Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Barnes & Noble Description: "A heartbreaking and shocking teen novel about a taboo romance...

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."

My Review: Okay, when I read the summary for this book, my initial thought was No. NO WAY. And that was that. But then I read tons of GLOWING reviews for this book; seriously, like EVERY review was hailing it as this amazing, wonderful golden thing. So I took a chance. And here's what I can honestly say: Suzuma is a very good author and writes with a skillful hand. The book was very well-written and descriptive. I cared about the characters and I wished there was some way that Maya and Lochan could be together, in an innocent, legal way. I felt bad for them, I really did. BUT---I couldn't read this book without feeling kind of nauseous and sick the whole time. In fact, several times, I thought I was going to throw up. In the end, the concept was far too disgusting for me to enjoy the book properly for the well-written, interesting book that it is. Some people were able to get over it---or at least IGNORE it---but I couldn't. So this is one book where---even though it was well-written and had awesome potential---I will NEVER read again. It's just too hard for me. However, anyone with a stronger stomach---or better abilities to ignore---would enjoy this book. Fans of Stolen by Lucy Christopher might like this book as well.

Cover: The cover is boring and blah. Symbolic, yes, but it doesn't win any points with me.

Overall Grade: B+