This book was such a beautiful and heart breaking story! It's based off of the Phantom of the Opera. Kind of like a gender bend version, but also with some really interesting magic thrown in. I've honestly never read a book quite like this one.

The main character is an outcast because of what she was born as. She lives hiding in the dark and staying away from all but the man who saved her life as a baby. Then, one day, she hears this beautiful tenor voice singing and becomes entranced.

The story is filled with romance, loss, adventure, mystery, and magic. I would recommend anyone who loves any of these to give it a chance! I also don't recall a ton of curse words, if any. Definitely an amazing read!!

“They may have forced me into the dark, but I am not as powerless as they would have me be.”

I compare books to Taylor Swift songs pretty easily, and I love doing it because they’re usually pretty happy and lovely, but I have to say, I honestly never thought I’d read a book that made me think of “Look What You Made Me Do” but I just did and so here we are.

This book was unexpected. I knew we were getting a gender-bent Phantom of the Opera, and I knew it would be good, but I just didn’t know HOW good it would be and how intensely it would make me feel. This book is about Isda, a gravoir who is trapped in a life of solitude deep in the bowels of the Opera House because she should not exist. Gravoirs are dangerous and executed upon birth but somehow, Isda lives, and she lives under the protection of a man named Cyril who keeps her safe and helps her learn how to control and grow her powers.

Or at least, that’s what Isda has been told by Cyril. He did save her from death, after all, why would he lie?

But then Isda meets Emeric and everything changes. Isda can see memories when people sing and within Emeric’s memory she sees another girl, a gravoir like her, wild and free. What comes next is a friendship that cannot be discovered or it would jeopardize them both, as well as an intense need within Isda to learn more and uncover details that may have been left out of her teaching. It’s dark, it’s dramatic, and it’s dangerous, but then again, Isda has already tempted fate every day just by waking up in the morning, what’s a little extra danger?

In a way, Isda is like an anti-hero. She’s not a bad person, but she’s not a good person either. She’s incredibly complex because she is angry and she wants answers, but she’s also naïve and honestly a little terrified of having her world flipped upside down. She has good intentions, but she’s also quite impulsive and doesn’t always make the smartest choices. She’s reckless, yet she’s also somehow still delicate, but at the same time she’s self-aware and acknowledges her mistakes, often in conversation with Emeric who is teaching her, basically, how to interact with other people. For so long it was only her and Cyril, and Isda is the first to admit she doesn’t have a damn clue what she’s doing. A lot of this book is the reader going through Isda’s thought process and watching her make choices and, while we might not always agree with them, honestly I never faulted her for a single decision she made.

Sing Me Forgotten is also a very good reminder that not all books are romance novels with a traditional happily ever after. I’m still reeling from the end of this story, if we’re being honest. (And by reeling, I mean screaming into the abyss because WHY)

“You could shatter the sky with a voice like that. If only our world would let you.”

This book was beautifully written, it tore my heart to shreds, and it held me captive from start to finish. I will say the love story was a bit rushed, maybe? If that’s the right word? I didn’t fully believe it, but I didn’t not believe it either, if that makes sense. Certain scenes did still get to me, though (and had me literally sobbing uncontrollably, thanks for that Jessica) so I’m not sure how much of it was me not quite understanding how quickly time was moving (because it was never quite clear how many weeks had gone by) versus the fact that it’s YA and we just didn’t get that deep into it. (Honestly it was probably me because it usually is).

All things considered, I really enjoyed the hell out of this story. It was dark and complicated, but still full of music and beautiful scenes and memories, and I’m still trying to puzzle my feelings out a few days later, and to me, that’s the mark of a good story. Isda is certainly no heroine, but I think that’s the absolute best part. I loved her, dark damaged soul and all.

A little slow on review this one because I did not fully understand what I read and if I enjoyed it. Frist off, I did read Phantom of the Opera back when I was a teenager and loved it. That however, did not color my views of this title. I loved the gender switch and the story. However, the romance was more in-depth than I expected and the world building was underdeveloped.

I am a huge Phantom of the Opera fan, so going into this book, I was already excited. We meet Isda as she sits up in her hiding place in the opera house, watching a performance down below. As she calls her magic up to wipe away and change the bad memories and cracked notes to ones of a glowing performance, I was head over heels for this book. 

Isda is a gravoir, a magical being able to change memories, so long as the person is singing. Her connection to music through her magic makes her a suitable Opera Ghost as she stays hidden to enchant the audience and leave them with wonderful memories. Her adoptive father and caretaker, Cyril, is happy to have his little secret stay hidden so long as it brings in more money for the opera. And Isda is happy to live in her crypt, with her organ and her masks, for the chance to maybe one day get to sing on stage. 

