An engaging, edge-of-your-seat wartime thriller with a dose of romance. Sharon Cameron knocks it out of the park again.

What a brilliant, beautiful book. Artifice has it all: art forgery, the Dutch Resistance, hidden paintings, double-crossing, messy family dynamics, and a will-they-won’t-they for the ages.

This review was published on Goodreads on 02.18.24:

I'm a big Sharon Cameron fan, so it's no surprise that I loved ARTIFICE. Because I know next to nothing about art, I did find the novel's subject matter a bit distancing. Most of the references to artists and paintings went right over my head. The novel is aimed at teen readers, who will likely know even less about classic art than I do. I'm worried that will put them off this book, which would be a shame because it's a beautiful novel. A tense, exciting one, too, if they stick with it. In spite of my ignorance about art, I did find the topic of how counterfeit paintings are produced and passed off as originals to be really interesting. Especially so when it came to duping Nazi bigwigs, which did happen during World War II. This is the first book I've read on this fascinating subject.

Although ARTIFICE gets off to a bit of a slow start, it doesn't take long for the plot to gain momentum. As Isa gets more involved in selling counterfeit art and smuggling babies out of Amsterdam, the tension ramps up, making for some nail-biting scenes. I wanted to know what was going to happen to her so badly that I stayed up until 1:00 a.m. in order to find out! The action kept me engaged, all the way to the book's satisfying conclusion.

I loved Isa. She's an understated heroine, but one who is wholly sympathetic and likable. I admired her devotion to her father, her home, her country's art, and to the the Nazis' most vulnerable victims. Her friends and associates are a colorful, complex bunch who keep the tale interesting.

All these elements and more combined to make ARTIFICE a compelling, satisfying, enjoyable read for me. If I could, I would give it 4 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.

I love Sharon Cameron’s books! I’ve long been a fan and appreciate her beautiful prose and attention to detail. Artifice was a well crafted story exploring the Dutch Resistance during WWII. Based on actual people and events, she captures what it was like to live under German rule during WWII with suspicions running high and not knowing whom you could trust. This particular story explores Hitler’s and his minions’ thirst for art and the Dutch painters who fooled them with forged paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt. Through her characters, she also delivers a powerful story of the brave men and women who saved hundreds of Jewish babies and children.

Isa de Smit was raised in an art gallery with a talented father who could flawlessly recreate Dutch masterpieces. When the Nazis invaded, the gallery was looted and priceless works of art confiscated. Facing the loss of the gallery and her home due to unpaid taxes, Isa embarks on a daring plan to sell one of her father’s forged paintings to none other than Hitler himself. But, she’s noticed by Michel Lange. an old friend who is now a German soldier. He attempts to bribe her not for money, but for a means to escape to Switzerland. Can she trust him?

When she witnesses her friend Truus kill a German soldier, Isa and Michel, her frenemy German soldier concoct a scheme to sell more forged art with the money going to save Jewish children and help Michel escape. Isa finds herself caught between the Germans who would kill her if they discover she sold them a fake and the Dutch resistance who would kill her as a collaborator.

Art lovers will enjoy the rich descriptions through Isa’s eyes. I also enjoyed the fascinating look at the world of forgers and their techniques. The relationship between Isa and Michel is complicated and I was never quite sure if he could be trusted. The romantic tension was high with that element of danger mixed in.

The story itself was interesting and at times very suspenseful. I found the last third of the book extremely compelling as the danger exponentially increases. The first two thirds of the book was slow at times and some of the descriptions may be lost on YA readers. It took awhile for me to get into, and at first I had a hard time connecting to Isa. But, as I kept reading I became more engaged and ended up enjoying the story. I found myself on pins and needles as they were trying to smuggle the children out. Each encounter with the Nazis had me holding my breath especially when Isa’s trying to sell the forged art.

There is a gay character and mentions of prostitution as well as drug addiction and overdose. All of these were based on actual people and events. I found the author’s note at the end to be a must read as she explains the history behind the story. It’s fascinating in itself and made me want to learn more about the Dutch Resistance. All in all a compelling read for historical fiction fans and older YA readers. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. 31/2 stars raised to 4.

Artiface is a thrilling novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with their heart in their throat until the last page of the book. From the first page until the last we are concerned about Isa de Smit’s welfare. Isa is a young woman in Amsterdam, who before the Nazis invaded, lived a colorful,exciting life with her parents above their small art gallery. Now, her mother has died, her father seems depressed and uncommunicative and her best friend Truus has joined the secretive resistance. The Nazis have started buying and confiscating all the artwork of the Dutch painters. To get money for herself and her father to stay in their gallery, Isa takes a huge risk, bringing a forged copy of a Rembrandt painting her talented father has painted and selling it to the Nazis.

