Forbiddenby Tabitha SuzumaPages: 418
Grade: Grade 10+ (this is meant for a mature audience, deals with abuse, neglect, and incest)
Description: (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.
Thoughts: I finished this book a few weeks ago but have been struggling to put my thoughts about it into words. It's a very powerful and moving book. It touches on a lot of very difficult and taboo subjects and does it in a very real and emotional way. Tabitha Suzuma does not shy away from the ugly parts of her characters situations and psyches.
Lochan and Maya are amazing characters. They are so believable and complex. Their life is just horrible and the situation they find themselves in is gut-wrenching. As they fall in love, the "proper" side of my brain wanted to be horrified, but it was so natural and compelling that I found myself not at all horrified but actually rooting for them and angry at society for not letting them be together. This book definitely makes you question norms and what you've been taught about right and wrong.
It's a powerful and moving story and not one for the faint of heart. I wish I had read this as part of a book club because I really want to talk about it with others who have read it - have a real discussion.
Forbidden is a powerful and gut-wrenching story of love, loss, and the power of hope. It's well worth the read, but be warned, it will make you question your own beliefs. Really a good book.