Until she meets Emeric. 

I loved the magic system in this book. There are gravoires, like Isda, who are killed on sight due the powerful nature of their magic and as a consequence of a group of three gravoires who sent the world into chaos for two years, before being taken down. Then you have fendoires, beings who can pull memories and a persons soul from their body as an elixir. This elixir is almost like a currency, as the more you have, the better your life is, while the less you have the worse it is. This elixir is connected to memories and a person's life force, which is why this magic is heavily controlled, only allowing fendoires to live and work in regulated conditions. 

While I love the magic system, I really wanted to see more of it. Because gravoires are killed at birth, I understand not getting to see their magic in action (besides Isda), but I really wanted to see more about fendoires! It would have been so cool to see the comparison between their magic and understand why Isda is different from them. I really wanted to scene where Isda watches the fendoires work, though it was mentioned they work in secret, regulated environments that prevent them from taking control or taking too much. 

Isda and Emeric's relationship was also one I wanted to see more of. I loved the gender-bent retelling aspect, as Isda is the Phantom tutor with the naturally talented Emeric at her side, but I wanted more moments outside of their tutoring. This book had me wanting so much more from everything - I couldn't get enough of the magic, the relationship, this whole world in general. This was a book I wholly devoured in a few hours, unable to step away from the world without my thoughts drifting back to it. 

Overall, it's easy to say that I'm in love with this story, and am currently back on my Phantom obsession! If you're looking for a magical, gender-bent, phantom inspired story - look no further. This book will leave you wanting more and more as you watch helplessly from the sidelines.

I got to read Sing Me Forgotten for the blog tour and I genuinely enjoyed it so much. Jessica S. Olson's debut is a beautiful retelling of the Phantom of the Opera, which I absolutely love. There were enough elements in the book that made it a retelling, but it also an amazingly well-told original story of a girl forced to be invisible because of who she is.

Isda is a truly interesting character. I love her growth throughout the book. She goes from obliviously obedient to such a strong, independent young woman. She's so intense sometimes, which made her character all the better. I absolutely loved Emeric from the moment he entered the story. He brings so much joy and delight to quite a dark story. Also, I don't really like caramels all the much, but now I really want some! (Blame's on Emeric, for sure! Hahah!)

Overall I really loved Sing Me Forgotten. It was beautiful and intense and romantic, I'm so glad I got to read it!

I adored this gender-bent, magical, Phantom of the Opera retelling. SING ME FORGOTTEN keeps the gothic, musical brilliance of the well-loved story and transforms it into another avenue of beauty. The start was a little slow, and it took me a little while to be sucked in, but once I was, I was enthralled.

The characters were real and life-like, and I was not expecting to love Isda’s villain-arc quite as much as I did, but it felt so believable you couldn’t help but root for her. The antagonist and their motivations were not as fleshed out as ideal, but the relationship with Isda and the antagonist was intriguing enough for that not to matter. I also very much enjoyed the fantasy-France setting.

The story had enough nods and references to the original story to make my heart sing, but SING ME FORGOTTEN definitely holds up on its own, even without prior knowledge of the phantom. As a musician myself, I found the musical language a little stilted in places, but other times it felt wholly life-like.

And that ending! I was not expecting it, but it was such a beautiful end to the story, and to wrap up the characters’ arcs and overall plot. There was also impressive development from the main character, which is difficult in standalones, but I thought was done very well here.

Thank you very much to Jessica S. Olson, Inkyard Press, and Netgalley for the chance to read this arc!

I’d definitely put this in the realm of fantasy, but it also had a historical/classic vibe. I mean, where else have we seen a creature hiding in the shadows of an opera house? (Several blurbs about this one have already called it a gender-swapped “Phantom of the Opera.”)

There is a definite mythology built here, and it involves creatures called fendoirs and gravoirs. These look like humans, but they have deformed faces. They also have powers to either steal or manipulate memories. Fendoirs are allowed to live in society, although with many restrictions. Mostly, they serve an economic purpose. Gravoirs, whose powers are greater, are killed at birth.

Our main character, Isda, is a gravoir. Since she should not have been allowed to live past birth, her reasons for needing to hide are obvious. She serves a purpose at the opera house, though – she manipulates the audience’s memories of the performances to make them all great, and erase any parts that went wrong. This inflates the reputation of the opera house, and Cyril, the man who runs it. Eventually, Cyril calls on Isda to use her powers to inflate his own political reputation, too.

