“I am the Channe Opera House Ghost. Bearer of nightmares. And just as worthy to walk under an open sky as anyone else.”

At birth, Isda was considered a monster. She was ruled unworthy of life because of her deformed face, an indicator that she was a gravoir, someone capable of manipulating people’s memories as they sang. But she was rescued from death, hidden away, and raised by Cyril, the owner of an opera house. While she must remain hidden in the shadows, she is well cared for and, in return, she uses her ability to keep Cyril in business. When a young man with an enchanting voice is hired on as the opera house’s janitor, Isda’s safe, secluded world welcomes a risky change and, with that, threats she’d never imagined.

I adored this book. It was imaginative, meaningful, and beautifully written, packed with drama, romance, horror and action. I was mesmerized by the story, so pulled in that I found myself audibly urging distressing scenes not to happen. (They didn’t listen!). There were moments that made my heart flutter with happiness mingled with moments that tore it apart.

One of my favorite explorations in books is the notion that the monster isn’t always as obvious as we think. Olson did a wonderful job embracing and illustrating that theme throughout the story. While this was rooted in fantasy, it says something honest and challenging about humanity and it does so in a heartbreaking way.

The chemistry between Emeric and Isda was magical. I truly appreciated the slow relationship building, which led to an authentic connection. I was completely in love with these characters, both separately and together.

I had not expected to feel this way about Sing Me Forgotten. I went in hoping for a fun read that might warrant four stars in the end. Instead, this will haunt my memory for a very long time and is, undoubtedly, at the peak of my mountain of favorites.

While the Phantom of the Opera influence exists, Sing Me Forgotten is seductively unique and compelling. It brings fragments of the original’s inspiration into the tale, but proves alluring in its own special way. If any aspect of this book appeals to you, I urge you to get your hands on a copy as soon as you are able!

I am immensely grateful to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for my digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Sing Me Forgotten is available for preorder and will be published on March 9, 2021.

What a great book! I loved this gender-swapped Phantom and could NOT put it down. The magic woven through the book was incredible and I think Olson nailed her debut!

4.2/5 stars

'But that's the problem with believing. It doesn't guarantee truth'
-Isda


What a heart-wrenching, heart breaking ending! That last scene/part when Isda walked away in that terrible weather, with all those injuries and all kept lingering in my mind! I can't help but be reminded by a lot of the kdramas I've watched when she and Emeric said their goodbyes that way!

I don't regret reading this book at all and I strongly demand a book 2!! I need the to know what happens next!

In the ending, when Isda walked away in that snow with her hood on, I imagined her to be back in a second book with so much prowess. I don't know why. I just suddenly pictured it. Please let there be a second book.

I have to admit, when I read the plot of this book here on Goodreads, I got intrigued and asked for an ARC. (Fortunately, my request was granted. Thank you to Jessica, to Inkyard Press, and to Netgalley btw.) At first, I thought the author was using a lot vocabularies to describe one or two emotions in one scene that I kept thinking this was exaggerated. Sometimes, I would just skip some sentences when emotions are being described again. But I realized that maybe the protagonist is just the way she is and that is how the protagonist really describes her emotions because she is inclined to finery.

Then it was starting to get action-packed that I skipped my meals just to keep reading. It was a lot of suspense when Isda was trying to escape the police and at the same time having a race with the time in order to save Emeric! I kept imagining what those elixir would taste in my mouth too. Sometimes I would unconsciously open my mouth a little during the scenes where Isda was gulping elixir.. haha! Furthermore, the transition of Isda's personality from someone so gullible to a strong one is something that I can relate to.

I really hope though more scenes with Emeric were detailed in the book rather than practice/tutorial lessons in Isda's crypt already happened in 2 months'

Great story and such a great read. I love adding books such as these to my classroom library! These are the books that keep my students voraciously reading!!!

Magical. Lyrical. Marvelous. Stunning world-building in an alternate France where some people are born with the ability to siphon away others' memories. And I adore gender-bent retellings, and this book was a delightful twist on the Phantom of the Opera story with a powerful, monstrous girl who's been hidden away her whole life. I adored Emeric as the rising young opera star, and that ending punched me right in the Feels. Definitely recommend this book!

Thank you so much to Inkyard Press for the ARC of this book!

