Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Lochan and Maya do not have an easy life. With three younger siblings and an alcoholic mother, Lochan and Maya have played very adult roles for most of their lives. Then something wonderful happens and both Maya and Lochan find someone who is perfect for them in every way. Someone they can talk to, feel relaxed around, share everything with. But this new love is also the worst possible thing that can happen. Because Maya and Lochan have fallen in love with each other.

Forbidden is not an easy book to read. It is very powerful and extremely well-written. But this is a subject matter that is not very common to read about, nor is it very comfortable to read about. I wanted to be able to wish Lochan and Maya true happiness, but I couldn't. Tabitha Suzuma writes a character in Lochan that is more emotionally raw and angsty than I have seen in quite a long time. He was so tender one moment and so frightening the next. I had mixed feelings about how I wanted the book to end, and ultimately I think Suzuma does the best she can, given the topic. Again, this was an incredible, brave book. It will be interesting to see the kinds of responses this book receives when it is released in the US in June.

Overall Rating: 5 Stars