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I can understand certain misgivings from a biological perspective. Yes, siblings should never be allowed to have biological children. THAT is wrong, from a scientific standpoint, not a judgmental one. Its damaging to the gene pool. But if two people love each other and just want to be together… who are we to judge? Their story shattered my heart. It was haunting, beautiful, agonizing and tragic.

But you have to be in the right mood…. Mar 16, Dinjolina rated it it was amazing Shelves: out-of-this-world-revelations , ripped-my-heart-out , best-romance , romantic-suspense , favourite-books , superb-heroine , hero-that-can-have-me , horribly-sad-ending.

You can find our blog here. Be sure to subscribe and see all the fun we have in store for you! Now, on to the review! If you are starting this book or are planing to, put this song on your player and have it as a theme song for the book. Believe me. It helps when you get to the crying part : Together First of all I have to tell you that what I am going to write will not please a lot of people.

So don't agree with me. Don't read. Don't comment. I don't care. This book was so powerful I simply do not care if somebody thinks that what I feel is wrong. Ironic, given that if something is or isn't wrong is a big part of the theme of this work.

The book made me feel alive. Maybe somethings, like the charges against Lochi were puffed up out of proportion. Maybe, but I still do not care. Maybe the ending was harsh and unnecessary. I do not agree. And again, do not care.

The anticipation I felt for them was real. And I fretted. I even had a feeling of dread and moments of doubt. But after all of it I just can't force myself to think their love was wrong. If a lot of hands go up in the air in order to point out to me that this was incest… Just stop! We tell ourselves that we live in the age of acceptance of things and people that are different. Sure there is child molesting.

And that is wrong and sick. But here, in this beautiful heart stopping story, we have two young adults that even pressed by the weight of the world, knew, without a doubt, that they love each other. I stopped to think if they could know love at 17 and They were already forced to grow up. And there is the fact that true love can hit you when you are 18,27,30, As Lochan says, it is not fair for so many men to go around and use who ever they like and not be sanctioned, but his love is labeled as deranged.

It's not. Not to me. Not when it comes to Lochan and Maya. I didn't want somebody to make them believe that they were wrong and to separate them, make them have different lives. I think that they were just an aberration. Hormonal aberration and when I say hormonal I do not mean sex! They just were. I really wished them well.

They knew they could not have children. And they did not want them. They already raised all of their kids. They just wanted to have one another. To be able to do the things others had, and discarded as every day convenience.

And my heart made painful little flips for every moment of their happiness. I wish, oh how I wish they had more. And wish, and wish and wish that they were left to tend to the smaller children until one day they could have a world in which to hold hands, kiss,and love as with nobody condemning them for it.

I hated their mother. She was a horrible person. And her fanatic involvement in the end was so in her character! I know some people do not see her as the type to care. And she was not. She was the type to fuss. Like she fussed about her kids but done them no real good. Like all the things she did in order to lie to herself that she cared for them or did something for anybody accept herself.

She was just a beautifully portrayed selfish slut. As much the description of their mother and fate is brilliant, how the author gave us the lovely formed thoughts of sister and brother is majestic! They sound like teenagers but their intellectual rants hold real everyday fears,problems and solution.

The mother and father along with a lot of other situations and people made this book really hard and painful.

And this was all good,.. Superb writing that kept me on the edge. But God, there are so many moments in the book that I hold so dear now! Maya getting the bracelet, their strong support for each others troubles, tears, even the fact that in one day Lochan had the best morning of his life-with the kids as happy as they were, with Maya in her bedroom- just to fall from euphoria in to the worst and last night of his life … And all this…all of it coming to that final chapter and Epilogue.

When I read the last chapter I was emotionally broken. But when I read Maya's struggle after that She still had to be strong. She still had to try. To fight. I cried. I cried in big gut wrenching sobs that I could not stop. Poor Lochan. The poor lovable bright Lochan. And sweet pretty Maya. Innocent little Willa that won't really remember him. And Kit. That had no idea what his silly petty fit will do.

How it will destroy lives. Destroy love. Destroy all of them in a cruel joke of destiny. Oh how happy they would have all been if they were born different.