Isa finds out that Truus is working to smuggle Jewish children out of Amsterdam and needs more money to save the children from the Nazi killers. Isa runs into a young man from their childhood, when he would visit the gallery, who now wears a Nazi uniform. He asks her for help to desert the army. Isa decides to trust him and use him to help her negotiate one more art sale to Hitler himself. Sometimes in both artwork and people it is not so easy to spot a fake.

Bringing into the novel real historical characters, Cameron builds the artiface, a subtle or crafty trick. With twists and turns the reader is unsure what is real or who to trust and who is untrustworthy until the very end. Based on the true stories of Han Van Meegeren, a master art forger who sold fakes to Hermann Goering, and Johann van Hulst who is credited with saving 600 Jewish children from death in Amsterdam. Cameron creates a realistic plot that shows how the citizens of Amsterdam helped the Jewish citizens and tried to fight against the Nazis invading their country.

This novel is told from the point of view of the non Jewish citizens of Amsterdam. There are clear references to the atrocities that were happening to the Jews and what could happen to those who tried to help the Jewish people, the righteous Gentiles. This is a story of love, strength and the ability to look for the good in people under adverse circumstances. There is no religious content in this novel. The Jewish content is integral to the story line and makes it clear to all readers how dangerous living conditions were at that time.

Set in the Amsterdam art world of World War II, Isa de Smit finds herself caught up in chaos of Nazi occupation. To survive—and, more importantly, to help Jewish infants survive—she embarks on a desperate scheme to sell forged masterpieces to the Nazis and then escape herself before the resistance brands her a collaborator. A brilliant blend of fiction and fact that explores the complexities of what we humans are willing to do in the worst of circumstances.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic Press for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love Sharon Cameron for middle grade/young adult historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

I've read a lot of WWII-era novels, and some involved art, but this was a unique take on it. The prose is wonderful and easily draws the reader in. Historical details are spot on, and characters are well-crafted and realistic. With resistance fighters, baby smuggling, forged artwork, secrets, danger, and mystery, there's something for everyone. There's a bit of a romance angle, but it's not a key part, which I appreciated. Isa is a strong, independent character, and you can't help but root for her. I've never read anything by Cameron in the past, but I look forward to checking out her books in the future.

Artifice is an interesting story by Sharon Cameron. The author combines the stories of three groups of people living in Amsterdam during the Nazi Occupation. Han Van Meegeren was a master art forger who sold forged pieces of art to the Nazis for huge sums. Johann van Hulst saved Jewish babies from being killed by sneaking them out of Amsterdam. The third group was the Dutch resistance, who risked their lives to thwart the Nazi rule. The stories, using fictional characters, are woven together beautifully. I could see that the story "could have" happened that way.

Y/A only-means-no-gratuitous-erotica, 1943, Amsterdam, art-crimes, art-forgery, art-history, art-theft, bravery, collaborators, family-business, family-expectations, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, holocaust, Jews, rescue, resistance-efforts, survival, heroism, heritage, addiction, drugs-issues*****

In occupied Amsterdam a girl with many burdens becomes one who is to forge stolen paintings and sell them to the Germans and use the money to save babies from the gas chambers. The scenes, events and characters are all so very clearly depicted for those of us who are enmeshed in different kinds of villains and wars. An excellent read!
I requested and received an EARC from Scholastic/Scholastic Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

I loved this book! I really enjoyed seeing how everything came together, getting bits of information that turns out to be related to everything else! I loved finding out about "the girl with red hair" as well, that was fun to learn about.

This was a riveting WWII historical fiction that kept me on the edge of my seat. The amount of research and the attention to detailed facts makes this book unforgettable and well worth it. Being thrown into the world of art, art forgery and the saving of Jewish babies had me staying up late to read another page. The well-written prose kept me entranced and transported to another time. I would love to see this on class reading lists for both literature and history classes.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for the advance Kindle copy of this 11.7.23 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this WWII thriller. Set in Amsterdam, it has art forgery, Dutch resistance, and smuggling of babies. It is based on real people and events, which is what I love about Sharon Cameron’s historical fiction. I think more sophisticated middle school through high school readers will appreciate the different twist this story has, and I am excited to add it to my library. Recommended for grades 7+.

Cameron paints very interesting point of view on the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Using examples of art forgers who sold forged masterpieces to the Nazis, it shows that even in the worst times, there is still hope for humanity.

