The Best Reader:
forbidden

1. I gotta say, the first thing that grabbed my attention about this book was it's amazing cover. Did you play a part in the design, and what did you think when you saw the finished product?

Oh my gosh, I love my cover, not to toot my horn, lol. The amazing Neil Noah made it! I heard of him through my two good friends and fellow authors, Elizabeth Isaacs and Hope Collier, who both had worked with him in the past for their covers. I design book covers for others, but I knew I’d never be satisfied with something I created, so I had to outsource. I sent Neil a couple designs I’d played with, and then he worked his magic. The cover was one of two covers he sent me. I fell in love with the cover the minute I saw it. We tweaked some things, of course, but oh man, he nailed the cover. I was so excited! I hope people like it as much as I do.

2. Can you tell us a little about Levi's personality?

Levi was fun to write, but at the same time, he was hard. It’s tough to write from a guy’s POV when you’re female, haha! Moreso, I wanted to think like he would, were I in his shoes. Can you imagine how hard it would be to know that you were damned, but you still held hope to maybe someday get away from the problems you’ve caused yourself? Can you imagine trying to guard people and make sure they were safe, when you knew they may end up like you if the wrong choices were made? He’s so torn – he doesn’t want to break any more rules, but he wants to know Hannah more. She makes him feel things, but he doesn’t know why. He’s cautious, but reckless at the same time. He’s a little irreverent, but he lets Ethan take care of most of the trouble making. I really like Levi. He’s hard to read, and it’s part of the reason I had to ask my brother and husband what a guy would think in certain situations! Overall, he’s just trying to figure out what to do. He’s sixteen and a guy. Really? Of course he makes no sense haha. 

3. What is one of the things that makes Hannah unique to Levi?

No Call that Levi’s ever had was able to make him feel. He’s never felt the need to get near a human. Hannah, for some reason, changes that. He’s curious, and he can’t help but get near her. That’s what sets it all off… you know what they say, “Curiousity killed the cat.” We’ll see if it turns out all right for Levi! 

4. Do you have a favorite excerpt or line that you could share with us?

I loved writing Ethan, he’s so snarky and tries so hard to be this rude guy, when I think deep down he’s alright. I guess we’ll see. Anyway, here’s a little excerpt from one of his scenes. 

I smirked at Ethan as he jumped and dodged me like I had leprosy. “You know, they’re not contagious.”
“ Easy for you to say. You’ve already let that human touch you.”
Hannah sighed. “I have a name, you know.”
Ethan laughed. “Yup, and it’s Bag ‘O Bones to me. You’re human. You live, you die. Well, you were supposed to have already died, but Rambo here decided to tempt fate. You know what? I’ll just call you Bob for short. How’s that?”
5. What tends to be the most difficult part of the writing process for you?

Finding the time! My 5 month old son takes up quite a bit of time, so the writing is a bit slower now. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but if I would have known the lack of time I’d have, I probably would have written 5 or 6 novels before I had him! Haha. 

Forbidden by Megan Curd
Kindle Edition: 270 pages
Published: October 22nd, 2011
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: The Guardian Chronicles #1

Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules.

… Watch from afar.
… Never share your name.
… And above all, never touch a human.

What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?

And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?

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Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Publisher: HarperTeen (January 24th, 2012)
Paperback: 411 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Author/Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans..

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her? Review: Forbidden was another really good angel novel for me. I felt that this book was very character-driven and the characters were outstanding, but I'll get to that in a bit. First, the main idea behind Forbidden is that Claire and her mom have been"on the run" for years but Claire doesn't know why. She figures it's just something her mom likes to do. Now, they have been in the same place for a while and Claire has settled in at Emerson Academy. It's a terrific school where she is able to have a great learning environment and has met some fantastic friends.

Alec has gone AWOL. He has spent years and years doing the duties he has been told to do, and with that, he has experienced very little life along the way. He just wants to get away from it all and he finds himself enrolling in Emerson Academy. On his first day he meets Claire and her friends Brian and Erica.

Once Claire and Alec meet, their friendship takes off. Their love isn't really immediate (which was great) and they build a nice foundation together. But then Claire notices a few things about Alec that don't seem right. And, during this time, Alec finds out something he didn't really expect about Claire.

The characters really made this story for me. To be honest, we've all seen this type of plot a few times; however, Claire, Alec, Brian, and Erica really gave it a nice boost. Claire is smart and she didn't do things in the book that had me screaming at the pages in frustration. You all know you've done it before! She didn't keep secrets and she proved to be a pretty strong person in the end. I also connected with Alec and really felt bad for him and his situation. He was an easy character to enjoy. Then, Erica and Brian were so fun and supportive. I think most people would love to have friends like them.

There were a few things I didn't like as much. First, there are a few too many coincidences in this story. Pieces fell together too easily sometimes. Also, Erica and Brian were a bit too accepting of the weird things going on around them. I wasn't sure if it was because they were young and would accept anything, or if they were really able to understand what was going on with Claire at all. Either way, I was very happy that they were there for her and I did get a feeling that they would do whatever she needed.