And loved, loved loved. I write this rew and still cry, silent beautiful tears that make me almost feel pure. Because I remembered a thing from my past When I was 16teen a friend of mine killed himself. And the pain was big. How will I go on? He was my firstdoor neighbor for so long,friend,companion,so many things. Five years later I saw his girlfriend still putting flowers on his grave. But how long will she remember? How long will I? When will his face become a blur?

Love that people felt for him subdued and burned out? This book gives us the answer at the end. Yes I knew all the answers when I read the last few lines of this perfect book. They told everybody that read them that you should never give up.

And remember forever. But live on now. Looking forward to the small things. To pink panties and a smile of a little girl. Summer is here. And they will try. We can always just try. If you read this book, and I hope that you will, you will love it. But you will also curse your self for wishing what could not be. Their love. It was like watching Titanic as a kid over and over again. The ending is always harsh. And breathtaking. But mostly sad. Love can touch us one time And last for a lifetime And never let go till we're gone Love was when I loved you One true time I hold to In my life we'll always go on View all 28 comments.

Aug 12, Marie Lu rated it it was amazing Shelves: all-time-favorites. The second book this year to make me bawl my eyes out the first was Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein.

I've never seen such a taboo topic like sibling incest handled in such a poignant and heartwrenching way. It's a testament to Ms. Suzuma's skill that I found myself desperately wishing for Maya and Lochan to be together. Simply amazing.

View all 4 comments. Jun 30, Arlene rated it it was amazing Recommended to Arlene by: Tina Shelves: read , favorites , shock-n-awe , surprise-surprise-i-cried , top-ten-of-all-time. Rating Clarification 10 stars Or rather… the highest rating I can ever imagine giving a book As an avid reader you come across dozens and dozens of books hoping the next one you pick up will either move you to uncontrollable tears, challenge your belief system, take you on an emotional rollercoaster, show you love, make you feel hate, sigh with happiness, leave you with a sense of longing, or simply just close the book when you're done and say to yourseslf "wow, that was absolute perfection.

For those that know me, they can attest to the hard fact that I don't cry over books Well, I can no longer claim that fame. My eyes are still watery as I write this review. I am truly exhausted emotionally and psychologically after reading this book and all I can think of is torturing myself by starting at page one all over again and reading through this masterpiece from the beginning to end. Angst to the 10th degree BY FAR! The content shocked me but the writing and delivery left me in awe.

I truly believe not just any author could have taken this taboo subject and delivered it with such flawless execution that you begin to root for the main characters as they make choices and feel emotions that are so NOT socially, or legally, acceptable.

Forbidden takes the reader into the lives of Lochan and Maya Whitely. They are two teenage brother and sister forced to care for a family of five when the father exits their life and the worst mother in the entire world abandons them. Together they raise Kit, Tiffin and Willa, and do their best to keep their family together despite ongoing challenges and struggles.

Lochan and Maya cry together, comfort each other, and see one another's vulnerable side, but unfortunately, they also share a burden inexplicable to the outside world. Their burden is a love so strong that it crosses boundaries society deems unacceptable as it goes deeper than sibling affection. I despised the loser mother of this book with such a passion, and that just propelled my level of compassion for Lochan and Maya.

My heart broke for the smaller children as they learned too early that for some For Lochan and Maya, I was in constant angst as the logical side of my brain wanted to counsel them and tell them, "no. My mental babble… or rather battle was constant and the conflict I felt was emotionally charged to a level I wasn't prepared for, especially the ending. But to be honest with myself, I wanted them to love each other the way that felt natural to them… so yes, at the end of the day… I rooted them on.

There you have it. To anyone that feels this is disgusting, I challenge you to read this book because believe me, it's insane to feel or see yourself seamlessly accepting and rooting for two people as they cross that forbidden boundary.

I absolutely love and slightly curse this book for how and what it made me feel and I know for certainty that I'll read it over again… and again… and again.. I tend to be on the conservative side with the books I recommend to my fellow avid readers, and this one would be one that I'd probably not openly share and say, "you must read this book" but if you do, I'll be here when you're done and we can talk or cry together.