Inevitably, Isda meets a boy. Emeric is roughly her age, and she is initially drawn to him because he has a fabulous singing voice. Rooting around in his memories, however, she realizes that he also knows more about gravoirs than she does. This leads her to start digging around to learn more about her powers. Both the digging and the experimenting/growing her own prowess lead to various sorts of trouble.

Toward the end, Isda is eventually found out. She must race and fight for her own life and Emeric’s. The ending is destructive and bittersweet.

This YA novel comes out today, March 9, 2021. I was able to read a digital advanced reader’s copy through Books Forward Friends and Netgalley.

I think the most dominant emotion I felt throughout this novel was disbelief. I felt disbelief over the heroine's actions and the events that occurred because of them. I kept thinking, "Is this really happening??" with a sort of disturbed, uncomfortable feeling crawling under my skin. The heroine is a bit of a sociopath. So there's that. Then there's the fact that she has many TSTL moments. Translation for the newbies: Too Stupid To Live. There are few things worse than a stupid heroine, but a stupid sociopathic killer probably wins top prize. That has to be the oddest combination I've ever heard, because if she's going to be a killer, can she at least be badass? Instead I was shaking my head more times than I can count over her gullibility.

In this gender-bent Phantom of the Opera retelling, there are two types of magic holders. gravoirs and fendoirs. gravoirs are the most powerful with the ability to suck the memory out of people and use it as a power source. They can also manipulate memories like Jedi knights. (Sorry, Star Wars nerd here) They can kill an entire village of people if they so desire by sucking out their entire memory "life force" for lack of a better phrase. fendoirs extract the elixers from people's minds. This is the substance that gives gravoirs enhanced powers and strength, and when consumed by the average person will keep their minds perfectly sharp. The poor are generally forced to give up some of their elixer in order to survive, and some sell so much that their children are erased from memory. Then there are those who sell too many memories and become walking zombies with no recollection of their own identity, doomed to shuffle through the streets, fighting to survive.

Isda is a gravoir who lives in hiding in the opera house. The law states that all gravoirs must be killed at birth because society was once overtaken by the monstrous Les Trois females who killed and destroyed indiscriminately. Because of their fear that the gravoirs will grasp power again, they believe it's not safe to let them live. However, the fendoirs are enslaved and used for their powers because of the benefits that they provide. Isda was spared a quick death after being thrown in a well as a baby. The opera house owner, Cryril, fished her out and kept her underground in order to use her abilities. In addition to his personal business, he is part of the King’s Imperial Council. The council is in charge of monitoring the fendoirs and gravoirs, and they hunt anyone in hiding if they happen to escape execution.

Here comes the part that just did not add up for me. I understand that Isda is sheltered. I understand she's young and naive. BUT...her guardian is literally in charge of hunting down her kind and killing them. He doesn't hide his hatred for those like her, and yet she has blind faith in him. She honestly believes that he saved her out of the goodness of his heart and thinks of her like a daughter. Does she not understand the concept of a lie? She doesn't even question his intentions on the flimsy excuse that he couldn't bring himself to kill her after looking into her eyes as an infant. So why does he still have no qualms about all of the others? He asks her to harm people (even a child) in order to help him get promoted in the council.

He asks her to alter people's memory of opera performances so that people are fooled into thinking that they saw a good show, and buy more tickets. He asks her to make his superior go mad so that he may take his spot. She does all of these things with either a sliver of remorse or none at all because she's more concerned with pleasing him. What does she think is going to happen when he gets his boss' job? He will have more power and better opportunity to kill those like her! I just did not understand why she believed his blatant lies!

Even early on, Isda shows her sociopathic tendencies. Every time she would harm someone and feel pride in herself I figured her moral code fell in a grey area and there would be some character growth by the end. She's an anti-heroine I told myself. I do get that this is a spin on Phantom of the Opera which isn't hearts and butterflies and sparkly rainbows to begin with. But I'm sorry, I could not get behind Isda or root for her. Not only because her lack of intelligence grated on me until my nerves were RAW, but she slipped slowly into homicidal maniac. One could make the argument that the townspeople deserved for her to run amuck on them because of their treatment of her kind. Killing gravoirs on sight, and enslaving fendoirs for their own personal benefit. I suppose you could say she's an unfortunate product of her environment. But on the other hand, doesn't her killing spree validate their fears? That her kind easily slips into a monstrous state that can't control their vicious impulses? She doesn't kill just out of a state of revenge. She loses control of herself and goes into a kind of frenzy that urges her to suck every last bit of life force out of people.

