Paris Singer's "The Skull Collector"

Title: Eerie and Engaging

“The Skull Collector” by Paris Singer

Reviewed by M. Windholtz

8/22/16

11:20 a.m.

“The Skull Collector” follows an unnamed little girl who becomes the assistant of a sinister Doll-Maker. In exchange for her work, the Doll-Maker promises that he will bring her missing parents back to life. During the day, she cooks and cleans for her new master. At night, she goes to the cemetery to collect skulls for his dolls. Throughout the novel, the little girl becomes engaged in a war against the unnatural forces that haunt the night, leaving the reader to anxiously turn pages until the very end.

Despite the cliché opening scene, author Paris Singer writes with a dark tone that ensnares the reader, forcing them to read on even as the story turns chilling. “The Skull Collector” is filled with colorful characters that enhance the air of mystery at every introduction, making the reader want to know more while simultaneously wishing to put the book down and run far, far away.

However, it is difficult to place the time or setting of the novel. It mostly seems like a standard medieval fantasy tale, but several mentions of the main character going on “auto-pilot” continuously throw the reader off. The author also has the tendency to over describe with unnecessary adjectives attached to every other noun. Yet, the careful attention to detail and the balance between character thoughts and plot makes these problems easy to ignore.

Overall, “The Skull Collector” is an enthralling, fantastic read. From its fast-paced plot to its eerie mood artfully set by the author, this is a book that readers will not be able to put down. The reader unwraps the back stories of the war and the little girl’s place in it, each plot thread carefully woven by the author. Even if thrillers might not be a reader’s first pick, this is a book that anyone would enjoy.

I give “The Skull Collector” 4 out of 5 stars.

Yours in Words,

M. Windholtz