Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Name: Forbidden


Author: Tabitha Suzuma


Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.


Never has a book managed to break my heart so much before. Forbidden now stands next to Starcrossed fighting for the space of my favourite book of all time. 


The opening of the book is beautifully written straight away I knew I would adore this book for every page, I loved the simplicity and normalcy of it and then at the very end you find it links right back to that page and the beauty of that made me want to cry. 


Lochan and Maya are two teenagers from a family who have to defend themselves even as children as no one else fight for them. Their father left, their mother is a useless drunk and no one else matters. Immediately your heart goes out to this family, these kids who are as young as six taking care of one another, supporting each other even when they have no time to support themselves. I love each and every one of the children's characters, they are perfectly fitting and so much like reality. 


Because of having a run away father and a mother who's never actually their the oldest children Lochan and Maya run the household, take the youngest kids to school, pick them up, feed them dinner, tuck them in at night, they are made into the parents of the family. Its heartbreaking and heartwarming to read about their family who have stuck together through the worst, and I just adore Lochan's nickname- cute. 


Lochan is smart, but socially awkward; the only person who has ever really understood him is his sister Maya. Maya is beautiful and popular, but there's only one person she really wants to notice her. When all you've ever had is one person to lean on, is there really someone else you could love? The subject of the story is delicate, however it has been written so beautifully you couldn't deny that this book is wrong. Is love ever wrong? 


Their was always there and through arguments, through just being their, through struggling together they discover their love for one another, and although it's forbidden it's beautiful.  


At the end of the day, yes in this way love's wrong, and that's what makes the book so adrenaline filled and dangerous. I found myself conflicted to whether they should love one another as much as Lochan and Maya found themselves questioning it. This conflict brings an edge to the story that will keep you wondering. When they decided that it was wrong I'd think but you love one another and when they gave in I'd feel uncomfortable. 


By their actions you can really see how much they have held one another up for years and how their love, is all they really have and without it they feel they can not go on. 


I adore how the ending of the book pieces together, it was totally unexpected with the third eldest child especially, I couldn't believe it but when he ran after the car I felt like crying, I think I might have a little. Although the ending was tragic and broke my heart into many little pieces, it was so utterly beautiful, even thinking about it is making me tear up, it was the only way out. I was so proud of Maya for being strong, for the children who will walk side by side together, and Lochan he never really left. he's still there.  


Poetically beautiful, deals with issues some authors won't even challenge, Tabitha really charged past that limit and came out with something that will leave you breathless. 


You will cry, laugh, get angry, feel awe and sympathy and love with this book. It will move you in ways you didn't know you could be moved, Forbidden really touched my heart and I know that I will never forget this story in years to come, knowing me however I will have read it a bunch of times by then. 


5/5 and higher if I could go higher to Forbidden, you're truly missing out if you haven't read this yet, it will teach you how love survives even when it's forbidden, teach you to appreciate all that you have and everyone you have.