Forbidden

This wasn't a terrible book to read, in the sense that it was poorly written. I mean, I didn't take me long to read at all I was totally absorbed by the story.

I don't regret reading it at all, but I just couldn't agree with the outcome and the message I felt was trying to be put across; that their love was "pure" and simply tragic. Had the story not been about incest (which I truly did not like, and found disturbing as well but I feel that's a given for anyone reading this) I still wouldn't have liked the love plot between Lochan and Maya.

After reading rave reviews about this book, I purchased it for myself and finished it all in one night. The first half of the book sets some of the background of Lochan and Maya's relationship, while the second half primarily deals with how they act in regards to this relationship.

I would have appreciated knowing more background to the Whitely family situation. We are told that their father left his family to marry a new woman and start a family in Australia, and they have had no contact in years. Their mother is an alcoholic who is negligent and essentially not in the lives of her children. So it comes to the two oldest siblings, Lochan and Maya, to raise the younger children. While I can understand how this would stir up some confusion with the family dynamics, I still cannot fathom how this led to incest. No other reasons are given as to why this would occur.

I believe Suzuma wants to get the point across that this was a pure love, something uncontrollable where the two were made for each other. But I just couldn't buy into it. I didn't see anything romantic or healthy about their relationship at all, and there were far more reasons besides the incestuous nature of it.

Lochan has issues, clear and simple. He has social anxiety, as well as some anger issues. Understandable? Perhaps. But there were far too many things he did which were inexcusable in my eyes, yet Maya was constantly forgiving him and turning a blind eye. He strangles one of his siblings at one point, because he is so stressed out and frustrated with raising his siblings. That simply is not okay, and yet Maya continues to gush about how "mature" Lochan is for his age.

Furthermore, I just didn't see that he treated Maya well. He leads her on and pushes her away (which I can see how confusing these emotions would be for them), and at one point he reacts in such anger to her that he seriously upsets Maya by berating her verbally in one of the cruelest ways he could. So what does Maya do? She's upset for a little while but comes right back and starts gushing again. The irony behind this is Lochan complains that society tolerates emotionally abusive relationships, but doesn't tolerate incest and he cannot comprehend how this is okay; but I fail to see how their relationship is any better than these emotionally abusive ones.

I couldn't fathom how they felt they were doing everything for the interests of their younger siblings, when they were so selfish as to ignore the consequences of their actions. Not just the consequences they personally suffered, but their siblings as well.

This was clearly supposed to be some tragic Romeo and Juliet story, but I just didn't feel it. I should probably state that I never sympathized for Romeo and Juliet either, but I particularly didn't feel sympathetic for Lochan and Maya that things weren't working out. I didn't see how their relationship was healthy for them in any way, besides it made them happier for short times to be with each other. Yet that's often the case with any teenage relationship. Lochan made a comment at one point which I couldn't understand, as he said that it was "one thing hiding from the world, one thing hiding from the law". I'm sorry, what? It's okay to isolate yourselves from the entire world, and others including your family, but you're too scared to hide from the law? Their biggest concern was the legal aspect of it, but there were so many problems with it besides this one.

I'm giving this one star because I did not like the book, although I think that Suzuma is an extremely talented writer and my review does not reflect on her skills as a writer. The way she writes the story from both Maya's and Lochan's perspectives is stunning; the two perspectives are so drastically different that it's hard to believe they were written by the same person. I could really feel their anguish and anxiety building (particularly with Lochan). But I think this book could have dealt with issues that are rarely brought up in conversation and left to think about. I have no problem with bringing up the topic of incest, but I was unimpressed with the story as a book and how the subject matter was dealt with.

I knew when I picked up Tabitha Suzuma's Forbidden it would be a hard book for me to review. The main reason is because of the disturbing love story. Disturbing because a brother and sister fall in love with one another. Forbidden is also being marketed as a Young Adult novel and to be honest, this makes me uncomfortable. Why? Because of incest being used as romantic trope shown in graphic detail. Nothing is left to the imagination here. We see the brother and sister engaging in sexual acts; much like a man and woman would who are attracted to one another and want to be intimate. But regardless of this taboo relationship, the main question is whether or not Tabitha Suzuma makes a good case for these two siblings to be together in a romantic way. Has she succeeded based on her writing?

Unfortunately for me she hasn't. Bad characterization and lackluster writing overall, where I just couldn't connect with the story, makes Forbidden a fail. Forbidden would be perfect as fan-fiction and one submission of many on the Literotica website where you can find thousands of incest romances.

