Forbidden

**spoilers**Lochan was not okay.As response to Maya's question of "Are you all right/okay?" every five to ten pages of the book.I really enjoyed the story. I'm not a big fan of flowery descriptions, a lot of the metaphors and all could have been cut down; maybe leaving the book at a good 300 pages or so. Suzuma certainly did her research, as the dialogue and intense conversations of the characters depict, with jail time and laws on incestuous crimes. The novel is just a whole build-up to this one mutually satisfying anticipated event that quickly changes everything and makes a turn for the absolute worse. It's just as much a character study as it is a tragic love story. If Lochan and Maya weren't brother and sister, then they're relationship would be like any other story of two young people in love who can't really be together because of some trivial societal tacit rules. Their moments really are precious, as they both mention in the narrative.Their moments sneaking around together, waiting to have time alone, the house to themselves, a walk in the park...it's all really sweet. The feelings are there between Lochan and Maya once that friendship turns into dependency and ultimately romantic, though, illicit love. One afternoon slow dance changes things between them. And when they get pass the awkwardness, one kiss really changes everything and things pace on from there until they finally get it on, having intercourse, near the end.They don't feel like siblings (even though they are 13 mo apart in age and have grown up together and done almost everything together) because they feel more like friends; and their circumstances kinda drove them into that corner they ended up in. Their dad left them five years ago for a better wife and a better set of children. Their mother never wanted to be a mother and constantly throws up in Lochan's face how he was basically a mistake and the reason she fell into marriage with the kids' father. Their mother is also a drunkie -- a lush who only cares about screwing her barely divorced younger "lover-boy" and wants no responsibility and hassle of her five kids (Lochan, Maya, Kit, Tiffin, Willa). Their living conditions are bearable but the constant worry of food for the next day, for the week, the month, money for bills, for the kids, school, God forbid if someone gets hurt at school or gets really sick and needs to go to the hospital. Yep, that happens. That kind of stress and turmoil lays heavy on a couple of teenagers. Especially one who suffers from panic attacks, social phobias, anxiety disorders, and major depression = Lochan. The story is a good read and enjoyable, not quite depressing until the end while inside Lochan's depressed psyche. Now that is depressing and heartbreaking. Even the aftermath with Maya, her reaction to what happened to Lochan. Fortunately I wasn't brought to tears, but only by will and because I had mentally prepared myself.Towards the end of the story, Lochan is literally trapped in a corner after he and Maya have been found out. They are caught in the act by their despicable-screwed-up-absentee mother and it's pretty much all over for everyone. I say there definitely should've been a psychologist in that interrogation room with Lochan and the Det-Investigators a al Law & Order: SVU Dr. Huang style, because maybe a different outcome could have been reached; there might've been some understanding, especially on Lochan's part. After his feign rape plan shatters, since Maya gives a written statement of consensual incest, there's literally no way out in his mind; "there are no other options". He can't bear Maya serving time and their younger siblings going into the hellish foster system. All he can think about are his younger brothers and sisters -- especially Maya his "love". Lochan makes the ultimate sacrifice (out of all the sacrifices he's made for his loved ones) with his life.The ending was pretty much inevitable and you could see it coming from before midway through the book, with hints and foreshadowing here and there: like Lochan's English essay of a college grad feeling trapped in life and chooses what buildings he may want to jump from. Clearly it was all in his writing. with his unstable emotional state, he should've never been left in a jail cell alone.The story definitely questions love in all forms. It's really sad. One of the biggest taboos in most societies is that of incest, consensual incest. Is it right or wrong when it comes to mutual love? Couldn't it very well be compared to gay rights, race prejudices, infidelity, child neglect, and so on? So many questions arise from the book, valid questions that most people try to avoid, society turns the other cheek to. The book even highlights flaws in the justice system, let alone society. This subject is tackled head on in FORBIDDEN (simple title that says so much). Suzuma clipped on some hope at the end with the line from little Tiffin "It's nearly summer."