I didn't find any redeeming qualities about Isda. There were no boundaries for her. At one point she even stole some of Emeric's elixer without asking him and it didn't even occur to her that it was wrong. Emeric is her only friend-the only person who treated her with respect and doesn't take advantage of her. The fact that she could even betray him without a second thought doesn't sit well. Yes, she does make a sacrifice in the end for him, but in my mind, she was too far gone at that point to ever be redeemed. Perhaps this leans more towards horror for my taste? I cannot recommend it, but I will say that I found the magic system to be really original which is why I gave it two stars. Also, I was invested enough in the outcome to actually want to finish it, though maybe that's because it had the train wreck effect on me.

While I didn't love this one, I could see how it may be a better fit for others. If you love Phantom of the Opera, and you enjoy darker fantasies, this might be for you.

This was another arc from Netgalley.
This book was amazing! The book is described as a Phantom of the Opera retelling but the girl is the phantom. This book had me and sucked me in! I couldn't put it down! I was up until 1 am finishing it. There were a lot of great elements to this book. Betrayal, Love, Rebellion, etc. I wish some of these things the author had gone further into depth on. There is anger there on Isda's part but she almost never acts on it.
That ending though! It made me so mad! I had to have this one in physical form so I ordered the hardback! I can't wait to read more by this author!

I ended up loving this book a lot more than I’d expected to! I’ve never seen a performance, either in person or online, of The Phantom of the Opera, so my knowledge of the original story is shaky and I was wary going into this because of that. I didn’t need to be. Olson has done an excellent job of making this understandable and enjoyable to non-Phantom fans. I was able to spot a few nods to the original story, and I’m sure that Phantom fans will be able to appreciate this aspect of the book a lot more than I’m able to, but even without that background knowledge this book was a great time!

I really loved Emeric! He was open, friendly, and had a great sense of humour. His interactions with Isda left me smiling more often than not, and like Isda I found myself wanting to see more of him from practically the first time he showed up. He’s proof that a character can be quick witted without being a ‘snaky asshole’, and his dialogue was often pretty realistic. He was like a ray of sunshine, which contrasted with Isda’s life in the shadows so well!

I’m intrigued by the magic system set up by this world, and all of its implications. In the book’s world, people retain memories only through a substance called ‘memory elixir’. People produce seventeen years worth of their own elixir naturally, but if they want to remember more than the last seventeen years of their life then they need to consume more, and the only way of getting more is if somebody else has had theirs extracted. This has resulted in elixir being used as a second currency, with it being seen as normal that the most destitute inevitably end up selling so much of their own elixir that they forget everything about themselves. Conversely, those with the ability to extract the elixir of others cannot produce their own, and will never forget a single thing that’s happened to them since their birth. The ethics of remembering only at the expense of others, and of the capitalist system that allowed this situation to come about, aren’t explored in this book because that’s not Isda’s primary concern. She’s not trying to overhaul any systems, she’s just trying to get through the night, and that’s totally fair of her. But since finishing this book I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it and would love to see it explored further!

The second half of this book was intensely satisfying. It brings to mind this quote that’s been floating around the internet for the last couple of years: ‘Are you tired of being nice? Don’t you just want to go ape shit?’. All her life, Isda has heard that people like her are dangerous monsters who must be killed immediately before they can be allowed to wreak havoc and destruction. Put simply, if she hadn’t been treated like a danger to society, then she never would’ve become a danger to society. It was very cool to see a character react in the way that she did. It was iconic, honestly. Ethics and morality had gone out of the window and I was cheering her on the entire time.

Also the stuff Isda had to say about being a better singer was accurate. It was pretty cool to see stuff that my old singing teachers used to tell me in this book!

If you like morally grey protagonists, likable love interests, or unique magic systems, then I highly recommend checking this one out!

Series Info/Source: I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. This seems to be a stand alone book.

Story (4/5): This was beautifully written and has a fascinating premise. This is basically a gender reversed Phantom of the Opera retelling with some twists. In this world a race of people exists that can manipulate memory through song and they are usually killed at birth. Our main protagonist is a young woman who was rescued from this death at birth and raised in a theater. She is trained to use her skill to manipulate the theater goers into loving their theater experience regardless of the actual performance. As things unravel she begins to figure out how to use other powers she has and find out the lies that form her life.

This is absolutely beautifully written, with amazing imagery. The beginning moves a bit slow and this is definitely a story that spends a lot of time discussing the fascination with music. In the end it's more of a love story than anything else.

