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
YAY!! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read this one early.
I SQUEALED when I saw that I got approved for this ARC. An unhinged, character driven slasher is going to do it for me every time and Adam Cesare always delivers.
I wasn’t sure what to expect coming off of the third installment which was an absolutely diabolical entry into the Kettle Springs Universe, but I don’t think the author could’ve chosen a better direction to go. In a very Screamesque manner, we are thrown into the filming of The Clown in a Cornfield movie. It’s meta, it’s fresh, it’s soooo much ridiculous fun. The characters (new and old) are great, and the gore is turned up to 11. I mean ew. One scene in particular I really would enjoy if I could remove from my head. Lights! Camera! Frendo! brings back that original spark that made the first book so satisfying. This is a slasher that accomplishes what it sets out to do, and man did I have a good time. I love recommending this series at the library and hope Cesare continues doing what he does best. Making teen friendly horror that pushes the envelope with grossness but still remains grounded with such fantastic, diverse characters is a true talent and I love that these books exist!
I SQUEALED when I saw that I got approved for this ARC. An unhinged, character driven slasher is going to do it for me every time and Adam Cesare always delivers.
I wasn’t sure what to expect coming off of the third installment which was an absolutely diabolical entry into the Kettle Springs Universe, but I don’t think the author could’ve chosen a better direction to go. In a very Screamesque manner, we are thrown into the filming of The Clown in a Cornfield movie. It’s meta, it’s fresh, it’s soooo much ridiculous fun. The characters (new and old) are great, and the gore is turned up to 11. I mean ew. One scene in particular I really would enjoy if I could remove from my head. Lights! Camera! Frendo! brings back that original spark that made the first book so satisfying. This is a slasher that accomplishes what it sets out to do, and man did I have a good time. I love recommending this series at the library and hope Cesare continues doing what he does best. Making teen friendly horror that pushes the envelope with grossness but still remains grounded with such fantastic, diverse characters is a true talent and I love that these books exist!
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