Let me just start off by saying that this book will touch you, possibly disgust you, and tug at your emotions until you just feel raw. This book is about two people who have to raise their brothers and sisters ages 5,8,and 13 because their mother is an alcoholic that is out most of the time. This book is about life and the ups and downs of it. This book is about coming out of your shell. But most of all this book is about love. This book is about two people who mutually love each other so much and fall so deep that they can't stop. They try to, they really do. They try to stay away from the other, but can't. They live in an empty void without the other. Why, do they try to stay away? Why don't they just commit to a relationship, you might ask. It is because its forbidden, just as the title suggests. Why? Are they gay? Teacher and student? Do they have a large age gap? No, no, and no. The truth is far less accepted by society than that. It's a case so rare, so taboo you would never even think of it. They're brother and sister.**Non spoiler summary (spoiler summary will be below.)Lochan and Maya are seventeen and sixteen, respectively. Just thirteen months apart, they have always been the best of friends. With an alcoholic mother, they take care of their siblings: Willa, Tiffin, and Kit. All while doing this, they have to make sure child services don't find out about their family, for fear of separation. Willa is the lovable 5 year old, Taffin is the slightly mischievous 8 year old, and Kit is the rebellious 13 year old. Lochan and Maya love their siblings dearly and cannot risk separation.The two make them meals, help with homework, even paying the bills, all while attending school. They treat each other equally and don't think about the 13 month age gap. They can only truly be themselves with the other. They are each other's best friend. They never really felt like siblings, so what happens when they fall in love? What happens when they fall so deep that they think they'll go insane without the other? But, how will a love as forbidden as theirs ever have a happy ending? Read to find out. END****For those who want a spoiler-filled summarySo the book start off with alternating point of view between Lochan and Maya. It goes on about their lifestyle. Slowly the story starts to unravel and you learn to love each and every character. (Maybe except Kit.) Then slowly you get coaxed into their relationship. They are best friends, always have been. But after about a third of the book, they turn into something more.Maya goes out with a boy, and that sparks jealousy in Lochan. He goes just a bit insane and even ends up punching a wall. He gets in a jealous rage, which ends up with both of them kissing. They realize it's wrong so they try to end the relationship, on multiple occasions. Desperately they decide to date other people. But, in a turn of events they find themselves unable. Their love only grows. They spend moments hidden from view, touching, kissing. They hide it from the kids (their siblings). They plan to go off sometime in the future, and be together. But that thought gets cut short.They are caught. Their mom caught them in the act of having sex for the first time. Two siblings having sex, wrong in society's eyes. But, to me it was oh-so-right. It was intimate, is was powerful, it was pure. They had sex only because of lust, and the desire to strengthen their love. To me it wasn't dirtied by the fact that they were siblings, but even more pure because of it. They loved each other so much, they tired to abide by society and laws, but they couldn't. They loved each other, much stronger than a normal relationship. It was pure because they loved each other unconditionally. They didn't love each other because of their looks, but thought of the other's looks as something beautiful, BECAUSE of their connection.But it is cut short by their mother. The very mother who doesn't even bother to take care of her kids, takes away their only happiness. It turns out that Kit called her, enraged by something his brother did. He never thought she would call the police. Lochan protects Maya from his mother's blows when she sees them. He also protects her from other harm. Incestuous penetration is punishable in the UK, where they live. Lochan knows this. He also knows that without the both of them, the kids would be separated. So, he makes a sacrifice. He forces Maya into saying that it was rape. He tells her to tell their story to the police, seeing as their stories have to match. But, the story has one major difference, Lochan forced her. He blackmailed her into doing things. This is the very moment when their love was tainted, to me. To me their love was tainted when society and laws took something pure and forced them to dirty it with lies to protect something.Lochan sees Kit, crying and telling him that he didn't think she'd call the police. Even though he has every right to get mad. Lochan is going to jail, for Christ's sake! But he doesn't. He never has a chance to tell Kit, but in his thoughts it was never Kit's fault. That's just the kind of person Lochan is.So Lochan gets sent to jail, and is questioned. He tells them it all, even though he hates