Clown in a Cornfield

Clown in a Cornfield is that unicorn of a YA novel that is YA only in that its main characters are teenagers that act like teenagers, but, unlike some in the market, Adam Cesare's writing is - for lack of a better word - good.

I'm not going to name any names, but we've all read YA novels, in and out of the horror genre, that feel lazy, are poorly edited, or seem as if they don't think their readers expect high quality. This is the opposite of that.

Clown in a Cornfield starts with a classic premise, Quinn and her father move to a small town from Philadelphia after Quinn's mother dies, and Quinn immediately senses things are off. She barely has a chance to start getting to know any of her classmates before the slaughters begin, and I am fully on board this ride. Though the events timeline is short, Cesare takes the time to show us the inner lives of several characters and the town, and, while we recognize the tropes, he applies just enough spin to keep it interesting, and I am glad to know there are at least two more sequels (not to mention the film) in my future.

Note: Also included a reminder of how handy it continues to be to be able to drive a stick shift.

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