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson is a gender-swapped phantom of the opera retelling. Isda, our phantom, is a girl with a monstrous face. Twisted and scarred and terrifying to any who sees it. She's kept in a crypt under the opera house run by her foster father Cyril, only coming out to use the magic she was born with to change the memories of the patrons so that they keep wanting more of the performances. She's fine living on the memories she lives through until she meets a boy with a beautiful voice and even more beautiful memories. While Isda soaks in the joy that is Emeric, she soon realizes she's more powerful than she knew, and with that power, she can change not only her fate but everyones.

I'm not terribly familiar with Phantom of the Opera, so I didn't have that to draw comparisons to, and honestly, I'm glad I was able to go into this with fresh eyes!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Olson does a great job of putting us into Isda's mind to see where her emotional state is at. She's a great character because of how awful she can be. She loves music passionately, is good at it. She cares deeply for her foster father Cyril, and she comes to care deeply for Emeric. But underneath all of that there's still a sliver of darkness in her that rears it's head at times. She's quick to anger and quick to violence. There's a part where she smiles after someone is hurt, and it gave me chills. I love morally gray characters like this. You want to root for them, but should you really?

Emeric is a ray of sunshine. He's funny and charming and genuinely a lovely person. He was the light to Isda's dark, and I think his glaring flaw was turning a blind eye to what Isda was and what she had done. He was a well fleshed out character, complete with a past and a goal, and I felt a connection to him. Cyril, Isda's foster father, was also great because I could never quite put my finger on what his motives or intentions were. We're kept guessing until we aren't.

Honestly, the real star of this book is the music. There were moments when Isda and Emeric were singing together that I felt like I could hear it. It gave me chills to imagine it, and Olson does such an incredible job with the imagery in these scenes. Even when Isda is using her magic while people are singing, it feels so powerful.

Overall, a really fantastic read. I do wish there'd been a bit more time spent on the world-building and the magic system, but overall I definitely enjoyed myself!

So beautiful and poetic. What I particularly liked are little nods to the original. Heartbreaking but it couldn't be any different.

This is a really wonderful take on the Phantom of the Opera and has so many emotions. Be prepared to be emotionally devastated! I really enjoyed the world building and development of the magical system. The retelling keeps all the original beats from the version popularized by Andrew Lloyd Weber (which I LOVE) while not shying away from the inherent darkness and moral dubiousness of the Opera Ghost. That's honestly my favorite part, the retention of the beats that make the Opera Ghost such an interesting and engaging character. Highly recommend this book!

This book is not necessarily a happy story; but it is one that will resonate with you. The heroine Isda was born a gravoir, someone who can listen to memories when people sing; she is locked away for her own safety, as people are out to kill gravoirs. She was saved by Cyril, the owner of an opera house, where she lives as the "Opera Ghost". However, her life takes a turn with the appearance of a boy named Emeric, a talented singer in his own right. As people around her reveal their true selves, it becomes hard for her to figure out who to trust - and ultimately, she takes her fate into her own hands. I want to follow her story, and see what she does next.

I really enjoyed the storytelling employed throughout - the author weaved the narrative well, I found it easy to read and compelling. However, I felt that in the later part of the story, Cyril's motivations fall flat and seem misdirected, which made it hard to understand some of his actions. I did appreciate how complex the characters were, and overall I liked the story as a whole. I hope there's more Isda stories in the future.

This was a beautiful, haunting and, I'll say it, heartwrenching book (GLARES AT THE AUTHOR).

A gender-bending retelling of Phantom of the Opera, the author does some incredible world-building, along with some truly lovely character development. Isda is a flawed character, young and hopeful and a bit sad, too. The phrase "morally ambiguous" comes to mind too - when your gift of magic is abused by a person who you love and claims to love you, well, that might mess a girl up. But when she starts to realize what her power can do, that's where things get really dicey, and her use of her magic almost veers into addiction, with some horrible consequences.

The magic system of Isda's world is a bit tragic and dark, and I was fully invested in Isda's character. It's not often I come into a novel and am rooting for a character other than the main character, but Emeric was a treasure and I loved him. (I also was left with an overwhelming urge to eat buttery caramels. Thanks.) Emeric's character grounded me into the story, let me see the good side, the beauty AND the tragedy of the magic that has marred Isda's life.

This book was spilling over with music, magic, love, deception, and heart-pounding adventure.

This was one of those books I added to my shelf and vaguely remembered the synopsis before I dug in, and it so thoroughly surprised and delighted (and maddened) me, keeping me up into the wee hours of the night before breaking my heart.

This beautiful gender-bent YA retelling of The Phantom of the Opera rips your heart out, sautees it with olive oil, and spits on it for good measure.

