Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Book: Forbidden
By: Tabitha Suzuma
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: June 28, 2011

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: I was honestly worried about reading this book, but I'm glad I did. I honestly have no idea how I'm going to write this review, but I'll give it a try.

The life of Lochan and Maya sucks. Their alcoholic mother who's never there, their absent father, the fact that they are forced to feed, care for, and become parents for their little brothers and sisters when they are not yet adults themselves on top of the fact that they have issues of their own sucks. From the beginning, we are thrown into a story about a family hanging on by a thread that, despite its fragility, has sparks of happiness and perseverance that fill readers with an overwhelming sense of family. Despite it's description, this is not a book about incest, but about love of the purest form.

Lochan and Maya are brother and sister, but they are also in love. This isn't the kind of love that comes overnight, but the kind that slowly creeps up on you, standing in the background and waiting for the perfect time to jump out at you. It begins to blind you to everything and anything until you have no choice but accept it, knowing that in doing so, you may condemn yourself and everyone around you. It's a love that's sure to lead to disaster, but it must exist.

What if it was illegal to love who you love? Disgusting to others? Would you automatically stop loving them? Is there some way to force your heart to behave differently? Is there a way to force it into loving someone else? Or, in attempting to make it behave differently, do you accidentally make it bind harder to the object of the love. What would you do to keep that love?

I've never read a book that forced me to question my morals and beliefs about what's right and wrong as much as this book did. Believe it or not, I felt like there HAD to be some way these two could be kept together. If they don't have kids, what's the problem? I wanted to fight! Why on earth couldn't they stay together!?

Read this book. Trust me. It may make you feel confused a bit at times and a bit uncomfortable with the way your mind begins to rationalize things, but it's a good book. Beware: This book is a young adult book for the mature audiences only. If you cried while reading Romeo and Juliet, you'll probably cry while reading the end of this book. I loved it. I give it 4.5 stars, mainly because I wanted a happy ending.

Review: Prince of Air and Darkness by Jenna Black

This review is Adult Paranormal Romance. Readers of this book should be over the age of 18.

Book: Prince of Air and Darkness
By: Jenna Black
Published: December 23, 2011

Description: It’s not easy being the son of evil incarnate…

Hunter Teague is the prince of the Unseelie Court, the dark half of Faerie. Raised in an atmosphere of unspeakable cruelty, Hunter has learned the lessons of his mother, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and he’s ready to put them to use. He’s on a mission, one that will shift the balance of power in Faerie forever: he will seduce the Seelie king’s mortal daughter and sire a child upon her—a child who will be heir to both the Seelie and the Unseelie thrones. Hunter has never met a mortal woman he couldn’t seduce...until now.

Kiera Malone is a self-employed web designer and a self-professed cynic. She doesn’t believe in magic or soulmates, let alone her mother’s ridiculous claims to have slept with the mythical Faerie King. But when Hunter hires her to design a website, Kiera finds herself drawn to him in ways that seem almost magical. He’s gorgeous and sexy as sin, the kind of man any woman would swoon over—but her every instinct warns her there’s something dangerous lurking beneath his charming façade.
 
To succeed in his mission, Hunter must let himself get closer to Kiera than he ever planned. Soon, he finds himself burdened with the one thing a prince of the Unseelie Court can’t afford: a conscience. Now Hunter must betray either the woman who is slowly working her way into his heart, or the Queen of Air and Darkness...who would destroy him and Kiera both.
 
My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a sexy, steamy world that I could not get enough of.
 
Prince of Air and Darkness started out as a bit of free reading on the Author's website while bored at work, then once I got to the steamy scenes, I had to call it quits. (No one wants someone else to walk into their cubicle as a somewhat inappropriate word crosses into their field of vision.) I planned to read at home but forgot. Finally, when I got back to it, I was saddened to see that it was now being sold, and on Kindle (I have a Nook and hate doing all the wierd app computer thingys.) Finally, when I got my iPhone, I decided, why not have both apps on there, and then I can read on the go at times when I cant bring my nook along. I did and immediately bought and read this book. I am not sorry for that decision.
 
The story follows Hunter Teague, son of the Queen of Air and Darkness of the Unseelie court. His task is to impregnate the Seelie King's mortal daughter, Kiera Malone. I loved me some Hunter. There's something about a sexy anamalistic man that I just love, and with a name like Hunter, how could you not resist? He knows how to seduce a woman and is just all around sexy!!! I wanted him to be real. Yes, I agree, he's horrible for trying to get into Kiera's bed, but still, how many men do you know that don't want to get into a woman's bed. Therefore, I still love him.
 
Kiera is a great character. She is even headed and firm, but a bit stubborn. I loved her. She was relatable and an even match for Mr. Teague. She definitely gave him a run for his money.
 
I also loved the supporting characters. Jackson - the gay best friend, Kiera's Mother, and even the goblin Bane gave me a lot of variation and fun when reading this book.It was great.
 
The story line wasn't too predictable. Although at times I knew what would happen because there was just NO other way to get around it, the author put in just the right amount of twists and turns to make it interesting. I wont tell you what happened in the end, but lets just say I wasnt frustrated.
 
I would give this book 4 stars. It was a great read. I had a few issues with the lateness of the decision for the conclusion, and a few solutions in the middle, but on the whole, it was enjoyable.

Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Book: Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)
By: Jessica Spotswood
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Description: Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

My Thoughts: I liked Born Wicked. It was quite interesting and different than any other book I have read.

Not much really happened in Born Wicked. That's not to say it's boring though, just different. There was no running away to escape those that were chasing you, nothing that really jumped out at you, nor was there much humor. Like the time period in which it takes place, this book is secretive, proper, deceptive, and serious. We followed the main character through her life as she awaits her ceremony where whe much choose between joining the Sisterhood and marrying. As a Character, Cate is pretty great. She's Strong and Independent and Responsible. The love she feels toward her sisters she cares for is amazing and honest. I loved it. It was easy to connect with her. There is a hint of a love story here, but it doesnt overpower the book. The focus is more on Cate's witchery and family.

Unlike many other books, there seems to be no "bad guy vs. good guy" here. Everyone seems to be some varying shade of gray, even Cate herself. I liked that. What I didnt like was some of Cate's inner monologue. She thinks she's wicked and I understand that, but there's no reason for me to be reminded of it over and over and over again. That was my biggest annoyance.

This was a great simple read. I enjoyed it but it just didn't put me over the edge so I probably wouldnt read it again. For that reason, I give it 3 Stars.