to speak to anyone not a part of his family. He tells them, even going as far as crying, while telling them that he forced Maya. He refuses a lawyer, even though he could get a life sentence, because he decided to sacrifice himself for his family. This, may seem like the ultimate sacrifice a life sentence so you can protect those important to you, but it isn't. The ultimate one is one step above that, which is to come.At this time, Maya has signed something saying that it was consensual love. A police officer says that she can face two years in prison. Lochan fears. He realizes that he can't freak out or try to press the issue because it'll seem like he's taking the blame. He knows Kit is the only witness and Kit could tell it was mutual. He knows that the little ones saw Maya with smiles and radiating happiness. He knows the court won't believe him. So he plots escape. He gets the prison blanket, ties it into a make shift rope and gets it caught on a spike on the only window in his cell. He finds that he can't escape and he's out of time. That is when he makes the ultimate sacrifice. He loops the "rope" around his neck and thinks of his siblings. His last thought are of Maya.Time passes and it's time for his funeral. The family is a wreck. Maya takes care of them, and even Kit steps up to help. Maya is dying without him. She leaves notes for them to find and steals a kitchen knife, planning to join Lochan. One conversation with Willa changes all that. Willa asks what would Lochan want. She asks if he would really like a card, like Maya suggested. This gets Maya thinking. Why did Lochan do it? He did it because he knew she could take care of the kids without them. But can she really? She starts to question herself and comes to the conclusion that even though it hurt, even though she hates life, she'll live on for him. She'll do it because that's why he did it. She doesn't want to waste his sacrifice so she lives. The story ends with hope. END**Let me tell you some background information about how i personally felt about this. I'm usually one for love. Homosexual? Sure. Teacher, student? Sure. Non-blood related siblings? Sure. But, incest? I'm wasn't really sure. After this book, i'd say love is love. I've read tons of reviews on this book, and many people start to root for Maya and Lochan. I for one did.This book challenges society's views. It challenges laws and freedom. Society says that incest is wrong, but why? Society says that homosexuality is wrong, but why? Both are just love. Is incest REALLY wrong? Does it hurt anyone? No. Does it take away credit, like plagiarism? No. Does it take away money from others, like pirating does? NO! This love does not do any of those things. If society is worried about the kids created from incestuous relationships then make it illegal to procreate, do not under any circumstances make it illegal for two people who love each other to show it physically.Society says that you shouldn't look at your family like that. What if you happened to love someone, what if you loved them, but they were your brother or sister? Can you stop it? No. You can't stop emotions. You can mask them, but you can't stop. You can't force yourself to love, and you can't force yourself not to love. Another point is the fact that incest wasn't always taboo. Royalty used to interbreed to keep the bloodlines pure. If it wasn't wrong then, why is it wrong now?Why is it wrong for them, when there are people who have one night stands. There are people having sex just for pleasure, but for them its a connection. Why is it so wrong?I would just like to say that i cried. I knew Lochan was going to die. I read a spoiler and i KNEW he was going to die. But still, i couldn't stop. It envoked my emotions and i couldn't stop rooting for them. It was like Romeo and Juliet. Their forbidden love only lasted a week, but theirs was sixteen years. You knew they were both fated for death, yet you couldn't help but root them on.As my last point i'd like to say I thought of the song: The way i loved you By Selena Gomez, throughout the story. The lyrics really emphasize the book."And I've been trying tomake believe it doesn't hurt.But that makes it worse, yeah.See I'm a wreck inside,"Maya feels like this after the funeral."The future may be all I really need." this is how the book ends.These are the lines that should REALLY be emphasized."Like a first love,My one and only true love,Wasn't it written all over my face?I loved you like you loved me,Like something pure and holy,Like something that could never be replacedAnd it was wonderful,It was magical,It was everything I've waited for,A miracle."I think it speaks for itself.*****************************************I would absolutely recommend this book, but it's kind of graphic. I myself, am fourteen (going to turn 15 in four days, seeing as this book and two others was a birthday present), but i would like to think of myself as mature for my age. For those not mature i would suggest not reading it. But, the story is beautifully crafted.The only down point is Kit. I didn't exactly hate him, but that was only because he was necessary to the story. He did grow up and learn from his mistakes though.

