Really great creative fantasy. The new take on music and it’s ties to memory was really interesting and a facet of magical ya that hasn’t really been explored.

I have mixed feelings about this book. This book is about young girl who has to hide herself away because Society is afraid of her. Then she meets a boy who changes her live forever.

This books is full of complex characters with flaws and strength. Half the time I was yelling at the main character, but the author does a very good job will make you still sympathize with what she's going through. I thought this was a good book, especially for a debut. The author's prose is beautiful. I care deeply about what happened to the characters and I look forward to reading more books by her.

Who doesn't love a good suspenseful fantasy set in an opera house?! Sing Me Forgotten was so much more wonderful than I even expected. This story is engaging and exciting. I can't wait to see this cover when the book is published. A beauty for all book shelves.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great gender swap version of The Phantom of the Opera with a fantasy element! Isda, the main character, hides her deformed face, behind a mask. Her "deformity" is the result and sign of her being a gravior, an individual who has the power to manipulative or remove a person's memories, when they are singing. Her love interest, Emeric, was entertaining and engaging. He was actually my favorite character of the book. His "light" and her "dark" mixed really well through the story. The ending was expected, yet I still didn't love it. The plot itself was very interesting and while inspired by the original, it was still quite different and had other complex elements added in. I do think the story could have been a bit more detailed to provide more information on the setting and said complex elements. Also, the pacing wasn't perfect at some points. However, as a debut novel, I really thought it was excellent!

Wowowowowowow!! I haven’t read many Phantom retellings but this one definitely takes the prize! I wouldn’t say it’s an exact retelling but it does have a bunch of “phantom of the opera” elements that had be SQUEALING.
Imagine this: phantom of the opera, but the “phantom” is a GIRL and she has POWERS. Yeah, that’s right. POWERS.
Our protagonist Isda is a graivor- a different type of magic wielder that is able to infiltrate your memories when you sing. Isda is marginalized in her society for this and was left to die as a child. Her face is brutally scarred and she has to wear a mask to hide her identity or risk being murdered
Isda uses her ability in the opera house where she works in order to heighten the audience’s memories and will them to believe the performances they’re watching are much better than what they actually are. However, every time she gets a glance at a memory it’s always dull and gray.
That is, until one day she stumbles upon a suntanned boy with a dimpled smile and dark messy hair- who happens to have a beautiful voice that brings the most colorful memories for Isda.
That voice is is infectious and mysterious to Isda and soon enough the two embark on an adventure of heartache, betrayal, stolen kisses and hope. Y’all. This book was SO good and the twist SHOCKED ME. I also loved the ending and how it stayed true to how the phantom really is. Highly recommend this if you like dark reads and if you’re a phantom fan.
TW: self harm, kidnapping
4.5/5 stars from me

The writing style of this novel is so completely and utterly not my style that it is unreadable for me. Every detail is told, not shown. I get no feeling for any of the characters outside of what is outright thrown in my face, and the setting is vague and non descriptive. If you like guided by the hand through a story with no space for you imagination to help you along then perhaps you would like this book. But, personally, I like shown my details instead of having them shoved in my face like an encyclopedia.

I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

A soaring and lyrical gender-swapped retelling of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with a fantasy element that will bring down the house.

Isda is a gravoir, a magical being so powerful that they are killed at birth by the kingdom (They are recognized by their different faces). She was saved from a well by Cyril, the owner of the opera house. She helps him by making the audience forget mistakes and only remember positive things. But when Cyril wants her to use her powers to make an official go mad, she begins to doubt him. Meanwhile, she meets a handsome young man with an incredible voice. She offers to give him voice lessons. Emeric’s voice is incredible and he’s not afraid to see her face behind the mask.

A haunting and beautiful story about hate and prejudice, and the transforming power of love and music. Like the musical, this tragic story will stay with you after the last curtain closes.

(3.5 stars) Sometimes you’re just in a miserable mood and want to read about a girl whose even more miserable getting absolutely drunk on power and tragedy, and this book delivers that. In my opinion it could have been better written, because the beginning was very info-dumpy and the writing style overwrought throughout, but the last quarter was undeniably intense and I ended up enjoying it.

I really enjoyed this book and found the story unique and intriguing! Can wait to read more but Jessica Olsen!

i really enjoyed reading this book, the story was a great read and I enjoyed getting to know the characters.

Just when I began to worry that I'd never feel a connection, I found myself breathless and clenching my fists. This book is emotional. I experienced a whole mess of feelings, and really could have used a tissue warning for that ending!

