A review by elaichipod
A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I have mixed feelings about this book. For one, the premise is very unique, but I didn't enjoy the execution as much. This book is essentially a murder mystery with a thriller and romance subplot. I didn't like Myra. I didn't like August. I did like Vincent. Everyone else was largely inconsequential. I did not anticipate the plot twist but the whole

triple role

did not make sense to me. However,

Vincent did talk about his father's dislike for him many times, and since there's only one mentioned father in this entire book, it was pretty obvious he was the Governor's son.

I get

Vincent had absorbed the talents and skills of other Prodigies, but his motive felt so weak. Or maybe he lost his marbles, but I couldn't sync up his family's version of him and how he behaved in the last few chapters.

I couldn't stand Myra and August. All of their interactions made me want to roll my eyes. Especially when Myra told him to "make them understand" or whatever, as if a poem/letter could alter the attitude of a morally black family, like come on. Also, halfway through, I desperately wanted

August to be the murderer. It just felt right, and Myra was too trusting of him. This is one of those books that reminded me that not every hetero pairing in books needs to result in a romantic relationship. August and Myra should just be friends at best. 

The reason why Myra couldn't heal Lucy with her painting should have been established within the first 2 chapters. I should not have to wait until chapter 32 for that to be answered. Also, I think it's so funny that Myra ate a pomegranate when she was rushing to heal Lucy. Imagine being on a time crunch when someone's life is at stake and you decide to peel a pomegranate, which arguably takes the longest time to peel.