[Throwback] Book Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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I feel like sharing some of my old reviews here today!
So I take some of those of my best favorite books from Goodreads and post it up here. You might find this review a bit awkward because this came from that days when I first started reviewing. But I do some 'polishing' so I guess it looks less like crap now... ;)

Okay, before I start, I'd like to say that:

This Is Not A Lustful Incest Book.

And please keep it in mind.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Those three words were my first reaction when I read the blurb of this book. Well, the topic incest is actually pretty familiar for me since I used to read fanfictions back then and most of the authors there pick those topic for their story. But they were all oftenly so straightforward (to the intimate scenes) and lack of the romance feels. But somehow I know this book wouldn't be like that. That this book had something different that would turned me upside down.

As the title said, Forbidden is a book about forbidden love between Lochan Whitely and Maya Whitely. Yes, obviously, they are siblings with one year difference of ages. Lochan and Maya had spent most of the time of their lives taking over the role of parents for their other three younger siblings after the separation of their mom and dad. Rough and frustrating days had made them growing closer. Even they were already close ever since they were still kids. Lochan and Maya were more like best friends than siblings. While taking care of their little brothers and sister and bunches of their baggage, Lochan and Maya had come to realization that they were also taking care of each other as well as leaning on each other's shoulders. The never-ending list of chores and problems had shaped their mind into a belief that as long as they're both together and never separate, everything will be ㅡnot okay, but at leastㅡ more bearable and easier.

And as things went even crazier, their closeness finally reaches the strange level that frightens yet excites them both. Lochan would always denied the feeling in the beginning. But when one day Maya felt enough of denying and pushing away the forbidden feeling, together they gave in as the first kiss happened. And as one thing led to another along with the push-and-pull dramas, Lochan and Maya reached an agreement to ignore the illegal label in their love and just love.

Seriously, I was such a total-broken-hearted-tears-streaked-messed-hog once I finished this book (well, I still am now...). When I first read this, I was damn curious of what kind of ending that the author would choose to make this book acceptable. Surely, I know, Ms. Tabitha wouldn't cross the illegal line (even though this tiny ㅡokay, halfㅡ part of my heart wanted them to selfishly forget who they are and just fiercely love each other ㅠㅠㅠㅠ what should I do? I couldn't help myself, I've fallen in love with this couple...). 
But heck...... 
Okay, enough fangirling.

I don't know what kind of message the author would like to deliver by writing this book. Surely not to make people 'accept' an incest relationship because I surely did not get any feeling that this book imply any indication of incest acceptance. Like I said in the beginning of the review, this is NOT a lustful incest book. 
This is more like a story about two people who helplessly fall in love with each other, purely, sweetly, based on the constant understanding between them and growing feeling of protecting each other. And... 
they happened to be brother and sister.

Well, indeed you can't choose who you fall in love with.

But generally, I loved this book. Like REALLY LOVED this book that I categorized Forbidden on my 'favorite-ever-after' shelf. I loved the details of Whitely family insight. How the author described each members of family. How the author created those little gesture and conversation of each characters and made them so alive and natural. Actually, I felt really really depressed on the first three chapters that I almost left it unfinished. But I kept going because of Lochan. And when I came to the last page of chapter 26.... I cried violently that I had to bury my face on the pillow to ease some of my loud wail until I was breathless it's not even funny!

I couldn't help it, it was so sad and heartbreaking and slicing-heart-kind-of-sad. But, well, it was fine enough even though.. *cue voice fading away*

[I hope he died in a way that more acceptable for my poor kokoro... it was so tragic even though I guess I got the message that the author wanted to show how much Lochan loved his siblings, how much he loved Maya. Well, just hoping it was not that way... (hide spoiler)]

So despite all the frustrated and heartbreaking feeling I got in the end by reading this book, I feel glad I came across this book and found such a lovely couple with their beautiful love story. Even though I must say that the sex scene was way too bold for a young-adult read (that I had a moment of confusion whether I had to put it in a ya shelf or adult-read shelf). It was not just hot and intense but surprisingly sweet and not weird (well, you know, because after all they're brother and sister....).

Finally, I gotta say that I always fall in love with books that could make me laugh like five-years-old, grin like an idiot, and wail like a walrus. I got the list all checked for this book :)

Love, read, and review,

Cynthia D.