REVIEW: FORBIDDEN by Tabitha SUZUMA

I'm really conflicted on my thoughts about Forbidden. Taking the subject matter out of it I must say its beautifully written. Suzuma has a wonderful narrative style. She breaths life into all the characters not just Lochan and Maya, it can be difficult to create such a well rounded cast with alternating first person narrative.

The subject matter is very controversial. When I heard about Forbidden the words: heartbreaking, controversial and stunning were thrown around a lot. At its heart Forbidden is a love story. We see their love grow and develop through alternative narrative voices. Love between siblings: Maya and Lochan.Their are reasons, situations that would make their love occur naturally: Fear , Abandonment, Their role as 'Parents" to their younger siblings.What Suzuma has chosen though and what makes this story terribly heartbreaking is consensual incest.

Maya and Lochan's days are dominated by caring for themselves and their 3 younger siblings. There mother is a selfish alcoholic. Her mother barely works enough to cover the rent on their flat and food for the children. Worse their mother doesn't care, places all the burdens on Maya and Lochan and runs off to date with her boyfriend.

What lets this behavior continue is Maya and Lochan's fear that the family will be torn apart and forced into England's social system. So they stay and the bright spot in their turmoil filled life is each other. Who else could understand each other s fears and pains? How could they possibly allow another person to see how they live?

My conflict with the book is what its message is . What the point of the whole novel is. It is a clear unflinching look at a forbidden relationship unfolding day by day as two intelligent kids make a shocking decision that disastrous what happiness they were trying to find in a harsh life. I just struggled with what the reader is meant to take from the novel as a whole. The ending is heartbreaking though the reader is drawn in even hopeful that somehow they will change their mind get help, or even run.

Suzuma is definitely a writer I will look for in the future. A tough yet beautiful read.

Thanks to Simon &Schuster E-Galley Grab for the opportunity to read this book.