Solid re-imagining of "Phantom of the Opera" with magical elements and a female protagonist. Lots of chemistry between the characters which adds lots of punch to the ending. Writing is lyrical but not sappy, so it really adds to the musical quality of the book. I am eagerly awaiting another read from Jessica S. Olson!

This wonderful book is a gender bending take on the Phantom of the Opera and I loved it! Oh my heart for poor Isda. Spending her life living in the darkness and doing the biding of a master manipulator my heart bleed for her. I absolutely adored the interactions between her and Emeric. This whole book made me wish I was at an opera house listening in to all the wonderfulness that was detailed on these pages! This book would make a fantastic fall read but also an anytime of year.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oooook so I am a huge Phantom of the Opera fan. I got to see the show for the first time when I was 4 and I got to meet the cast after. It was the best day ever; I will never forget. Knowing that this book is a book based on that? That I knew that I had to read it.
Isda doesn’t have the greatest life. She was ruled unworthy because of her face being deformed. One day she was rescued and kept hidden as well cared for. One day while Isda is in the Opera House she hears this Janitors voice and instantly falls in love.
I just loved this story so much, there has been other Phantom of the Opera re telling’s that I have read and didn’t like because of one reason or another, this book was back with emotion I felt like I was there right along with Isda.
As the story plays out it just made me want to go and see the show again and again.

If there's one thing I love more than almost anything else, it's the Phantom of the Opera. I love, love, love Phantom of the Opera. I knew I had to read this book based on the description alone. And once I got into it, I loved it.

Isda was thrown into a well almost immediately after being born because she has the power to alter and collect people's memories when they sing. Because the elixir that makes up memories is a precious commodity in her world, she is the scourge of the earth and must be hidden. She is rescued by a man who owns an opera house, and Isda grows up in the shadows surrounded by music. She has no qualms about her lonely existence until she meets a young man who makes her heart soar when he sings. She decides she must get close to him, teach him to properly sing so he can have a chance at a role in the opera house. But once she gets to know him, and after her secret gets out, Isda has to make some heartbreaking choices. I loved this fresh fantasy take on Phantom, and fell in love with Isda.

It did take me some time to get into this story. I think I felt like there was a lot going on and I wish the magic system had been explained a little bit better (that is not the author's fault...I wish that of almost every fantasy book I read). Once I got into it though, I was hooked. I loved the gender-swap of our beloved Phantom, and I loved watching her soul turn darker as she realized that she would always be an outcast by no fault of her own. I loved the descriptions and the setting. There were plenty of Easter eggs for Phantom fans, but I also think any teen reader who loves music, fantasy, or both, will also love to be swept up in this beautiful story.

This was such a unique and interesting tale on the Phantom of the Opera. Our phantom in this case was a girl who has extra abilities. Because of her abilities, her kind are greatly feared and generally killed.

I really enjoyed the twists to the original story while still feeling similar enough to the original source material. I’m looking forward to looking into more books by this author.

This became one of my happiest surprise reads of this year.

I’ll be the first to say I was apprehensive reading this as I have never seen Phantom of the Opera before (please don’t smite me) but I’ve never been so captivated by a story.

The way that Isda is portrayed as the ‘monstrous’ female was a gender-bend
I did not see coming (I fixed myself and watched Phantom of the Opera)

This story was beautifully written like the author had abilities themselves by pulling on my heart with the young romance of a sweet monster locked in a cage and the boy who became a musical beacon for her. The magic system created was very unique to the ones I am use to reading but made the story that much more compelling.

Overall amazing read, I can’t wait for my friends to finish it too

I have no idea where to begin with Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson. I suppose I could start with the cover though! I remember the first time I saw it, thinking that it was very lovely to look at and that it definitely gave me historical vibes with the type of bottle they used, the font, as well as the gilded decorations in the top corners. I also remember wondering what the golden substance in the bottle was (and am happy to say that it’s explained in the book and I have so much appreciation for it being on the cover now)!

Additionally, I wanted to make a note about this being a YA fantasy standalone and how I think that this was the best choice for this story! It’s not that I wouldn’t have wanted to spend more time in the world, but rather I think that Olson used just the right pacing to tell the story of Sing Me Forgotten considering what happens in the story, the character arcs, etc.

Speaking of characters, I found that I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of them while reading Sing Me Forgotten, but I also think that this is okay considering the kind of story it is. If anything, my inability to understand the characters and their choices 100% added to my overall unease with the events taking place in the book as well as the somewhat dark atmosphere.

