A review for Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Posted by: Jess
Release Date: 27th May 2010
Finish Date: 12th July, 2011
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 430
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Blurb from Goodreads: She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But ...They are brother and sister.

The Review: *Gets up from rocking in the corner to write review*. I'm...*breathe* you know that gut wrenching, heart ripping feeling you get sometimes? No, I didn't either until I read FORBIDDEN. *breathe*

I'm still trying to get over this book and to express my feelings about it. I slept on it yesterday and have since come up with these words: 

I'd read rave reviews about it. Every blog I went on the reviews were always amazing. So naturally I wanted to read this book. I was anxious to read this book. And finally, Monday I picked it up, yesterday at 11.30pm, I was done. And boy, I was not disappointed. Tabitha Suzuma, has written such an emotionally charged book on such a socially taboo subject, that I wonder HOW, just HOW she managed to do it? FORBIDDEN is an extremely compelling read, very powerful and so beautifully written that you find yourself questioning your beliefs on love, who you should love, and whether you should let society dictate who you should and shouldn't love. 

As most of you know FORBIDDEN is about two siblings, Lochan and Maya, who have taken over the roles as parents to their 3 younger siblings. With an absent father and a drunken mother these two siblings-whilst still juggling their own lives-manage to keep the family in tact. With a 13 month age gap, these two have been best friends forever, assuming the roles of parents, they ultimately form a deeper bond and a deeper connection that in the end finds them falling in love with each other. I can hear all you non readers going 'ewww' in your seats. But let me just say this, please, please (emphasis on the please) do not judge this book based on the topic it concerns itself with. FORBIDDEN isn't a book about incest. Its a book about a love so powerful, and so doomed that it really tugs at you mentally and emotionally. Its a book about two people so tuned into one another that when you're reading you forget that what they're doing is morally wrong. All the way through this book, I found myself rooting for these starcrossed lovers, knowing it couldn't end happily. Not once did I squeek at the intimate scenes, not once did I feel grossed out or appalled in anyway, and not because I'm a freak but because when you read about these two loving people you forget that they're brother and sister. You come to learn to love them, to root for them. The books narrative remains in 1st person and alternates between Lochan and Maya; reading it like that you get that deep sense of what each of them are feeling. They try everything to forget their feelings, they try dating other people, they try separating for a bit. But in the end the heart wants what the heart wants. And ultimately they can't fight it anymore and the inevitable happens.

Tabitha Suzuma has done an absolutely wonderful job at writing this book. She creates this dysfunctional family, but still manages to capture your heart with all the characters different and unique personalities. That you can't help but love them all. Except the mother-don't get me started, I'd really like to shoot her. She makes Cinderella and Snow Whites step mothers look like pretty pink icing on a pretty pink cake.

Let me quickly move onto the ending of this book (mostly because I need to go back to my corner and cry). GOD this ending. Nothing, NOTHING can prepare you for this ending. No amount of chocolate or Ben and Jerry's ice cream will cut it. My heart is still breaking. Lochan (Christ someone hold me!). This wasn't an ending I was expecting. I mean I knew there couldn't be an HEA but that ending crushed me. It felt like my heart had been ripped out, then ripped to shreds and then later burned in a furnace. That final chapter had me in a disgusting snotty (yes I had snot coming out of my nose) sobbing mess! My pages are still stained with tears and snot (seriously). It was heart wrenching, that when I finally managed to turn the page and read the Epilogue the floods of tears (and snot) came rolling back. I've never been so moved by a book in my life, this is the first book to make me sob and snot at the same time. It's probably one of the saddest (and yet wonderfully written) book endings to end all book endings (see I'm not even making sense now).

Have I changed my opinion on consensual incest relationships? No, I haven't. I have two brothers, and the thought of doing something like that with them makes me go icky inside. However I will say this, do NOT let anyone-society or other wise-dictate who you should and shouldn't love. I'm not condoning incest-absolutely not-I'm simply saying if you love someone, who you know is all wrong for you but you love them none the less, then good for you. You keep loving that person, you find a way to make it work. When you love someone, it becomes nobody else's business but your own.

So, will I read FORBIDDEN again? In all honesty, no I won't. I just simply CANNOT put myself through that kind of emotion and heartache again. By all means people read this book, its a strong, emotional and compelling read that will leave sensitive readers crushed and drained. But its none the less a great book.I do recommend this book, but I strongly only recommend it to the older demographic of YA as some scenes in the book aren't suitable for the younger ones. Tabitha Suzuma doesn't sugar coat it! 16+ should do it :) 

That's it! That's all I have to say. So if you'll excuse me I have to go back to my corner and rock back and forth.

P.S-Oh! I forgot, if you read this book, make sure you have tissues and are wearing waterproof mascara (seriously).Sorry this review is massive!

*walks back to her safe corner and cries wishing someone would hold her*