Forbidden is dark and depressing and left me cold because I was so disinterested from the get go. I blame this on Lochan, the seventeen year old in charge of his four younger siblings because his mother is a drunk and prefers to go out and party instead of staying home and taking care of her family. Lochan's father upped and left years before. Lochan is so misunderstood, or so he thinks. He's socially stunted. He can ace any test or paper, but when it comes to public speaking, he doesn't just tense up, but almost passes out. He's a strange duck, even though he's gorgeous. He doesn't have any friends and never dates. The one person who does understand him is his sixteen year old sister Maya. These two are best friends and rely on one another to keep their home together while going to school. They pretend that everything is fine. But it's not. Their thirteen year old brother is turning to drugs and gangs and they barely have any money for food or clothes.

Maya has a more positive outlook on life. She has friends, enjoys school and taking care of her siblings. She sees how special Lochan is and wants to him to excel and go off to college and experience life. She pushes him to find some joy in something, but he constantly rejects her optimism.

Lochan is dying inside and feels hopeless, that is until one night after Maya goes on a date, he explodes. Jealousy rears its ugly head. He can't stand that Maya would be interest in dating boys. And after a heated discussion between them, they kiss passionately. From this point on Lochan and Maya are about to walk down a dangerous path because a brother and sister can't love one another in a sexual way. Maya wants to have a go at it while Lochan is more sensible and rejects the idea. But he can't help himself and every time he and Maya now kiss and touch, he feels brand new and starts to believe there's a light at the end of the tunnel for him. But they must keep their love hidden because if they're found out, their whole world could come crashing down upon them and they would be separated for ever, or worse.

Forbidden was a big disappointment for me. I really tried to suspend my disbelief in regards to dynamics of Lochan and Maya's love affair, but the writing wasn't engaging at all and I felt bored by what I read. Lochan's attitude was the biggest culprit in making Forbidden a dud. His constant whining about how horrible his life was because of his loser of a mother and father who rejected his family grated on my nerves. He's unbelievably selfish and I expected him to fall to the floor like a four year old who has a tantrum when their favorite toy is taken away from them. The set up leading to Lochan and Maya falling in love was poor. It happened out of the blue and there was no real reason given why these two would go past that point of no return. I think Tabitha was trying to show how a product of one's environment can make them do questionable acts, but it had a weak foundation from the start.

I expected to be shocked by what I read, but I just couldn't connect with any of these characters, least of all Lochan, who has no redeemable qualities and is essentially a sad sack. Maya was a bit better, but she comes across as a martyr who feels she must save Lochan from the despair eating away at his soul.

Forbidden has overwhelming angst, over the top push and pull between Lochan and Maya where they just can't give into their yearnings for one another because it's so wrong. And when they do, and the ball drops on them, I felt nothing. Even the Romeo and Juliet type ending made me roll my eyes. It comes as no surprise that this story ends tragically because Lochan and Maya have broken so many moral laws. But why can't they go off in the sunset together? Their lives are so horrible as it is, so why not allow them to be together and find a little happiness where they can even if it's sexually? Giving a book a tragic ending after putting these characters through such heartache doesn't make it thought provoking, powerful or compelling. It comes across as contrived.

A part of me feels like a hypocrite for having such a strong opinion against Forbidden. I admit I was once a fan of VC Andrews, who is well known for her incestuous story lines. And one of my all-time favorite books, now considered a classic, is Vladimir Nabokov's 1954 's Lolita that's all about pedophilia between a fifty something man and a thirteen year old who uses him for her own gains. And I do support books that bring to light topics that some may wish are better left unknown. Unfortunately Forbidden is nowhere successful in this aspect. I wish I could find one positive thing to say about this book, but I can't.

Katiebabs

Just finished the book Forbidden. It was very well written and very compelling, HOWEVER.... The subject matter was very intense. I would not recommend this book for anyone under 21. It made me stop and think about our social norms, and the conclusion I came to was, that we have social norms for a reason. I have many children, and I want them to love each other intensely, but for their own protection, their love needs to have boundaries. I don't think the ideas, and messages presented in this book should be discussed in an educational format, especially to young impressionable teens who may or may not have their boundaries firmly in place.

The WORST book I ever tried to read. I threw it in the trash....I should have sold it back to Amazon, but.... oh well.