View all 62 comments. Oct 12, xrysa rated it it was amazing Shelves: young-adult , favorites , contemporary. This story is forbidden Their love will have devastating consequences I just cant! I needed to know how it ends and when that moment arrived I cried my eyes out. Lochie's and Maya's This story is forbidden Lochie's and Maya's love is doomed from the beginning. They are siblings and it is against the law to have an affair. What they feel may be considered as twisted or even sick but in this case you cant even feel disgusted by the events.

While she is looking back to her life all she can see is Lochan. Under other circumstances they would have never fell for each other. Their life has always been difficult and they never acted like children. Their drunk mum loaded them her responsibilities while she decided to relive her "teen" years and have fun with her boyfriend like she's in highschool.

That leaves Lochan and Maya to take care of their youngest siblings. As you can see they act more like parents instead of siblings. They have to take care of a self-destructive 13 year old boy,Kit who never experienced the true maternal love,Tiffin and Willa who will do anything to draw their mum's attention but like always she's too busy to occupy herself with her kids.

Their attempts to keep the family alive are futille but they manage to find a way and stop falling apart. Lochan is probably the most broken person of the family.

His ongoing battle with the world around him is wearing him off. He has fears, he feels lonely but he is not. At the end of the day Maya will always erase his pain because she is the only one who can understand him. Her compasion and the way she loves him make me feel grateful that they have each other. However they cant be together. They have already broken too many rules.. The fear of their illegal actions coming to surface haunts them every day but they are in love,they dont hurt anyone,right?

It's amazing how this story does not feel wrong at all. They try together to survive and face the ghastly face of life. The story is heart wreching. Every chapter left me with tears not only becasue their mum was a total idiot but also because their love was so heart warming. I was living it with them. About the ending Read it and you'll see Last but no least the writing style is so captivating and everything is written so poetically that you will find yourself hung by the lines.

Totally amazing! This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. No one, Maya, no one can ever take that away from us. Lochie xx" stars" Lochan, 17, strangely shy and rarely talks. Ever since his father left them high and dry and mom turned out as an alcoholic, he soon became responsible for his younger siblings. Making them three meals a day, doing others homework to earn money, save his mother when she ends up in jail, go to his siblings' meetings and tournaments as their guardian, make sure they come home on time He is still fighting his own demons, demons that consumed him after his father left and his mom start accusing him for looking and studying like his father.

The only person who understand him, love him, care him, help him is his best friend, his soulmate, his sister. Maya, 16, she has always been the one to help her brother and bear this burden with him. And now both of them are in love. But can a love like theirs survive? Why is that such a crime? I want to be able to hold you and kiss you and- and do all the things people in love are allowed to do. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. In real life do I recommend this type of love?

But this is a book. In books everything is possible. Maybe that's why I read so much. Actually in these book the idea of "incest" or this "brother and sister falling in love" didn't disgust me as I thought. These stories are not about kids who can't control their raging hormones. It's far from that. If it was all about sex, Loch could have raped his little sister too.

If it was just about sex Lochie wouldn't have kill himself to set others free. If it was just about sex both of them would have run away. If it was just about sex, Maya could have actually accuse Loche. A brother and a sister have a far more stronger connection than normal strangers. I've seen many hating Maya saying she's the horny kid who killed her brother She is not!

If she didn't act up, Lochie would have gone through depression alone and might have killed himself because of all the suffering.

With Maya, Lochie was free. I'm glad they got to be together one last time. Only with Maya can I really be myself. We share the burden together and she is always on my side, by my side. Both Maya and Lochie have gone through something, normal people wouldn't have survived. Father gone, mom a alcoholic-sex addict, looking after a brother with depression, and two little kids, one barely out of her wet drawers Maya and Lochie was the heart, the glue in their family.

From a very young age both of them took heavy responsibilities that aren't meant for kids. In the end it cost half of their life, time, sleepless nights, friends and the world. If I was right infront of you I'll carve your children's name on your skin with a knife that's painted with a snake's venom, cut your half your head and your arms and legs and leave you to bleed for 3 days.