Characters (4/5): While I really enjoyed Emeric (Isda’s love interest) and his depth of caring, I thought he acted somewhat inconsistently throughout. I had a lot more trouble engaging with Isda’s character; she makes poor decisions and is fairly unlikable. However, that being said I do think she was a good female portrayal of the Phantom from the Phantom of the Opera who is also a kind of evil/sympathetic character. Isda is very grey in tone and while I didn’t really like her, her decisions are fascinating to read about.

Setting (4/5): I liked the idea of a society that runs off of memories and the sales of them. It’s a unique idea and the inclusion of a couple of races of modified humans that can control and pull out memories is intriguing. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see a ton of this world because of Isda’s isolation in the theater.

Writing Style (4/5): The story moved a bit slow for me and some of the decisions Isda makes seemed a bit contrived. In spite of those issues the story is creative and beautifully written, I didn’t have any trouble staying engaging and reading it. This book stands alone well, so it seems like a stand alone to me but there are some unanswered questions too. The ending is kind of a downer and I was left hoping we’d get a follow-up story that would leave our characters in a better place..

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. It’s a very creative premise and is beautifully written with amazing imagery. Parts of it do move slow and the characters were a bit hard to engage with and like. There is a ton of discussion and description of music, so if that’s not your thing you probably won’t enjoy this much. I will definitely be checking out Olson’s future books.

Jessica S. Olson’s well-written and impassioned Sing Me Forgotten will definitely amuse musical theater fans – if only because the book definitely reads like a gender-swapped, fantasy-tinged take on The Phantom of the Opera.  That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book – quite the contrary – but it’s a delightful twist.

Isda has spent her life in the shadows.  She was born a gravoir, with scars upon her face, and a powerful voice that packs a wallop.  With it she can manipulate and modify the memory of any individual who hears her, and can extract and see their memories as well.  Gravoirs are to be killed at birth - her mother accordingly abandoned her at the bottom of a well at infanthood – where Cyril, owner and manager of the Channe Opera House discovered her and nursed her to health and maturity. Isda is now the Channe’s star attraction – singing behind a veil and screen, avoiding the other musicians, and filling the two thousand seats of the Channe every night with audience members whose memories of the show have been manipulated by her siren song.

It’s a bargain that keeps Cyril in business – and keeps Isda alive, for if anyone knew he’d saved her, they’d both be executed.  Cyril relies on lies about the Opera Ghost – whose effect upon the house has lent it mystique instead of horrifying visitors – to keep things running smoothly, and to stop people from asking questions about Isda.

Then cheerful, introverted janitor Emeric Rodin shows up.  After bumping into Isda by accident backstage, they develop a prickly friendship.  She overhears his singing and his beautiful tenor enchants her, thus Isda takes him on as a mentoree in secret, and soon Emeric is a rising star in the opera.  Isda begins to thrive in her role but also becomes obsessive.  By reading Emeric’s mind, Isda is able to see his childhood and discover why the social caste system in which they live is extant. Through him, she discovers forbidden texts and learns to extract memories into an intoxicating potion.  Will Isda find freedom from the smothering Cyril and learn how to treat Emeric with respect?  Or will she give in to the temptation of power and mental peace via elixirs of memories that are not her own?

Sing Me Forgotten is a powerful story that has its moments of derivative ridiculousness contrasted with wholly original narrative notions that manages to beguile while making one wish for more.

Isda begins as a sweet, almost pathetic creature, but slowly takes on the obsessive shades of the Phantom, gradually coming into her strength.  She is a complicated figure made of shadows and light, and the book does not shy away from that fact.

Her relationship with Cyril is more fascinating in all of its dark shades, but that doesn’t mean the Emeric/Isda love story is weak at all.  There are homemade caramels to be shared, and memories held, and Emeric never fails to hold Isda’s feet to the fire when she messes up.  His relationship with his sister – whose origin and fate hold mysterious truths – is especially heartening, but he sometimes feels too bland to truly work.

But the world-building here is only so-so, its caste system and magical properties weakly explained and sometimes confusing.  Additionally, magical addiction and magical madwomen being shunned for their use of same feels like a plotline I’ve read about a million times.  And yet Olson’s prose – drooling and rapacious with the glories of the drugs involved – manages to rise above the ordinary.  It’s that writing that stays stunning and will keep the reader turning pages.

Sing Me Forgotten gives the reader a tragic romance and a complicated heroine,  and – because of her – even its imperfections keep the reader engaged.  The book is best read by anyone sixteen or above, though, due to its content.

Note: Obsessive behavior, bloody scenes of childbirth, parental abuse, attempted infanticide, drug addiction.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
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Well I wasn’t expecting this book to rip my heart out and stomp on it but here we are...

