The Silver Eyes

I first heard about Five Nights at Freddy’s from my nephew when, at the age of 7, he created quite a family drama when it was discovered he was watching playthroughs on YouTube. Responsible Aunt that I am, I thought the entire situation was amusing and was thrilled he was enjoying something even tangentially related to the type of work I enjoy (for those who don’t know, I’m a costume designer for haunted houses). I expected nothing from the franchise and didn’t explore it further than what my nephew had shown me until December of last year. I stumbled on some playthroughs done by Markiplier and couldn’t stop watching. I have since watched all of Markiplier’s FNAF playthroughs as well as his playthroughs of some fan-made games. I was surprised by how deep the lore of the FNAF universe goes and how detailed the storyline is as it carries over from the games into graphic novels, novels, art, etc. I’m too much of a wuss to play the games myself, but I greatly appreciate the world Scott Cawthon has created.

I only discovered the FNAF books a couple weeks ago but knew immediately it was something I’d have to check out. I’ve been burned by novelizations of movies and games before, so I had low expectations for The Silver Eyes, but I was pleasantly surprised. The narrative from the games carried over really well. If you’re at all familiar with the scenes from the games, it’ll be easy to immerse yourself in the novels. The scenes, sounds, and characters are all seamlessly integrated.

The characters reached an acceptable level of development to not seem entirely superficial. Their backstories weren’t terribly detailed (aside from Charlie), but they didn’t fall flat as characters in novelizations often seem to. The action sequences were solid with a good creep factor that felt familiar from the games. This is young adult, so if you’re looking for an advanced, mature horror novel, this isn’t it. If you know what to expect going into it, I would be comfortable recommending this book to those who are already familiar with the FNAF universe; if you’re not, several of the little details in the book will likely not mean much to you.

Most of my issues with The Silver Eyes are technical in nature and things I usually take issue with in the young adult genre, but they don’t ruin the book as I believe it’s intended to be experienced. For example, inconsistent dialogue and behavior among the characters. The characters are 17, but from one page to another they may be acting and speaking like children to acting and speaking like adults much more mature than they are depicted.

I was particularly impressed with the depth of Charlie’s backstory and the realistic approach to her accumulated grief. There were also several twists that weren’t revealed until the last couple chapters. I enjoyed the plot twists and thought they were utilized well, but if you’ve thoroughly explored the FNAF lore more so than I have, theses twists may be explained elsewhere.

I read The Silver Eyes on my kindle and iPhone via the Libby app.

The Silver Eyes is available in English and Spanish through Bookshop.org, as is the graphic novel. Purchases made through Bookshop.org support local booksellers.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org. I may earn a commission from purchases made through any above links.