[Review] The Sculptor by Michael Aronovitz
The Sculptor
Michael Aronovitz
Night Shade Books
5/5 Stars
After reading Aronovitz’s collection Dancing with Tombstones last year and absolutely falling in love with his stories, I came to The Sculptor with sky-high expectations. Michael delivered. The novel was even better than I thought it was going to be, truly. There are no words to describe how incredible his works are. With this novel, he tackles one of my favorite themes, serial killers, and I’m talking Hannibal and Sqweegel's (Level 26) quality killer: smart, resourceful, manipulative, and always ten steps ahead of law enforcement. As you progress in the story, every time you think you’ve figured out what’s going on or what the killer’s next move is going to be, Aronovitz pulls the carpet under your feet, and you’re left confused and amazed. I first came in contact with the Sculptor killer in Mike’s previously mentioned anthology, where the killer gets their own short story. I highly recommend that you read that one first. After all, it might help you understand the novel better (but then again, it might not… only one way to find out).
The book is a bit confusing in the beginning, seeing as the author introduces a lot of characters in quick succession, the pace of the story is quite fast, and the novel takes place during a single night. However, once I was fully immersed in the book (around thirty pages in), it flowed wonderfully, with the chapters tying into each other seamlessly and holding my attention until the end. I recommend that this book be read, if not all at once, in close intervals, that way the reader also experiences the anxiety and desperation of the protagonists as they too are running against time. This novel is guaranteed to give you an adrenaline rush and keep you intrigued until the very last page. As mentioned, I doubt the reader will ever understand what is truly happening before Aronovitz reveals it, but all the plot twists are credible. In hindsight, I remembered that all the indicators were there on the page, but I missed them because of the author’s remarkable ability to divert the reader’s attention to his red herrings.
In my opinion, the novel’s main flaw is, simultaneously, what allowed me to enjoy the story the most. I did not connect to a single character in The Sculptor. Although I was rooting for one of them (whom I shall not name because of spoilers) in the end, I didn’t particularly care what happened to them; all I wanted was to have the mystery solved. Because of this disconnection, I could focus on how intricate the plot was and appreciate the more creative aspects of the murders (a sentence you can only find in a horror review). That being said, if you dislike narratives where you can’t fully empathize with the characters, this novel is probably not for you. My other issue with this book was that the gadgets used by the killer felt a little too futuristic, although the explanation provided in the story made sense it still came across as far-fetched to me.
If you’re a fan of slashers (for those who don’t know, the slasher is a sub-genre of horror movies where a killer stalks and murders a group of people, such as the franchises Halloween and Scream), you’ll absolutely love this book, and you’ll enjoy the references the author makes during a certain kill scene. Aronovitz was careful to individualize every single murder that occurs, and he isn’t shy about describing what befalls the unlucky characters in detail. Not only that, but the ways in which the people got hurt were incredibly creative and intricate, something that long-time readers/watchers of horror know it’s rare to come by. I believe that Dynamic is the best way to describe The Sculptor: there’s a constant change of characters’ POVs (Point of View) and plenty of action scenes. The text is always moving and you’re sure to get the ride of a lifetime.