Isa de Smit is proud she sold a forged Rembrandt to a Nazi, indirectly defrauding Hitler. When her friend Truus needs money to smuggle Jewish babies out of Amsterdam, Isa believes she can sell an even better forgery to fund the Resistance effort. She masquerades as a model to get into the home of a renowned forger to see how he ages the paint and tries doing the same to the forgeries painted by her father. Meanwhile, Truus and her friend Wilhelm are hiding in her gallery and home, as well as a Jewish baby and a turncoat Nazi, plus her mentally unwell father. At any moment, their world can come crashing down.
My summary doesn't do it justice. This book held me hostage for about two and a half days. I was up all night and everything. Many of the characters were real -- The Girl With the Red Hair at the top of the Nazi wanted list, Van Meegren the famous forger, and several of the Resistance, including the man who smuggled children out of Amsterdam and the people who sacrificed their lives to protect them. Beautiful artistic descriptions. Compelling romance. Addictive cliffhangers at the chapters' ends. Great friendship. Inspiring! Isa was surprised that a couple of three years was not sleeping together, but that was not uncommon back then. There is also a gay character who punishes himself. Acting on homosexuality is a sin, but one to bring to Jesus, not punish oneself or be teased, imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Love this book.

I had grown tired of novels about WWII. It seems everyone wants to write about this war. Artifice by Sharon Cameron is a story that changed my feelings. Based on real characters, some heroes, and some cads, it is a book that kept my interest for the entire 400-plus pages. Johan van Hulst, an astounding man who rescued at least 600 Jewish babies and toddlers from the Nazis after they invaded the Netherlands, was a primary influence for the novel.
Isa is struggling to keep her father and herself alive during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Her father is a talented painter as well as a talented art forger. Isa sells a forged Rembrandt to provide money to pay taxes. She likes the idea of the Nazis unknowingly paying to keep a roof over her head. Isa discovers Her friend Truus is involved with the Resistance, smuggling Jewish babies and toddlers to safety. The book contains many characters and plot twists and turns to keep the excitement level high. I enjoyed the way Isa thought of her emotions in terms of colors. It was an intriguing bit of writing. Amsterdam was described in detail, including the canals which wound their way through the city. It felt authentic, and the tension of living under the occupation and not knowing who to trust and who was watching was palpable.
This novel would be an excellent teaching source for middle and upper grades. The verity of the storyline would make a quality addition to the facts of classroom history books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the ARC of this book.

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I have actually never read a historical fiction book set in WW2 so this was an eye-opening experience. I will start this review by mentioning this was a bittersweet story. This book had a great premise and vivid descriptions. The author made an interesting decision in using color to convey the main character’s emotions. She didn’t employ flowerly language but relied on simple statements. (Also a warning to my readers: it had some strong language.) The author clearly did her research so that it was historically accurate and art-centered. However, that being said I did have some reservations with this book. It had odd formatting which made the story harder to follow. In addition, the plot was odd in the sense that it seemed connected by a very thin invisible string. The reader is simply thrown into the story which as a result, leaves the reader without understanding despite context clues. Lastly, the tense scenes felt well, not tense. Overall, though this was not my cup of tea but definitely will be for someone else.

Set in Nazi occupied territory during 1944 and 1945. Isa is the reckless young daughter of a talented artist turned forger. Haunted by the memories of so many fellow citizens who had become victims of Hitler's regime, Isa undertakes a very risky task; she will sell several of her father's forgeries to the enemy. Not only will the act give her revenge on the Nazi Party, but the money that she gained by the exchange would help several Jewish children get to safety.
Brief mild language; one of Isa's friends in the Resistance is a homosexual; several references to drug violation and overdose. However, the reader must keep in mind that this is based on a true story; the author is only writing the facts. Definitely for an older audience.

Issa is a young woman living in Amsterdam in 1943. As the daughter of artists who own a gallery that's been closed due to the Nazis, she sells one of her father's drawings as a real Rembrandt to the Nazis to get money to survive. She finds out her friend Truss is working for the resistance and trying to save Jewish babies. by finding them homes when their families have been captured. If Issa can sell another forgary, she can give more babies a chance. Soon she finds herself in the company of Nazis and a master art forger. Helping her to translate, she works out a deal with Michel, a Nazi who wants to desert the German army. Can Issa truly trust Michel? There are many tense scenes in the story as Issa and Truss are targeted by the Nazi's for their actions. I liked how Issa thought about life as an artist, comparing her emotions to color and naming scenes like the title of a painting. I felt the story got complicated towards the end but it was a compelling story. The story is based on a true art forger Han Van Meergeren and the man who began saving Jewish babies Johann van Hulst.

With me being a huge historical fiction reader I will say that I loved this book! The detailed descriptions of the pieces of art had me captivated from the very beginning. I have often heard stories about how the Nazi leaders stole precious pieces of art during the war to hoard and keep away from the rightful owners and this book answered many questions that I had about how that process worked. Michael and Isa were beautiful characters and I rooted for them to be together but I also keep jumping back and forth from believing that Michael was a bad guy who really worked for the Nazis. I loved the aspect of not really knowing what Michaelś's true intentions were. I love the ending, too! I will most definitely suggest that my middle-grade kiddos read this book!