And, I can’t let you go without talking about one of the main things that drew me to Sing Me Forgotten: It’s a gender bender retelling of The Phantom of the Opera! I’ve always liked the story (or as much of it as I was exposed to through the movie with Emmy Rossum and the live video of Antonio Banderas singing the epic Phantom of the Opera song with Sarah Brightman, haha) and I really liked the idea of flipping the two main roles!

I think that Olson did that and a lot of other things really well, and I’m curious to see what she will write next. Also, I have purposefully opted to not talk about my emotions surrounding Sing Me Forgotten because I worry about spoiling things. I’m always happy to discuss these sort of things privately though if you’ve also already read the book though! My DMs on Instagram and Twitter are always open.

This gender switched Phantom of the Opera, was interesting. The magic system was unique and fascinating. This took a while for me to really get into, like over a hundred pages in. It was slow at first, but once it picked up I started to devour it. This is one of the few books were I was hoping for the main character to go dark, as it made for a much more exciting story.

Loosely inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica Olson tells the story of Isda one of a select few born with the ability to manipulate memories. Treated with contempt and fear, her kind, visually recognizable due to the unique facial features, are often killed when discovered. Though she longs to see the world outside of the snippets of memories she’s siphoned, she considers herself lucky since she was saved by the opera house owner, Cyril. Their one on one connection is disrupted when Emeric, the new janitor and a talented singer, arrives.
As Isda and Emeric grow closer, she experiences an eye-opening epiphany about not just the world outside, but also the extent of her own abilities. Cyril pushes her to go further, to create as well as take, sparking her interest in just what it is she can do. Knowing he’s kept vital information from her, she begins to pull back and keep secrets from him, her friendship with Emeric being the biggest secret of all. After conducting her own research and perusing Emeric’s memories, she soon begins to suspect Cyril’s affection may be a form of self-serving manipulation and not the fatherly love she took it for.
Slow-burn romance, years’ long betrayal, and magic combine in this indelible debut novel. As a longtime Phantom fan, I have high expectations for anything claiming to be inspired by the original, but this is the rare venture that hits the mark. The Easter egg lines from the musical are seamlessly woven into the original storyline and I felt every emotion as I flew through the pages. Hope, anger, fear for Isda and Emeric, and those flutters of first love were all present and heightened by Olson’s impeccable word choice and pacing. 4.5 stars

For fans of The Phantom of the Opera, this is a wonderful spin on the story line. The magical element put a very clever spin on the tale as well. Slow in parts but still an enjoyable read.

I LOVE a good Phantom of the Opera re-telling, and this is absolutely no exception. It pulled me in, and I enjoyed every moment of it! Definitely recommended to anyone who loves PotO, as well as magic, and a hint of villainy in the main character. (Maybe more than a hint ;D)

Read this book. Drop what you are doing and read this book. It is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. I have never read or seen any Phantom of the Opera retellings. The ending was perfect and bittersweet. I will be reading whatever else Jessica S. Olson writes.

**2.5 Stars**

In a world where memory altering Gravoirs are despised and killed at birth, Isda has to live in hiding since she bears the same physical deformity of her face all gravoirs do. She lives in secret under the Opera House, growing up on the music that feeds her soul. When she meets a boy who can sing better than anyone else she has heard, she makes it her mission to get him on the opera stage. But she has no idea that the people around her all have agendas to use her in ways that will throw her careful world into chaos.

I really wanted to read this book after spying the cover, it is just so pretty and eye catching and I am a total cover snob. I started the book knowing nothing about the plot except it is YA fantasy and I discovered this was a gender-swapped fantasy filled retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. Unfortunately this was not a great fit for me. There was some interesting magical components and the setting was well detailed, but I could not find myself investing in the plot.

Keep in mind that tons of other people have loved this book, especially if you are a big Phantom of the Opera fan this might be right up your alley. I just personally could not get into the story or connect to any of the characters, and the book seemed to be super long (to me, keep in mind it had roughly 330 pages but I was good to be finished around 200 pages in). The ending was incredibly bittersweet so if you are expecting a HEA this is the wrong place for you (also the ending was not completely logical and I hated it, but that is a rant for another day). I am pretty sure this is a standalone since it wrapped everything up- but if it isn't I still will not be reading another book in this world.