They both know they can only depend on each other. It's bittersweet because love like that is illegal. Lochie is the kind of brother every sibling need. A good friend, worries over is siblings, love them like his own, sacrifice his life to spare them, forgive them without limits.

And the end, when Lochie killed himself to spare Maya and the kids, his last thoughts broke me. I'm happy that Maya didn't commit suicide too and stayed for the kids. But I get this tiny feeling she might have killed herself after the kids grew. A heartbreaking, forbidden love story of a brother and sister! And then I let go. Maya, Maya, Maya. I'm so glad I found a picture of the bracelet, Lochie bought for Maya with all the money he saved!

Damn I'm crying again! Pinkypig18 I notice this book for a while but I am cowardly ignoring it because I know the ending will make me grief awhile. Love your review! It's risky, disturbing, and altogether, a masterpiece. It's not inappropriate just to be obscene; there's a moral behind it.

It's so hard to describe. Lochan and Maya are self-aware, trapped in this miserable lifestyle that is so impossible yet I found myself absurdly empathizing with them. A book that tugs on the heart strings, and definitely veered in a direction I wasn't expecting. The reason I took off half a star is b 4. The reason I took off half a star is because this book was a bit "borderline" for me. Borderline too cheesy. Borderline too unrealistic.

However, this was written so beautifully and and it is so different than anything I've ever read before, I have to give it credit. Maya believes that all they will have to do is to change their names and can live happily ever after in a different town. Lochan sees the realities saying that there is no happily ever after because no matter what it will look as though he forced himself onto Maya. He knows that in the eyes of society will not see their love as anything but wrong even though it feels so right.

Best part of story, including ending: I like this story because it touches another part of incest that I think has not been explored before, even though incest is wrong, the story of Lochan and Maya makes it as though they were only meant for each other, and it is hard not to root their relationship to succeeded.

Best scene in story: There are two scenes I enjoyed, the first one was when Lochan saved enough money, by doing other people's homework, to give Maya a Christmas gift. It was the first Christmas gift Maya received in years and the scene was touching. They were outside of the school yard being the bleachers where no one can see them. It was a very intimate and loving moment for those two, and made me wish that the scene will never end. My other favorite part was when Lochan gets sent to the police after the charge of raping Maya he doesn't and the reason they found out was because Kit told their mother and the police.

The look on Kit's face when he understands that he will never see his brother again and destroyed their family dynamic and running to the police car saying that he is sorry and Lochan forgives him. That brings tears all the time. Also want to thank everyone who has visited this blog and read and liked my last post because holy crap. Spoilers, obviously. Also, I should give a word of warning for anyone stumbling on this review, as this book deals with a dark subject matter that not everyone may be comfortable seeing discussed.

If you are bothered by incest, now would be a good time to back out of this review. I just finished reading this books moments ago, and I am incredibly speechless. This book left me literally not knowing how I felt.

I was surprised, actually very pleasantly, that I felt the book never dragged. Despite the fact I had to be up at work early, I kept reading the book until almost 4 in the morning, not wanting to put it down because I simply had to know what was going to happen next. Their father left them when they were younger, moved to Australia with a new family, and they never saw him again. Their mother is an alcoholic who spends most of her time with her boyfriend Dave, leaving them in charge.

They were responsible for everything, from paying the bills, to making sure their younger siblings are cared for, fed, at school on time, have enough clothes and shoes and everything else they could need. But honestly I saw a lot of myself in Lochan. The characters, all of them, were just so real and that made it so much worse, that it was clear that this kind of thing happens. My chest literally ached as I read the ending again and again, hoping each time that I had gotten it wrong though unfortunately I hadn't.

Never have I read something with such a brutal, unhappy ending, that still in a way makes me happy because it gives out hope and takes a look from a totally new perspective, that I would never have thought of, on this subject. It was such a beautifully written, unusual story, the ending so unexpected even though you suspected it all along. I am already reading this again. I just can't get it out of my head, and I am already recommending it to friends.

I can't wait to read another book by Tabitha Suzuma, all the other story lines also look fantastic, but I don't think that I will read another book for a while that will live up to this standard.

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