I was, unlike a lot of reviewers, looking forward to reading about this topic. I had hoped for some understanding, some psychological insights, some causative factors. Instead I got unlikable undeveloped characters, unrealistic situations, and thin watery dialogue. All in all I found this to be a totally simplistic book with no answers or rationales at all. Even the ending was too abrupt, too trite; Didn't make me sad at all. The only good thing about this book was that it was brief.

Oh dear, where do I start? I started this not realizing it was a book about incest. Even then, I think I could have gotten past the ick factor of the incest stuff if it was well written. Sadly, it wasn't. I will say though, it is an extremely fast read. That's probably because there are pages and pages of pointless angst, so you can kind of skim through about 200 pages because it's all pretty much the same. It also reads like an episode of "Dawson's Creek" put to paper. When that show started, I remember people complaining that teenagers don't talk like that. That's how I felt when I started reading this book.

Lochan and Maya are sympathetic enough characters, but I never really got the motivation for why they were in love with each other. The only reasoning they seemed to give was that they "understood" each other in a way no one else could. That's cool, but it doesn't explain why it turned into a sexual relationship. In some ways I think Lochan and Maya were thrown into a parenting role, and maybe their relationship was just an extension of that? I'm not really sure, because the reasoning is never looked at in depth. Mostly this book consists of statements of how they understand each other, some making out, and then both of them talking about how horrible and sick they must be. Repeat this cycle for 400 pages.

When I started reading, I told my husband how I thought it would end, and I was correct. You see it coming from a mile away, but I suppose that there are only so many ways you can logically end a book about incest. In the end, maybe I just didn't get this book. It wasn't some sweeping romance to me. About half-way through the book, I realized I was just reading it for the "freak" factor and not because I was enjoying the book. In the end, I think it gets your attention because of the subject matter, but that's not enough for me. I needed something else in the writing to support the story, and I got nothing.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

OUCH!
Quite easily the most powerful book I've ever read! It changed the way I view love and gave me more tolerance and open-mindedness. I'm not at all saying I agree with that type of relationship, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me wish someone loved me with the same kind of power that Lochan and Maya loved each other, and their family. I connected on so many different levels to the characters in this book. I cried each time Lochan was forced to face his social anxieties because I too have felt some of those same things!! I could also feel both his and Maya's devotion to the kids, and feel their suffering as well. I could feel their wore out, tired frustrations and their joy as if it were my own.
I HATED the ending! It ripped my heart right out of my chest and broke it into a million pieces! How can such a selfless act hurt so badly? Though I totally understand that Lochan's love of family was so incredibly powerful that it left him no other choice, still it seems so unfair. Unfair to the kids, unfair to Maya, and unfair to the reader.
The author, Tabitha Suzama did a fantastic job making these characters as real as real can be and making me feel as if I were in their place. I don't believe she could have ever pulled this off if she hadn't written it in first person from both Lochan's and Maya's point of view.
This book truly epitomizes the saying: don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes.

First off, don't let the description immediately turn you off this book. I completely agree with the reviewers who agree that this is a powerful book.

I was never really turned off by the fact that the story was about a brother and sister who fall in love. For some who has an obsession with royalty and the middle ages, this didn't really feel all that different, just modern times. From the start, the author does a fabulous job of making you see just how Maya and Lochan view each other. Just the interactions before they fall in love makes me see them differently. In my eyes this was best friends falling in love. And, I could completely see why when you take in to account all they have been through together. They trying to raise a family on their own. They are dealing with things that most normal teens never have to deal with. It brings them closer together. They function as a unit.

Since I could see past the taboo subject of incest, I was really prepared to like this book as much as others. But, I actually had a hard time with Maya's character. I really do think she was deeply in love with Lochan, but she behaved like a teenager with typical hormones at times. She went out with someone else to make Lochan jealous. She refuses to take no for answer. Sometimes I felt like she wasn't giving Lochan a choice in the matter. He may have been in love with her too, but he also wasn't able to say no to her. I think she took advantage of that. I was also really appalled by the mother in this story. I know it happens more often than not, but I think she was mostly to blame with what happens in this story. And she didn't care at all.

The biggest downfall for me was the ending. I HATED it. While I get there was no happily ever after here, I wanted something more. The ending was not what I was expecting. Although, I do admit there was a sliver of light in the end. I was afraid it was going to take a turn for the complete tragedy and I was afraid I would throw the book against the wall.

Overall, I recommend this. There are many who liked it way more than I did. Most who don't seem to be unable to get past the brother/sister relationship.

