It seems as though people who silence others have a bad theory: keeping them locked away will make them “fade” away. True. It can work. But what they do not realize is that sometimes it can make people who have been chastised, locked up, shunned, anticipate their power. Which may lead them to become the bigger monster than those powerful people initially thought.  

Jessica Olson’s debut novel, Sing Me Forgotten, disproves this theory wonderfully well with the main character, Isda, as an example of how ignorant it is. 

On the first page, the first sentence, Isda illustrates that she’s a “shadow” in the Channe Opera House of Vaureille, hiding out in the dark catacombs for seventeen years. Why? In this France-Based society, those who have the rare ability to manipulate memories while people sing are cast away, or worse,  executed. The latter was supposed to happen to Isda; her mother threw her into a well seconds after she looked at Isda’s disfigured face, which tells whether she has those abilities or not. But before her undoing, Cyril, an opera house owner, saved her. Till then, for all her life, Isda made her place as a “shadow” in the Opera House for one thing in return: use her powers to raise ticket sales. Isda is happy with that. Well, at least okay with it. She knows if she steps foot into the outside world, she'll receive threats of death, so she settles with her life. That is until she met Emeric Rodin. One night, Emeric’s compelling and sensuous voice fills the opera house’s theatre like no other, so Isda decides to step into his memories. What she sees shocks her. She sees someone like her that’s free in the outside world. She sees a chance of living an authentic life. Isda then whips out a way to spend more time with the charming Emeric and his memories for the possibility of freeing herself from her chains. And although she grows more and more closer to Emeric, and betrays Cyril more and more, she realizes in order to have a place in the outside world, she needs to become the monster that everyone’s afraid of. 

Personally, one of the best things about this novel is Olson’s portrayal of Isda’s increased desire of being free. In the first chapter, you see Isda doing what she’s supposed to do during show night, and hiding out from the audience and performers. She thinks of the outside world of Channe, and she states, in her own words, “To be one of the opera performers who come and go as they please” (28). But she brushes  that off as a dream because she knows death would follow if someone even sees her without a mask. But that night, she hears Emeric’s voice, and his colorful, sharp, and lively memories makes Isda taste the unknown, pulling at her more and more towards the idea of freedom. Jessica Olson’s writing throughout this book was extremely beautiful to read, especially in chapter three. For example, Isda states,“For now that I have tasted the world hidden in the lush-ness of his voice, my chest churns with a hunger deeper than I have ever known. A craving that has taken hold of every part of me. A need rooted in the crack of my core.” 

The “hunger” and the “need” haven't  just popped up in one day; she always had that match inside her. But when she figures out that she can achieve her dreams, a permanent flame lit up on that match, and society became a bit more miniscule to her. You can feel Isda’s desire, anticipation of what she can do with her power - what she can do with it to cut down her chains. And although she does get afraid, or have setbacks, or gets hurt, that flame slowly grows bigger every time it happens. And you’re on this whole new journey with Isda, wondering maybe, just maybe, society is no longer able to cage her back into the lifeless catacombs of the Channe Opera House. 

Jessica Olson wrote such a breathtaking book that I find myself lacking any criticism. I will say that I wish the world building was not as rushed because it was hard to understand certain terms in the beginning of the book. But as I kept reading I was able to pick up clues, which helped me understand the “why?” I heard that she has another novel coming along, and I know for sure that’ll check that out to immerse myself into her alluring writing, and to see what other captivating story she came up with.