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.
So, pretty messed up to begin with. Now, I’ve spoken about Wideacre before on this blog, so it’s safe to assume I’m not scared by a little incest. My theory is always that if an author can write it well, and produce a believable storyline and characters from it, then it’s just another plot device, the same as any other. People read about murder all the time and no-one gets up in arms about it, so why this? There is very little in fiction that is off limits and I like it that way; censor one topic and you might as well censor them all. As long as it is written for literary reasons and not sensationalist ones, then it’s fine by me.
On that note…
The brother and sister in question in the novel are Lochan and Maya, seventeen and sixteen respectively. With an absentee father, and a barely-there mother, the two are left to look after their three younger siblings. They have, over time, become the surrogate parents; assigning chores, controlling bedtimes and enforcing rules. With Lochan’s final year exams approaching, and their mother around less and less, the responsibilities of the two become overwhelming and they seek comfort with each other.
Because of their unusual upbringing, Lochan and Maya never really come across as brother and sister, a thought which is echoed by Maya in the book. They are doomed by a genetic accident, yet they have never truly been siblings. The ‘incest’ portrayed in the book then always feels only technical; you find yourself justifying the relationship along with the characters. It’s not something I can say I agreed with but it’s difficult to find a way to condemn it as well. Part of what makes Forbidden such a great book is how it manages to make you feel like this.
I found myself completely rooting for the couple throughout the book; it did take me tearing myself away from it (at work for example) to remind me that they were brother and sister. Suzuma is such a beautiful writer, and this book is definite proof of that. I found myself full on sobbing at the end of the book, and I urge people, whatever your preconceptions, to read this book. It’s not pro-incest, or anything even close, it’s just a very well written TF novel that explores the dynamics of a relationship so destined to fail.