Wow, this book was fantastic! Magical and heartbreaking, it sweeps you into a rich and wonderful story. This book is a take on Phantom of the Opera, but with the gender roles switched. At times, it's dark and gory, but also beautiful and emotional. A wonderful story that I would definitely recommend !

This fantasy that is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera was extremely interesting as it encorporated so many unique elements. I love that the main character, Isda, is a strong female lead who holds powerful abilities. This story incorporates magic and music in such a brilliant and charming way. As someone who has been trying to get into fantasy I found that the magic system at times was a little complicated and hard to grasp. Overall, I think if you enjoy the story of Phantom of the Opera, but want a female lead, this might be the book for you!

What a charming book! Isda has never known a life outside of the opera house, other than what she's watched in peoples' memories. Cyril rescued her from a well where her mother had her thrown to die, since that was the fate for those born who were obviously monsters. The risk of them stealing all the memories and destroying the world was too great.

Eventually Isda meets Emeric, a janitor at the opera house with a beautiful voice. She offers to train him and pretends for them both that he has no idea what she really is. He recognizes her talent and knows she may be the one to help him achieve his dream of being on stage.

The end of the story for Isda and Emeric wrapped up quite neatly, and not entirely as I expected. I loved the fantasy element of the memory elixir and its moral and economical implications. The value of memories as liquid gold also feels quite fitting.

Overall, I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy re-spun classics, and fantasies that wrap up rather nicely. So many fantasies I see lately are ongoing series, but this was a succinct story with a finite end.

꧁ 5 STARS ꧂
GUYS I FINISHED THIS BOOK AND I- DSJHFGDKGHSD IM IN LOVEE!!
if you like VERY MORALLY GREY characters, magic, and romantic pining... this book is for you.

i've never watched or read phantom of the opera, so i'm not sure how many similarities there are. but i'm 99% the fendoir and gravoir things weren't in the original phantom of the opera. nonetheless, i really liked how this story was structured! the prose was beautiful, and the characters were *chef's kiss*. AND THE ENDING- THIS IS THE BEST STANDALONE ENDING I'VE EVER READ. I AM IN LOVE WITH THE RESOLUTION OF THE STORY. THE ARC IS EXQUISITE. AND ISDA JUST PERPETUATES THE "a hero would sacrifice you to save the world, but a villain would sacrifice the world to save you" VIBES AND I ADORE IT. WOMEN SAVING MEN >>>

oh and side note, i really loved how the conflicts were placed in the story. the first "big" conflict happened at 57%, but it just kept going and escalating. every time i think that the book should be wrapping up, a bigger conflict happens. I AM AT THE EDGE OF MY SEAT SO MUCH THAT I AM FALLING OFF.

and emeric... DJGHSFLKJ I LOVE THIS PURE CINNAMON BUN PLSSS I WANT TO GIVE HIM A BIG HUG. THEIR ROMANCE IS SO ADORABLE AND ALSO IT HAS THE BREAKUPS AND MAKEUPS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. AND DKSFJAKJF I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH HOW I ADORE THIS DYNAMIC!!!

"you are a song. one composed of a thousand different instruments all perfectly harmonizing into the melody they were crafted to create. a masterpiece."

(cue whitney screaming in the background because the bEAUTY OF THIS QUOTE!!!!)

ok i don't have enough comprehensible brain cells to write a proper review, but just trust me when i say that YOU NEED TO READ THIS. i very rarely give books 5 stars but I AM COMPLETELY ENAMOURED WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THIS STORY, THE CHARACTERS, EVERYTHING. my heart? belongs to the operahouse now.

I really wanted to like this because I am a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera. Unfortunately, this book falls under the category of "brilliant concept, terrible execution." It starts with Isda, who is just the most unrelatable character I can imagine. Nothing she does or says makes me want to emphasize with her. The story is poorly thought out.

I’m a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera, so when I was offered the chance to read a copy of SING ME FORGOTTEN, I jumped at the opportunity. Set in a fantasy version of the gothic tale, where the Phantom is a gender-swapped young woman named Isda, SING ME FORGOTTEN was a fantastic reimagining. It took the best parts of the original canon while updating it for a modern audience.

Sing Me Forgotten is a wonderfully written, genderbent retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. This book tore my heart out, stomped on it, and then lit it on fire. The author did an incredible job with her world-building. You get swept away in the pages without feeling like a ton of information has been dumped on you. I enjoyed the banter between Isda and Emeric. Along the journey Isda finds love and contentment in herself and so much more. Once you start this book, you won't want to stop until you are finished.