You know when you read a book, and it completely crushes you? You love it, and you hate it at the same time. You love it for all the wonderful feelings it evoked, yet you hate it for making your heartbreak, and your eyes filled with liquid sadness.

This book was that for me.

I knew after reading the synopsis that this was something I was bound to enjoy. I’ve always loved Phantom, both the Broadway and movie versions. From the moment I read the opening, this book lured me in. I was already hooked by chapter two. I loved Jessica’s writing style. There were many moments at the beginning where I felt like I was Isda. Immersive books like that are my favorite! It’s one of the things Adrienne Young (like Jessica Olson) does so well.

Isda was different from most YA heroines I’ve become acquainted with. She was beautifully flawed, and the ferocity and grit in her always surprised me when it sprang up. This girl is vicious. Her world views her as the villain in the story, and she plays upon that out of spite. She really channeled the hardcore angst of the Phantom. I was vibing.

Her banter with Emeric was really adorable too! This fluffy, caramel-scented bean was so adorable. AND I STILL AM HURTING FROM THAT ENDING. JESSICA, I DON’T THINK I CAN FORGIVE YOU.

I loved how the author wove the music into the magic system of the world, as well. It just made perfect sense for the story. It also really played upon the tones of the original world in Phantom. It was mysterious, sad, and mystifying. It read much like some of the old gothic classics.

The only thing was that ending. I won’t say more, but it HURT. I hAtE bittersweet endings. IT’s EATING ME ALIVE, DUDES.

Operatic in its telling, Olson takes you on the journey that allows Isda to find love, contentment in herself, and so much more. If you want a good gut-wrenching, gothic, angsty cry (😂), this is the book for you.

Big thank you to Inkyard Press + Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

Book Review for Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

A single snatch of song. That's all it takes for Isda to come out of her safe shadows and begin on a path towards death, ruin and betrayal. For so long she has been the Opera Ghost, secretly a monster that would be shot on sight if anyone knew her as more than a rustle in the highest balcony or a bit of confusion over a missing necklace. Emeric's song changes all that though. His voice is like magic that brings life to an otherwise black and white world. Is it worth risking everything that Isda has worked for to let this magical boy into her life? Glimmers of the Phantom of the Opera peek through various corners of this tale, but only enough to lend an air of resplendent magnificence.
Every moment of this novel is like magic. My heart aches with the resonating feelings and elegant details that often seem to dance right off the page. My one complaint is that there was too much mention of corsets. I'm afraid corsets are a very misunderstood undergarment, and every time one was mentioned, it took me out of the story. Everything else was absolutely breathtaking though, making it difficult to put this book down. Thank you, Jessica S. Olson for writing this book. I hope your imagination will build many more castles for me to visit.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a book that is different from other books you've read, I would suggest picking this one up. I cannot think of a book that I would compare this storyline to. You don't have to be a fan of The Phantom of the Opera or know anything about the storyline, but if you are familiar with the storyline, I think you will have a greater appreciation for the story.

Opposite from the male phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Isda is the phantom of the opera house in Channe. As a gravoir, someone who can alter memories when people sing, it is her job to make sure the patrons enjoy each performance by altering any memories they have of mistakes made in the performance. Isda is also never allowed to be seen, as gravoirs are considered dangerous and are killed upon birth. The only reason she is alive is because Cyril, the owner of the opera house, saved her, raised her, and taught her how to use her power.

Isda dreams of being able to see the world outside of the opera house, and when she gets a glimpse into the memories of Emeric, a janitor with an incredible voice and ambition to be on the stage, she discovers there may be a way to free herself after all and to live the life she always imagined.

She convinces Emeric to let her tutor him in singing so that she can explore his memories and learn all she can about catalyseurs in hopes of freeing herself from this prison of hiding in the shadows of the opera house. However, the more she learns from Emeric's memories, the more she learns about gravoirs, her powers, and that the one person she trusted the most may be the one telling her the most lies. As she fights for a chance at freedom, a life full of music, and a life with Emeric, she finds herself fighting against a town and person who would do anything to destroy her.

****

This isn't a fast paced, action-packed story. It's compelling and hauntingly beautiful with a bittersweet ending. It isn't a book I sat down and devoured in two days, but the story came alive in its own way. It almost felt like a song in itself, with crescendos and decrescendos, allegro and adagio, and moving lyrics. It's a story that is meant to be savored and listened to.

