A Forgery of Roses

Gr 7 Up–Olson’s newest offering is a satisfying dark fantasy of art, science, romance, and murder. Myra Whitlock is an art Prodigy like her mysteriously disappeared mother. In her world, Prodigies are an aberration to the Higher Power (called Artist), because of their ability to heal physical injury through the act of painting. Myra has been secretly called to bring the Governor’s heir back to life by painting his portrait. She accepts the assignment for the money it will bring, which will pay for a doctor to diagnose her dying sister. Myra’s inability to heal her sister reveals the intricacies of Prodigy magic: one can only fully heal another when the cause of the injury or illness is known. What follows is Myra’s journey to find a murderer and a motive in the Governor’s manor, and to fulfill her destiny. Olson weaves intense action and tender emotion in her multifaceted work. Descriptions of what a Prodigy feels when the magic overtakes them—experiencing everything the subject felt in injury/death—pierce with anatomical precision. Secondary characters such as pale red-haired August (the Governor’s other son), the charismatic Forger, and Myra’s spirited sister are as vibrant as the protagonist herself, allowing readers to hope for different outcomes throughout. The time period is perplexing, as there are carriages and corsets but also telephones and a hospital ICU, but it doesn’t detract from the seamless storytelling and unexpected climax. Characters’ race and ethnicity are not specified.