Overall, I really enjoyed Forbidden. Even though I'm always a bit reluctant to tackle angel stories, this one exceeded my expectations. I loved Syrie and Ryan's writing. Forbidden is told from alternating POVs so it was nice to see the story from both characters. They made the story fun by putting in a lot of humor and twists throughout. I will absolutely read something by them again and I can't wait to see what happens next with this series.

Recommended: For paranormal lovers or anyone wanting a nice read with some fun characters.

Syrie (Website) | Ryan (Website) | Syrie (Goodreads) | Ryan (Goodreads)

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This or That List for Claire
Claire is more or less a balance of each one of these extremes, which is why we love her.
Outgoing or Loner She’s somewhat of a loner, as she has only two close friends; but over the course, she gains confidence and becomes more outgoing.

Lover or Fighter Claire is both. She’s sensitive and affectionate, but she’ll stand up for herself and for anyone who matters to her.
Cautious or Adventurous Like any good protagonist, she is more cautious in the beginning and becomes more adventurous as she embraces the challenges in front of her.

Life Full of Excitement or Life Full of Routine Come on! Every great story begins with a character whose life is dull and routine, and escalates to a life full of excitement!

Dark and Mysterious or Funny and Outgoing Why isn’t there an option for funny and mysterious?
Quiet or Outspoken Outspoken, just like her authors.

Optimist or Pessimist Realist.

Realist or Dreamer See above. (Although there’s no rule that says pragmatists can’t also be dreamers—and she is both!)

Luck or Fate Bad luck. She’s trying to change her fate.

Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Publisher: HarperTeen (January 24th, 2012)
Paperback: 411 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans..

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

Syrie (Website) | Ryan (Website) | Syrie (Goodreads) | Ryan (Goodreads)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Forbidden by Megan Curd
Kindle Edition: 270 pages
Published: October 22nd, 2011
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Author
Series: The Guardian Chronicles #1
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules.

… Watch from afar.
… Never share your name.
… And above all, never touch a human.

What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?

And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?
Review: Forbidden by Megan Curd provided a very different look at"angels". One reason was because it's from a male point-of-view. We meet Levi as he is watching over his human Call Hannah. In the beginning I was unsure of exactly what Levi was. Was he good, evil, or somewhere in-between? He is known as a Guard, but he was not yet a Guardian or a Fallen. Stuck somewhere between where he is responsible for watching over a human during their lifetime and until they pass on.

Levi was a fascinating character because I could see how much he wanted to stick to the rules of the Guards. Even though it seemed that a force was pulling him towards Hannah, he didn't want to jeopardize her future or his own. Then, he learns that something is after her and it is supposed to be her time to go. Even though Levi has been a guard for a very long time, he just can't see how he can let Hannah go.

This dilemma throws him into a battle to figure out more about Hannah, and more about his own world. It took me a little while to get into this story but once I did, I was hooked. But it wasn't just Levi who helped capture my attention. My favorite character was his friend Ethan. Ethan was absolutely hilarious! Right after he came up with a fabulous nickname for Hannah (BOB--I'll let you find out why), I knew I was in love. Plus, his human Call just happens to be Hannah's best friend Angie. They are thrown together, without true intention from either one of them, and their back and forth banter really brought life to this book. Even though Ethan tried to be"big and bad" he had a soft side too.

The action in this book was intense! Megan did a great job detailing the creatures (good and bad) and slowly unraveling the puzzle of their world. The bond between the characters felt real and I am looking forward to seeing what happens to them next.

Forbidden puts a fun spin on the paranormal and Megan created a group of unlikely friends that will easily capture your heart.

Recommended: Fans of paranormal, male POVs, or interesting angel tales.

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Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 28th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult (14+)
Hardcover: 464 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
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. Review: Forbidden is a difficult book to review. I think that each person will take something different from this story. As seen from the summary, it is about a brother and sister falling in love. That may turn off some readers but please don't let it! Forbidden is much more than what it seems.

Maya and Lochan have been more like mother and father to their siblings than anything else. That may have originally been what brought them closer together. Their mother is never there and her alcoholic tendencies seemed to get in the way of any real parenting while she was in the home. The younger siblings depend on Maya and Lochan to feed them, get them ready for school, and deal with their day to day fights with each other. They give up everything in order to make sure their family is taken care of.

Their attraction seems to begin just from the love and respect they have for each other. They realize that when looking for a partner, they want many of the same qualities seen in each other. But it's rare to find teenagers who are dealing with so much responsibility. They are both wise beyond their years and they know that no matter who they are with, no one will understand them.

Lochan has a lot of anxiety issues. He tends to avoid people at all costs. This means he puts even more focus on Maya because she is really all he has; the only person he feels comfortable with. It's not easy to read about their attractions but I found myself understanding where it came from. Although some of the anxiety issues got a little repetitive, it was a critical part of the story. It helps readers truly get a sense of what Lochan's life had been like previously to create such social anxieties.

Tabitha tackled a very taboo subject with beauty and clarity. I couldn't imagine it being represented in a better way. Forbidden is not a light read and I think that most readers will feel emotionally invested in the story at the end. This is a book that I couldn't stop thinking about long after I read it.

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