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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9_WK2OXx5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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!

A riveting story with interesting characters. A must read if you like WWII stories.  The historical facts at the end of the book added a lot to the story.

I thoughly enjoyed this title! I am a big Sharon Cameron fan and this read did not disappoint! I love how she combines together two separate historical events that were occurring simultaneously throughout the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. The descriptions throughout were wonderfully done! It was a little bit slow to start, but once you get through that the suspense builds tremendously! This book is recommended for any historical fiction fans and/or those who enjoy reading about art history.

Everything I have ever read by Sharon Cameron is always a treat and of the highest quality, and this book was no different. What sets her apart is her breathtaking prose, her excellent characterization, and the quality of her historical accuracy. Combine that with resistance fighters, betrayal, and art during WWII and you are swept away yet glued to your seat! Absolutely wonderful! I recommend all her books, but I believe this one is my favorite and her best yet! TEN STARS!

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.

As always, I am inspired by Sharon Cameron’s gorgeous prose, realistic characters, and heart-pounding action. The way she writes is engaging and lyrical, drawing you deeper into an already entrancing narrative. Cameron’s artistic metaphors are stunning. I highlighted so many passages to come back to later. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I seldom say this; what a profoundly beautiful and excellent book. Outstanding. There’s so much here to discuss and learn, a million different directions that a teacher could go with this. Honestly you could build an entire WWII unit around it. It’s also an adventure; smuggling babies, daring escapes, forged paintings, secrets, and of course, a dashing hero. But who is that dashing hero? It’s hard to say in an Amsterdam colored by Nazi red and brown. And finally, a female main character who is capable and absolutely competent all on her own. Just read it. It is that good.

This was a beautifully done World War 2 novel, it had a great plot going on and worked in the time-period. I was enjoying Isa as a main character and appreciated how smart she was. I thought the art forgery worked well overall and that Sharon Cameron wrote this perfectly. I can’t wait to read more from Sharon Cameron.