Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Source: Publisher
She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.
Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.
I heard a lot of hype about this book, when it came out, and  I was very reluctant to read it. Finally I caved and read it.  I felt a lot about the characters and I understood how they got into this situation. Their mom is absent for most of the book and they are forced to  take care of their siblings. As a result, the line between brother and sister is more than blurred, it is non-existent. I never felt disgusted by their relationship, which I thought was in part of Suzuma's writing. I actually cheered for them. By the end, I hoped that they would have a good ending.  I hated their mom, because she had these children that she constantly neglected. The plot was powerful, intense, and emotional. It dealt with incest in a non-cliche way and while it didn't condemn the love, it also didn't redeem it.  Suzuma explains an intense situation that is both believable and extraordinary. This book is definitely original and I can't  think of another book that compares to Forbidden.  Suzuma's writing is emotional and beautiful. It made this book so strong and enjoyable. If you was a very unique, but still emotionally driven contemporary book, I recommend that you read this book like now. I absolutely adored this book and can't wait to read the next one from Suzuma.