Reviews

Artifice by Sharon Cameron

alaina_gabrielle's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

melissaspt's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read! It had a quick hook, the pace and suspense continued to grow, the characters were well developed without being too complicated, and the authors notes were informative and interesting! I learned so much about the Dutch resistance, the world of art forgery, the occupation by the Nazis in Amsterdam, and the aftermath. Well done!!!

julia_bgrant's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

ladynutelladuck's review against another edition

5.0

Such an intense and immersive story with high stakes and so many moving parts where everything could go wrong. Complex characters who keep unfolding as the story goes, lots of research and attention to detail by the author on the art forgery stuff, interesting quotes from Isa thinking in colors, and lots of stuff from the Dutch and art sides of WWII that was new to me (and based on real people and events). I'll give it 4.5 stars since there were a few places where I was confused, but despite that, once things got going I couldn't put it down.

the_loudlibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

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+.

jaimeleigh318's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

kellyrawson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

smallfrey91's review against another edition

5.0

Absolutely beautiful read. The history behind some of the characters is absolutely incredible as well

janepruitt's review against another edition

2.0

I liked the premise, but there were too many unbelievable things for me in this one.

haynoelle96's review against another edition

4.0

I also happened to read this book while on a vacation in Europe, specifically very close to when I visited the very first Jewish museum in Europe, located in Vienna, Austria. It really puts things in perspective when you see so much history in a place and then read what that time could (and was) like.

This was a historical fiction that was unexpected. The story was very interesting, selling fake paintings to Nazis in order to smuggle out Jewish children so they wouldn't be killed during the Holocaust. The main character is given an almost impossible task, fool Nazis into believing that a painting that her father created is an original.

Cameron has a way of making you stay on the edge of your seat. I loved the plot and how it moved forward, especially when it came to the various side characters in the book. There were a variety of characters and they all had different goals and how to get to them. I was immediately pulled in to all of their stories and wanted to know how they turned out.

I would definitely read another book by this author. While this wasn't a perfect book by any means, it was a good historical fiction that was based on real people. The way that the author seamlessly added the characters to the facts of these people was impressive. If you're looking for a historical fiction to scratch that itch, I would recommend this one!

Happy Reading!!