Sing Me Forgotten is a gender-bent retelling of The Phantom of the Opera following Isda, our phantom who has the magic to see into people memories while the sing. She was saved from a well as an infant by Cyril, because the law demands that if any of her kind are to be born, they are to be discarded. Years have passed and Cyril has looked after and taken care of Isda, but from the shadows of the Opera House of course. But then a boy with memories and a voice like no other shows up and Isda is immediately drawn to him like a moth to a flame.. and that’s where Isda’s story begins...

THIS. BOOK. BROKE. ME. The fact that she is hated just because of who she is and the fact that she’s had to live in the shadows of the opera house her whole life just made me so sad and I just wasn’t prepared for the route this book took me on * starts sweating just thinking about it *.

I’m a sucker for retellings and really liked the movie of The Phantom of the Opera growing up so I couldn’t wait to dive into this book but now I realized.. I should have waited lmao just kidding, but this book really made me feel things that I honestly wasn’t expecting. I thought this was going to be a fun YA retelling and that’s not what I got.. but in the end, I’m glad it wasn’t just a “fun” kind of read. It’s been a few books since I’ve felt things and I missed it!

The writing style was easy to just jump in to the story from the start and I had a vivid picture the entire time of reading this book. It wasn’t too flowery but just enough to perfectly visualize everything that was taking place.

It’s safe to say that I enjoyed this and I think it’s a perfect easier fantasy read for someone to get into or of course for fans of retellings and The Phantom of the Opera.

Au revoir, Sing Me Forgotten.

Isda is a gravior and can see your memories while you sing. Graviors are to be killed at birth but Isda was saved by Cyril. Cyril kept her and raised her. When Emeric, a talented singer, applied to sing at Cyril’s opera house, Isda is mesmerized by his voice. Becoming friends with Emeric, Isda starts to see the truth.
Opinion
This book was quite a ride. There were many twists that I did not expect. I certainly did not see the ending coming.
The idea of memories being the center of their commerce was interesting.
This book does not follow the normal HEA path. For that, I give the author applause. The story is well written and intriguing. I can see this becoming a favorite of many (and maybe even a movie!)
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Phantom of The Opera is the musical that made me love the theatre, so any changes to the story has me a little iffy in general. The synopsis of Sing Me Forgotten had me intrigued and so I took a chance and I’m glad I did.

Isda is the phantom I never knew I needed. I loved how Olson made her to be a hero and a villain at the same time, all the while we can still see her as a teenage girl who just wanted to be loved and accepted as she was. I loved how complex her character was. Emmeric, is a girls dream come true, loving Isda for not only how she looked, but who she was inside. Not a lot of people could love the phantom like that.

That plot itself was interesting, and pretty original I think. The only part I had issue was that I feel like Olson left some stuff out that I wish was included because I had a lot of questions at the end, also have issues with the ending because it made me cry. 😅 Overall though I really enjoyed this adaptation, and would love to see this on stage.

Sing Me Forgotten is a hauntingly beautiful take on The Phantom of the Opera. Isda was cast aside by her very mother at her birth when she was discovered to be a gravior with the power to manipulate memories through song. She's only found safety in the Opera House run by Cyril Bardin, the man who saved and raised her. There, as the Opera House Ghost, she manipulates audiences's perceptions of the performances for him, all the while wishing she could be the one on stage. When she meets Emeric, a boy with a haunting past and a beautiful voice, everything changes. For the first time in her life, Isda finds not only a burgeoning prodegy, but a way to have the life she's always dreamed of: one of freedom, filled with love and to shine on stage. But as Isda gets closer and closer to Emeric, she realizes that there are those close to her who would stop at nothing to contain her power for themselves. To ensure hers and Emeric's survival, Isda may have to become the monster her world feared her to be in the first place.
Sing Me Forgotten started off pretty slow, but it ramps up and dang was that ending a sucker punch. I adored Emeric and Isda's growing friendship/romance, and how her feelings for him make her reconsider everything she knows about herself and her power. I thought Emeric was just a doll of a love interest, and he was just so adorable that I couldn't get enough of the two of them together. At first, I didn't feel like I had a good understanding of how the magic system worked, but that was cleared up for me as the pace of the book cleared itself up. I loved the small references scattered throughout the book of the original tale of Phantom of the Opera and loved how Olson both manages to capture the essence of the original story while creating something entirely new and unique. I also love the dark turn Isda's character arc takes about halfway through this novel, and how ruthless she gets. It was rewarding to see her claim her power and not be ashamed of herself for who she is, but also struggle with the things she had to do. I also enjoyed the conflicted feelings Isda harbored for Cyril as she goes through the book, and how it showcases the conflicted feelings that comes when someone has to grapple with a manipulative parental figure. There were a lot of good twists in this book that would be too spoilery to elaborate upon, but I really encourage readers to keep on reading this book if they find it slow because it was worth the slower moments. Sing Me Forgotten is a story about greed and power, as well as sacrifice and love, and how the best loves challenge us in the most important ways.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my rating**

I have read at least three YA retellings of Phantom of the Opera in the last year (since March 2020). I will say with complete certainty this is the BEST one. I LOVED this book so much and I'm so glad I was able to read it and now am able to promote it. Run, don't walk, to go get a copy!