Like most people here, I ordered this book based on the many good reviews. I am not a stranger to the subject as I have read V.C. Andrews and enjoyed her books. I thought this would be immersive and hold my attention because of the taboo story line. However, it fell very short. The story did not establish a strong enough foundation to believe the reasoning for a brother and sister to fall in love. The story was many pages of repetitiveness and I ended up skimming through most of the book after about the fifth chapter. I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters. The only one that was even partly believable was Kit, the wild thirteen year old. If you like a book that creates and environment for emotional depth to become invested in the characters, this book is NOT the one!

**spoilers**

Lochan was not okay.
As response to Maya's question of "Are you all right/okay?" every five to ten pages of the book.

I really enjoyed the story. I'm not a big fan of flowery descriptions, a lot of the metaphors and all could have been cut down; maybe leaving the book at a good 300 pages or so. Suzuma certainly did her research, as the dialogue and intense conversations of the characters depict, with jail time and laws on incestuous crimes. The novel is just a whole build-up to this one mutually satisfying anticipated event that quickly changes everything and makes a turn for the absolute worse. It's just as much a character study as it is a tragic love story. If Lochan and Maya weren't brother and sister, then they're relationship would be like any other story of two young people in love who can't really be together because of some trivial societal tacit rules. Their moments really are precious, as they both mention in the narrative.

Their moments sneaking around together, waiting to have time alone, the house to themselves, a walk in the park...it's all really sweet. The feelings are there between Lochan and Maya once that friendship turns into dependency and ultimately romantic, though, illicit love. One afternoon slow dance changes things between them. And when they get pass the awkwardness, one kiss really changes everything and things pace on from there until they finally get it on, having intercourse, near the end.

They don't feel like siblings (even though they are 13 mo apart in age and have grown up together and done almost everything together) because they feel more like friends; and their circumstances kinda drove them into that corner they ended up in. Their dad left them five years ago for a better wife and a better set of children. Their mother never wanted to be a mother and constantly throws up in Lochan's face how he was basically a mistake and the reason she fell into marriage with the kids' father. Their mother is also a drunkie -- a lush who only cares about screwing her barely divorced younger "lover-boy" and wants no responsibility and hassle of her five kids (Lochan, Maya, Kit, Tiffin, Willa). Their living conditions are bearable but the constant worry of food for the next day, for the week, the month, money for bills, for the kids, school, God forbid if someone gets hurt at school or gets really sick and needs to go to the hospital. Yep, that happens. That kind of stress and turmoil lays heavy on a couple of teenagers. Especially one who suffers from panic attacks, social phobias, anxiety disorders, and major depression = Lochan. The story is a good read and enjoyable, not quite depressing until the end while inside Lochan's depressed psyche. Now that is depressing and heartbreaking. Even the aftermath with Maya, her reaction to what happened to Lochan. Fortunately I wasn't brought to tears, but only by will and because I had mentally prepared myself.

Towards the end of the story, Lochan is literally trapped in a corner after he and Maya have been found out. They are caught in the act by their despicable-screwed-up-absentee mother and it's pretty much all over for everyone. I say there definitely should've been a psychologist in that interrogation room with Lochan and the Det-Investigators a al Law & Order: SVU Dr. Huang style, because maybe a different outcome could have been reached; there might've been some understanding, especially on Lochan's part. After his feign rape plan shatters, since Maya gives a written statement of consensual incest, there's literally no way out in his mind; "there are no other options". He can't bear Maya serving time and their younger siblings going into the hellish foster system. All he can think about are his younger brothers and sisters -- especially Maya his "love". Lochan makes the ultimate sacrifice (out of all the sacrifices he's made for his loved ones) with his life.

The ending was pretty much inevitable and you could see it coming from before midway through the book, with hints and foreshadowing here and there: like Lochan's English essay of a college grad feeling trapped in life and chooses what buildings he may want to jump from. Clearly it was all in his writing. with his unstable emotional state, he should've never been left in a jail cell alone.

The story definitely questions love in all forms. It's really sad. One of the biggest taboos in most societies is that of incest, consensual incest. Is it right or wrong when it comes to mutual love? Couldn't it very well be compared to gay rights, race prejudices, infidelity, child neglect, and so on? So many questions arise from the book, valid questions that most people try to avoid, society turns the other cheek to. The book even highlights flaws in the justice system, let alone society. This subject is tackled head on in FORBIDDEN (simple title that says so much). Suzuma clipped on some hope at the end with the line from little Tiffin "It's nearly summer."