FORBIDDEN by TABITHA SUZUMA

Ever since their childhood, Lochan and Maya had always been the closest among the five siblings, for they had gone through all the ups and downs of their lives together. The moment their dad left and their mom slowly lost interest in them, Maya and Lochan took it upon themselves to raise and look after their younger siblings which led the two to become even closer. This closeness would turn into something more intimate revealing a deeper feeling, that which was beyond fraternal love, that they had for each other all along.

Seeing you, being with you every day but not being able to do anything – it’s like cancer, it’s like this cancer growing inside my body, inside my mind! – Lochan Whitely

Upon reading Forbidden, not to brag or reduce my impression of this book, first thing I realized was how this book was mainly intended for a much younger audience. One could easily tell this by way of the themes, the characters and the writing. This caught me a little off in the beginning, but it’s worth pointing out that this was also why it became such a breeze for me to read. I may have thought this was a little too young a writing for me, but it eventually got me wanting to sink deep in Lochan and Maya’s lives.

It’s always nice being fancied. It’s always nice being wanted. Even if it’s by the wrong person. – Maya Whitely

Finding out what the story was really about made me feel uncomfortable and unsure because incestuous relationships don’t particularly make for an appealing topic. It was sometimes harsh, sensitive and complicated reading this story. I would even catch myself frowning. It didn’t quite feel all right. Of course, it didn’t. As the story progressed though, I became a more open-minded and accepting reader until the awkwardness paled and paled while other emotions broaden and prevailed. 

More than love or equally, Forbidden is also about family. This aspect made the story a whole lot more interesting, relatable and complicated. It got me boring a deep sympathy for Lochan and Maya. Anything and everything in it that has an effect to the familial aspect surely had a great impact and was really heavy.

It’s horrible, being ashamed of someone you care about; it eats away at you. – Lochan Whitely

The buildup until the climax was really nice. It had gotten to the point of all good things, and bam – a major heartbreak. It had been progressive. And when it finally peaked, the emotions stayed for a while longer. It had been a long-enduring pain, as the details and events unfolded. And as with the mentioned heart-wrenching scenes, they absolutely were! Some pages of agony never failed to give me that pinch while bigger scenes effectively showed the incomprehensibility of the situation.  

I couldn't come up with my own theory as to how the story was going to end for both characters. It was too complicated a situation. But when it ended the way it did, I was taken aback. I wasn’t expecting it to take that path for a conclusion. But the more I think about it, what other possible ending could there have been?

There are no laws, no boundaries on feelings. We can love each other as much and as deeply as we want. No one, Maya, no one can ever take that away from us. – Lochan Whitely

Forbidden is a balance between an easy read and a serious page-turner. It leaves something to the readers – an invitation to put themselves in the shoes of the characters and be lost and confused there.   

Are you done reading this book? What are your thoughts? I’d like to know them! Feel free to share them below!

Photo source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabitha_Suzuma