Sing Me Forgotten is about Isda, a gravoir, which means she has magic that allows her to access people's memories when they sing but also has left her face disfigured since birth. She lives in the Channe Opera House, using her abilities to keep the Opera house ticket sales up for the owner, Cyril, who is also her caretaker. However, as she gets closer to a new tenor singer named Emeric, Isda begins to question if she wants more than her life has been to this point.

As I said, I have read multiple retellings of this story. This is the first one to explore the Phantom's motivations more than case them as a straight up villain. While Isda is good overall, she does make some morally grey choices, which I enjoyed. I'm a big fan of the morally grey protagonist.

I also really enjoyed the romantic tension between her and Emeric. Their relationship was build very organically and it was nice to see a story where the Phantom and the "Christine" character have a genuine relationship instead of seeing them in a one-sided relationship. I liked that spin on the original source material. I also liked that this story didn't seem to have a "Raoul". I hated him from the original book. I hated him in the musical. So to not have to deal with him or a love triangle made me extremely happy.

I liked the addition of magic, as well. The original book made it clear that the "magic" was really just the Phantom's genius or easily explained illusions that a trained person could do. So to see a book where she DOES have magic and where she has an ethical dilemma about using it was an intriguing addition to the story.

Overall, this book hits the major story beats of it's source material while adding fresh and new material as well makes this such a well done and worthwhile retelling. I read most of it in a day because I was so deeply invested. Highly, highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Isda should not exist. Raised within the opulent walls of the opera house by the owner who rescued her as a baby, she hides a terrifying power to manipulate memories that means her certain death if anyone finds out. No one aside from her adopted father has ever seen her or spoken to her, and Isda is determined to keep it that way. But everything changes when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy with an entrancing voice and the key to Isda’s freedom hidden in his memories. Desperate to learn more about who, and what, she is, Isda spends more and more time with him. She finds herself longing for a life she never thought she could lead, but the price of freedom will cost her more than she may be willing to pay. To break free from the shadows and finally step into the spotlight, Isda must face the darkness within herself before it consumes her and everything she’s ever known.

Sing Me Forgotten is an enrapturing symphony of power, love, and darkness that grips you from the very first page. Jessica S. Olson’s debut is thrilling and captivating, compelling you to read chapter after chapter as you fight for freedom and the future with Isda at your side. And what a fantastic protagonist she is! Defying those who wish to keep her in the shadows, battling the darkness within herself, and making heart-wrenching choices, Isda is the fierce and oh-so-real representation of the Phantom that I never knew I needed. Olson’s writing is stunning throughout as she weaves together phenomenal world-building and a gripping plot with lyrical intensity. I found myself falling in love with sweet and charming Emeric who is portrayed so realistically that I felt as if I could walk outside and meet him on the street. This gender-swapped retelling of The Phantom of the Opera is perfect for those who enjoy fantasy novels that sweep you up and refuse to let you go until you’ve read the final line. I highly recommend this breath-taking book!

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change.)

For those of you who are massive fans of The Phantom of the Opera story, both novel and musical (like me), get ready for a new gender-flipped version of the well renowned story!

Those of you who have watched the musical or at least aware of the story would be able to recall a certain phantom lurking in the crypts and sewers of the Paris Opera House. His appearance can be identified by the white mask that covers half of his scarred face. Despite his association with darkness, the phantom however has the voice of an angel (much to everyone’s surprise), he projects his dreams of singing in front of an audience onto Christine, his muse and his secret love. Olson takes this classic legend and does a gender-twist containing all the elements of magic and music, bringing it to a new level as she presents a complex girl with a hidden life and magical talents before us. Seventeen-year-old Isda has lived in the shadows her entire life, being discarded and left to drown at birth, she was found and raised in secret by Cyril, the owner of the Opera House in which she resides. Unknown to others but Cyril, Isda has a secret: she is a gravoir, someone who is able to see a person’s memories and manipulate them whilst they are singing. The mutilated face is their signature and all gravoirs are expected to be executed upon birth for fear of their powers going rogue. Like fendoirs (another type of magic inhabitant able to extract memories as an elixir) both hide underneath masks because of their facial disfigurements and are scorned by society. After being taken in by Cyril, she helps him by manipulating the audiences’ memories at the Opera House, gaining both money and popularity for him. Isda has always lived in darkness and often dreams of singing in front of the audience one day, but she knows that will never happen. She was content, for now.