Bom, eu conheci o esse livro pelo canal da Paola. Eu me apaixonei pela história tanto da versão BR quanto essa de Capa dura, o livro tem um leve revelo no coração e no nome, eu não irei contar sobre a história, mas o que eu posso dizer que eu fiquei com o pé atrás quando eu eu decidir ler. Pois eu tenho duas irmãos e sobre o livro se tratar de um incesto entre irmãos eu fiquei com preconceito achando que eu não iria gostar, mas hoje eu posso dizer que apesar do final ser extremamente triste, Forbidden e o melhor livro que eu já li na minha vida é sem dúvidas e o meu preferido.Caso você não saiba tem uma fanfic com final alternativo, só escrever no google "forbidden com final alternativo" que o primeiro link e do vídeo da garota que fez a fanfic e no vídeo dela tem o link de sua fanfic. Caso não queira spoiler do vídeo o quinto link e a fanfic dela.Nessa fanfic tem final feliz

Melhor livro que já li. Um livro que me fez pensar demais em TUDO.Sobre o que é certo e errado.Livro maravilhoso

Initial Thoughts: This book almost destroyed me. Heartbreaking.Full Review:Forbidden was very thought-provoking and I found myself, at times, both disgusted and sympathetic in equal measure. Having reflected on it for a few days, it is hard to look at the love between Lochan and Maya as wrong even if that is how society categorizes it.Their family situation is completely dysfunctional. They were quasi-parents to their younger siblings, and they never really had a traditional brother and sister relationship. I couldn't help wondering if they'd had a normal upbringing would they have fallen in love or were they always destined for one another irrespective of their environment and their circumstances? It's an interesting question and one that's had me thinking about this book several days after I finished it.Modern society has a genuine reason for saying no to incest - proven birth defects in any children born of incestuous relationships. And I get that, but my mind was contemplating all kinds of scenarios whereby it could be permitted - what if it was allowed and both parties agreed to sterilization, then the risk is eliminated. Of course, that wouldn't solve the stigma or the myriad of other issues, and I'm not saying every government should rush out and change their laws because it's a hugely sensitive complex issue, but I would genuinely feel for any couple like Lochie and Maya and believe it's wrong that society says they can't be together.Characterization was superb in this book, with emotional depth and plenty of substance. I felt both of their pain as they struggled with their feelings for one another - as they tried valiantly to fight their attraction and burning need for one another. The irony is that the family unit was actually stronger when they were together - it made sense.Their parents should be strung up for their neglect and I wanted to hurl my Kindle a few times, such was my loathing for both mum and dad.I knew this wasn't going to end well but that finale still KILLED me - I was sobbing my heart out for ages and I felt an actual pain in my heart. It was horrific but compelling.I applaud the author for her ability to tackle such a complex subject with sensitivity and grit. It was never glorified or ridiculed.The writing was breathtaking if a little over descriptive at times - I did skim a bit.In summary, this book had a deep impact on me and I love books that challenge my thinking and challenge social norms. This one will definitely stay with me for a long time.

What a beautifully written book.I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was recommended this book to read but what I got was an emotional, thought provoking, heartbreaking story.Having become the caregivers in the family Lochie and Maya grow close, very close and the book talks about their feelings for each other but it also talks about the repercussions of them taking things further.It talks about a dysfunctional family, where the kids are looking after kids. Which we see often in broken families which may or may not have impacted in the way their relationship ended up.The ending was heartbreaking but I’m glad Maya persevered.I will definitely be checking the author out to see their other books.

I'm not going to lie this was on my mind days after I finished the book. In my opinion this is definitely worth a read, if you're thinking about it just buy it! It is very controversial and I've never read anything like it before or since reading this book. Still pulls at my heartstrings when thinking about it.I bought this book used in "very good condition" but it came really beaten up had something wet on the pages definitely the worst book condition I have seen so maybe don't buy it used if you like something that looks decent. I have bought used books from amazon before and have never had anything to complain about so not sure what went wrong this time.