Forbidden Kindle Edition

First off, I read a lot of books based on their reviews, but there are some stories that receive endless praise that I have had to force myself to finish because I lost interest within the first 5 chapters. Then there are the stories I randomly stumble upon and will stay up all night on a work night to finish because putting the book down is physically painful. Forbidden definitely falls under the latter category for me. Although I read a lot of book reviews, I have never felt a need or desire to leave a review myself until this particular book. From what I gathered before actually reading Forbidden, I knew it was going to be a heartbreaking story so I was already mentally prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was the gut wrenching intensity of the last few chapters! Up until the end, I had vague ideas of how the book would turn out but I was completely thrown with how it actually ended. In an unexpected way, the author actually made me understand Maya and Lochan's relationship and I found myself not judging them for their choices, but feeling able to comprehend why they turned toward each other.

If you find yourself sensitive to any kind of taboo relationship or other "scandalous" situations, this book isn't for you. I don't feel like you can grasp the true emotion from this book if you have a hard time looking past your beliefs for the sake of a story. I was hesitant at first because of the incestuous relationship but felt I needed to give it a shot and have an open mind, and I am so glad I did.

The kind of books that I fall in love with are the kind that make me physically feel the emotion portrayed within the pages regardless of genre or subject matter. This book was definitely that for me and my thoughts will drift back to this story for quite a while. I recommend this book to anyone who longs for that passion that only a well written story can bring.

This book isn’t for everybody. I guess in that regard it isn’t really that different from any other book that has ever been written. Not all books are meant to be loved by every reader, because each reader brings something different to the table and sometimes subject matter doesn’t align with the readers beliefs. It is ok if our choice in books differ. Differences are what make the world more interesting and on a much larger scale, change the world.

Forbidden has been floating around the blog-a-sphere and the youtube-a-sphere for a while now. I was aware about the sensitive subject manner going into it, but I wanted to see why everyone was saying how amazing it was given how you would most likely thing such a book would be received. I have been trying to branch out my reading list, to try new books that make me contemplate larger issues than a love triangle and paranormal entities (not that I still don’t enjoy those books), and this one most definitely does that.

Forbidden focuses on teenage siblings Maya and Lochan who are raising their younger brothers and sister due to the fleeting presence of their alcoholic mother. The story heavily focuses on their relationship as it crosses over several lines, whilst trying to keep their family together under all of the pressures such a situation would bring.

Suzuma has set up the story incredibly well. Just to get it out of the way, in regards to the incest laden relationship it was written a lot of heart. In all honestly I forgot that they were related, as a reader I didn’t fully comprehend their genetic ties due to how their feelings and thoughts were written about each other. Which gives a gigantic cudo’s to Suzuma’s writing abilities, which are rather mesmerising and quotable.

All elements of such a situation, or all sides and feelings towards such an occurrence, were embedded in this story. This created a much more detailed story, where you as a reader were able to bond further with this world and see the realism within it. You were able to feel the backlash from an absentee mother and how this affected the older siblings who were desperately trying to keep their family together. Some of the conversations between Lochan and their mother honestly broke my heart.

The characters were incredibly well developed, and although at times Maya’s perspective blurred with Lochan’s in terms of determining who was actually speaking, I think the actual cohesion of these two minds made for an ever richer and tragic tale.

The ending is what truly gutted me, and it is something I didn’t even see happening in the realm of all of the possibilities I had conjured up for the finale of this book. I am truly tormented in a sense by this ending, just tragic.

This review was a difficult one to write, because sensitive subject matter does that to you. This review does not discuss my opinions on the subject matter, it discusses my opinion on the story written by Tabitha Suzuma.

This is forbidden love at it's darkest. I knew there would be discomfort going into reading it, but I was greatly surprised by the sympathy I felt for the connection between Lochlan and Maya. Lochlan is 18 and Maya a year behind, they together care for their three younger siblings. Their mother has excited the family for a new relationship but the family is desperate to remain under the social services radar and stay together. I found the narrative of this neglected family difficult reading, it pulled desperately on my mothering instincts . The burden that these two older siblings had to carry was immense and it was inevitable that their life experience would screw them up. Lochlan and Maya's friendship was deeper than the newer connection they had and I felt that it was quite beautiful.

Where this story went filled me with such sadness, to the point that I wanted to disengage with the remaining portion of the book. However, I continued but felt a lack of satisfaction with such a awful outcome. I can say that his book made me read to the detriment of other things in my life. The author describes this family and their life in a very engaging way. Her decision to end the book at the point she did was difficult for me because I needed more of the future. I would recommend reading this book but read the blurb carefully so that you know what you're getting into.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.