The writing and mood for this story was absolutely gorgeous. The character and original plot also gripped my attention and wouldn't let go. I hope to see more from this author in the future.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this amazing book!

Sing Me Forgotten is an incredible YA fantasy where the magic system revolves around people who are able to read or extract memories from people as they sing. The main character, Isda, is a gravoir, a special kind of person who can read and change people's memories as they sing, and her kind is so feared by society that they are hunted down and killed at birth. She was rescued from this fate by the owner of an opera house, and she has been raised hidden in the opera house. As the story unfolds, Isda discovers more about her own talents and why the opera house owner rescued her, and many of these revelations are extremely dark and discomfiting, both for Isda and for the reader along with her.

I truly loved everything about this book. I loved Isda's character, and I enjoyed learning along with her more about her past and the world that she is living in. Her relationships with her father figure, Cyril, and her romantic interest, Emeric, are deep and complex, and I loved all the relationship building throughout the book. I even liked the ending of the book quite a bit, though I can understand why people might find it disappointing. I thought, though, without giving anything away, that it was truly the right way for this story to end. The best part of the book, even better than the great characters and complex plot, is the world-building. The magic system is well-developed, and the society feels extremely real. I felt like I was living in Channe right along with Isda the entire time that I was reading the book.

Highly, highly recommend!!

I'm a huge Phantom of the Opera fan and already know that most books will just come up short, but alas, I read them anyway, hoping for the vibes or a glimpse of the original book, musical, movie, any or all of it! This book did come up short for me, and wow kind of hated the ending as well. It's a stand alone and I really like the premise of the book and the direction of the book, however, it really fell flat and didn't capture the beauty or the magical vibes of the Phantom like I was hoping. It was a disappointment, but has beautiful cover art and an ok story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Sing Me Forgotten was beautifully poignant, magically entertaining, and brutally honest about the prejudices of humanity against things they just don't understand.

Isda is a gravoir, or someone who can alter/extract memories from people when they sing. Hidden away in an opera house by Cyril, she hears a young man, Emeric, singing and it calls to her very soul. Through vivid descriptions, darkly woven thoughts, morally gray actions, and cringe-worthy scenes of pain we are taken one a wild ride in a fantasy world. I was seriously entranced by this story.

I'm neutral about this book, so 3 stars.

I LOVED the first 40%. Such an innocent romance blossomed. Then it just went haywire. So much angst, betrayal, despair, pain, torture. Isda became obsessed with power, Emeric, sweet Emeric just wanted his sister and the girl he was starting to love, and Cyril was...just Cyril. So many things happened and piled up and by the end I didn't feel very happy with this story.

The ending? Some would say it was supposed to end like that but when I read romantic fiction I want an HEA. THIS BOOK DID NOT HAVE AN HEA. You've been warned. It broke my heart. And it just ENDED. It sounds stupid but I'll forget this ending and make up my own.

And I'm pissed. Because the story was SO good until it wasn't.

I think I like the idea of The Phantom of the Opera more than I actually like 'it'. I pick up every single retelling or adaptation I come across and I haven't really enjoyed a single one. And that doesn't change much here. *deep sigh*

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with an arc of Sing Me Forgotten.

Sing Me Forgotten✨
Jessica S. Olson

Fantasy | Gender bent Retellings | Magic

🌟4.75 / 5🌟

Thank you to Net Galley and Inkyard Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review
Current Publication Date: March 9th 2021

When I saw this beautiful cover and learned it was a gender bent retelling of Phantom of the Opera I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. The story was truly magical and enthralling! The protagonist Isda was powerful and compelling. She has spent her entire life an in opera house, not interacting with the outside world or anyone other than Cyril. That is until she meets Emric the boy with a golden voice and personality. As she digs deeper into his memories she learns of the outside world and of another like her.

I loved the music and magic of the opera house, and the wonderfully dynamic magic system that worked through song. The contrasting themes of beauty, light, and magic with the gothic setting, her grotesque appearance, and ever present threat of murder. This novel was full of thought provoking questions: What is the value of your memories and their connection to your inherent self? Can human friendship and love transcend the physical appearance?

My only critique is that with so few main characters the world feels a little small. I understand that was likely done on purpose to reflect the isolation of Isda and the importance of her relationship with Emric. Regardless I found transfixed by the world and characters. I stayed up until four in the morning to reach the end, if that’s not a glowing endorsement I don’t know is!😂 Sing Me Forgotten was one of the best debuts I have read in while, and I cannot wait to see what’s next from Jessica Olson!💛