That is, of course, until one day, she encountered a newly addition to the Opera House, one Emeric Rodin (aka the female version of Christine Daaé in case you haven’t noticed *wink*). Enchanted by his singing voice in which she describes it as ‘the bright fire of autumn transforming the world into a kaleidoscope of burning reds and golds’, Isda is determined to tutor him and make him a star on stage. Of course, this proves to be a more difficult task than she had anticipated. Carefully hiding her true identity from Emeric and tutoring him secretly without the notice of Cyril, Isda gradually finds herself more addicted to Emeric’s singing and his memories whilst her life also takes a surprising turn of events.

Adorned with magic and music, masquerade balls and hidden plots, Sing Me Forgotten is a lavish musical which harbours the intention of bringing the readers on a marvellous journey deep within the crypts of the Opera House. Personally, I loved the setting immensely. The Phantom of the Opera was one of the first musicals I watched when I was young, and it still remained one of my favourites to date. Upon reading the synopsis of the novel, I immediately knew it would be spectacular and sure enough, it did not disappoint!

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

The complexity of the characters and their development throughout the novel is very well done! With Isda, Olson portrays a complex character in which she is also the hero and the villain of the story. In other words, she might be the hero of her and Emeric’s story, but she is seen as the villain in others. One cannot help but feel pity for her after learning her abandonment when she was merely an infant and the lies that were being told to her, but her horrendous acts later on in the book puts her on the wrong side of history. There was this quote that I read which said, ‘if they want me to be a nightmare, then a nightmare I shall be’ which completely captures the transition of Isda. She wasn’t always a villain, underneath her perhaps horrendous facial features, lies a normal 17-year-old young girl desperate for love and acceptance. When she met Emeric, she found the first person who embraced her as her true self without question (Spoiler: not even Cyril did that) and he also understands her on a spiritual level. That is the kind of acceptance that she longs and desires for. Emeric is the light in her darkness and in turn, she is also his saviour. With Isda’s guidance, Emeric is able to shine on the stage, living both him and Isda’s dreams. He is such a sweet boy, nice and gentle and is exceptional at making caramel candies (can he get any cuter seriously?!). Emeric’s love for music and his compassion towards Isda is something that amazes her and the reason why she keeps dropping her guard for him. Even Cyril, who turns out to be not the gentleman that he appears to be, has his own secrets of being the way he is now (although I did wish we got more of his backstory). In the end, finally, Isda is free from her shackles. Away from manipulation and lies, she is ‘the director and the maestro of her own life’ now. She is The Opera Ghost and she will not be afraid anymore.

Another one of the many captivating features of this novel is the language descriptions used within. Olson utilises the language of music exquisitely with delightful metaphors and her words on the pages bring forth a breathtaking symphony to the readers’ ears. It is as if we are watching an Opera and as the story flows, so does the music until it comes to a crescendo, and we are all left with the aftermath of this piece of stunning work!

On a final note, if you enjoyed this remarkable story, her second novel A Forgery of Roses comes out in 2022! Yet another fantasy retake with a mixture of Stalking Jack the Ripper and A Picture of Dorian Gray (two of my favourite novels in fact despite them being completely different), her new story will take place in Victorian London, where our characters would encounter mysteries that are best left unsolved…

Hold on to your hats, Ladies and Gentleman, because this is the gender-bent retelling of Phantom of the Opera that you've always wanted. Mixed with an intriguing magic system that's unlike anything you've read before, Sing Me Forgotten will not be a book that you'll forget anytime soon.

The Phantom vibes flow throughout the entire story, but Olson provides her own twists and turns that will keep readers on their toes--and their hearts just on the verge of breaking.

Isda is a wonderful protagonist, and watching as she wars with the monster within her versus the person she wants to be, or maybe believes she should be, is such an intriguing dynamic. My heart hurt for her and burned with her page after page.

Emeric is the love interest of your dreams. He is your angel of music, and boy does he make your heart soar.

And Olson's writing is just as magical. The way she writes about the connection between Isda and music was beautiful, poetic, and lyrical.

I hope you enjoy all the subtle nods to Phantom's music as much as I did. I know I was singing along to them each time they popped up. I can't wait to see what Olson writes next!