Even fervent fans may be disappointed.
Three chilling tales loosely based on a bestselling cross-platform game.
In this graphic-novel adaptation spanning two of Cawthon’s volumes in his Five Nights at Freddy’s Fazbear Frights series, stories “Fetch,” “Room for One More,” and “The New Kid” are reimagined. Both “Fetch” and “The New Kid” feature the recognizably creepy, pointy-fanged animatronics and Chuck E. Cheese–esque atmosphere of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant. They also feature male teen protagonists wrestling with the ups and downs of adolescence. The second story, “Room,” features a man, seemingly in his early 20s, and has a less obvious connection to Fazbear’s Pizza but offers one of the most spine-tingling moments of this collection in a scene with sentient dolls. Though an easy read with a few genuinely horrifying moments, this volume suffers from its own disjointedness. While it’s illustrated by three artists, the overall aesthetic feels bloodless and reductive in its cohesion. Cawthon’s Five Nights at Freddy’s canon is sprawling and complex; those familiar with it may be accustomed to its broad scope. However, these adaptations have seemingly lost something in each iteration, leaving this collection feeling like a convoluted and garbled game of telephone at best, and a depressing money grab at worst. All three main characters are male and appear White.
Even fervent fans may be disappointed. (Graphic horror. 12-14)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781338792706
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In an unnamed country (a thinly veiled Philippines), three teenage boys pick trash for a meager living. A bag of cash in the trash might be—well, not their ticket out of poverty but at least a minor windfall. With 1,100 pesos, maybe they can eat chicken occasionally, instead of just rice. Gardo and Raphael are determined not to give any of it to the police who've been sniffing around, so they enlist their friend Rat. In alternating and tightly paced points of view, supplemented by occasional other voices, the boys relate the intrigue in which they're quickly enmeshed. A murdered houseboy, an orphaned girl, a treasure map, a secret code, corrupt politicians and 10,000,000 missing dollars: It all adds up to a cracker of a thriller. Sadly, the setting relies on Third World poverty tourism for its flavor, as if this otherwise enjoyable caper were being told by Olivia, the story's British charity worker who muses with vacuous sentimentality on the children that "break your heart" and "change your life." Nevertheless, a zippy and classic briefcase-full-of-money thrill ride. (Thriller. 12-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-385-75214-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: David Fickling/Random
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
The new kid in a near-reform school finds himself caught up in a disturbing animal-abuse case.
Accused of theft at his Las Vegas school, Danny Lopez needs a fresh start in a structured environment, and his parents think they've found just the place in Colorado: Cobalt Junior High Charter School, with a strict dress code, a draconian policy on communication and tightly outlined class instruction. As Danny adjusts to the silence and the scripts, he also gets caught up in the student sects, each of which claims to run the school. Meanwhile, a serial killer is murdering cats, and Danny is determined to uncover the secret before his cat is sacrificed. Generic protagonist Danny's lack of personality and distinctive voice is underscored by the stream of pop-culture references that pepper the narrative, seemingly in an attempt to reach out to the teen audience. Many of the plot points (rote memorization over critical thinking, absentee parents, religious instruction in schools) come across as social critique rather than narrative elements, and none of them feel particularly suited to the middle-school audience. Though the cat killings are slightly gruesome, the serial killer is never truly scary and has flimsiest motivation at best. The publisher has labeled this book for ages 14 and up, perhaps because of the serial killings. The gore isn't particularly gory, though, and protagonist, writing and setting all seem to skew this book to middle-school audiences. Bloody without terror, this tale barely deviates from formula. (Mystery. 12-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8109-8420-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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