The love interest, Emeric, is a dream. He's funny, honest and vulnerable. I appreciate that, although his appearance is mentioned, the real appeal is his personality. He perfectly compliments the main character, Isda, who must remain hidden from a society that would see her put to death for her abilities.

Sing Me Forgotten really does offer something for everyone. Besides romance and magic, we are treated to some edge-of-your-seat action and betrayal. Be prepared to experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows; everything but disappointment.

This is a phantom of the opera retelling with a woman as the 'villain'. A wonderful twist and it was very compelling. I like the heroine/villainess. She is strong and capable. A captivating fantasy!

Sing Me Forgotten was enchanting, heartbreaking, bewitching, and utterly captivating. I physically could not put this book down, every minute of it had me begging for more. I absolutely loved this book!

This book follows Isda, hidden away within an opera house, cruelly disfigured and tasked with changing the memories of its patrons. After a lifetime hidden away, a young tenor catches her attention, and shows her there is more to life than living in a crypt. Although her face is a death sentence, she yearns for freedom, but learns that it comes at a high cost.

With an ending that makes you sob, the plot of this is everything you could ask for an more. Although there are a few slow moments, they were spent adding dimension to the characters, and fleshing out the world. Even during the slow parts, I was completely drawn into the book, and I can’t wait to reread this and pick up on little hints I may have missed.

Isda is by far one of my favorite heroines, she is literally everything I wanted. I loved how the author didn’t stray away from making her malicious and vengeful, she completely defied the perfect character stereotype. She was incredibly compelling because of her anger, it made her feel real and made me want more. I’m really praying that we get a second book, because I need to see where her character arc takes her.

As if the plot of this wasn’t amazing enough already, we had a great romance too. Sure, it was complete insta love, and I hated the way it was excused, but I still shipped this couple with my entire heart. Isda and Emeric were adorable together, and I expect great things from their romance.

Just to reiterate, Sing Me Forgotten was an amazing book. With a expertly crafted plot, and highly developed characters, this book was just about as good as it could have been. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to Jessica S. Olson and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

I’m always interested in retellings, especially of ones that aren’t done often. This particular book is a gender-bent Phantom of the Opera and the author does a good job of making it her own story.

The book is told from one point-of-view, Isda. She works for Cyril at an opera house where he has been taking care of her since she was little. The outside world is not kind to her because she is different due to the magic she possesses. She also wears a mask to cover her face and hides in the shadows to make sure that no one knows she exists.

Obviously, this wouldn’t be a story without her breaking a rule and in walks Emeric Rodin.

Both characters have a troubled past and each past slowly brought to light throughout the book. It’s easy to feel bad for them and understand the choices they make, especially for Isda who wants to finally be free.

There are definitely good things about this book but there are also things that I didn’t like, one of them being the magic.

The magic isn’t bad and it is quite interesting but much of what it does or how it works isn’t discussed until after the first third of the book. It makes it hard to understand exactly who Isda is but I do understand why the author did it since Isda didn’t know herself but it still makes for a confusing read.

*SPOILER*The other thing I didn’t like was the ending. There was a lot of buildup to a relationship and then it just ended abruptly. I just don’t get it. 🤷‍♀️

Overall it was good. Certain things needed to be explained a bit more but it was still the better of retellings that I have read for The Phantom of the Opera.

Do you like PHANTOM OF THE OPERA? Enemies to lovers? Villains as narrators? This one will break your heart. A phenomenal new voice, and a wonderful new spin on a much-beloved story. I cried, I yelled, I kept reading until I ran out of pages and ached when there were no more. You’re in for a wonderful treat if you’re longing for a dark fantasy romance that will sweep you away.

Sing Me Forgotten is a new take on an old tale that still holds its audience captivated. A Phantom of the Opera retelling with genderbending and magic, this book brings magic and music to life with a cast of characters that mesmerizes. Jessica S. Olson brings a new spark to the opera in this book.

I personally did not enjoy this book. I found the first half to be quite strange. The second half was more dramatic, adventurous, and enjoyable. But overall, I didn't really like the book.

A totally fresh take on Phantom! Shadow-filled, and heart-wrenching, the French-inspired world in Olson’s gender-bent Phantom retelling reads like a lush and layered villain origin story. SING ME FORGOTTEN had me hook, line, and sinker from the first line all the way to the last. It's definitely a story I know I won't stop thinking about for a long time. Highly recommend!

This is a really interesting story and a great case study on an unlikeable protagonist. The weaving in of the source material is so cleverly done and I found my musical-loving heart noting each connection and marveling at the fresh spin. The author has such a way with words and descriptions and I quite literally lost track of time sometimes as I read it. Brava!