Forbidden by Syrie James, Ryan M. James | eBook

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?

School Library Journal

Gr 8–10—After years of moving all over the country, Claire Brennan, 16, is happy to be returning to Emerson Academy in Brentwood, CA, for her junior year. And even though her single mother still frets way too much over her safety, Claire hopes the days of constantly looking over her shoulder for an unseen danger are gone. She's made some close friends, and is hoping her crush will ask her to the formal. Everything is going well—until she meets Alec, a mysterious new student. She begins to have visions and gets messages that she is in danger from someone named Helena. Alec is a Grigori, an angelic being whose purpose is to watch and, when necessary, eliminate Nephilim (children of angels and humans) to protect humanity. He has gone AWOL from his duties and is hiding as a normal teenager at Emerson, but when his godfather finds him and asks him to locate a Halfblood (the progeny of humans and Grigori whose existence is forbidden) at Emerson, Alec can't refuse. The story is written in both Claire's and Alec's voices. Both of them are well drawn and have believable motivations and reactions to their situations. The angelic angle is played down somewhat, with the Grigori being ruled by a governing council instead of a heavenly father, which enables the plot to develop without religious overtones. The ending leaves room for a sequel, and fans of the genre will want one.—Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

USA Today

Hits all the right notes…If you enjoy angels, ‘forbidden’ romance and dashing heroes, then this should be added to your TBR.

Sophie Jordan

Beautifully written. Romantic and filled with delicious tension. Forbidden enchants!

VOYA - Raluca Topliceanu

Spiked with themes and situations similar to Cast's House of Night series, Syrie's Forbidden unfortunately appears like a cheaper knock-off. Although the humor appeals to the teenage audience, it cannot distract the reader from the disappointing predictability, unrealistic situations, and occasionally naive characters that occur throughout the work. With a few tweaks to the plot and characters, Forbidden could have rivaled well-loved novels in the same genre. Reviewer: Raluca Topliceanu, Teen Reviewer

VOYA - Sara Martin

When grade-nine student Claire Brennan starts having unexplained visions of the people she knows, she thinks she is losing her mind. At first she writes it off as a strange sense of deja vu, and possibly something that could be cured with Midol. Soon, however, it becomes clear that she is developing clairvoyant powers, triggered by touch. With the help of a handsome, mysterious new student in school, Claire discovers that her new-found gifts are genetic: her father was an angel and Claire is a "Halfblood." Now she is being pursued by an ancient society, determined to eliminate the potential power she holds. Forbidden is the first of yet another paranormal romance series. Unfortunately, there is nothing particularly unique or enticing about this latest offering. While the mother-son writing team of Syrie and Ryan James have created a believable high school world, tinged with the otherworldly, both the characters and dialogue seem tired and predictable. Young male readers are unlikely to read past the first chapter, where readers are forced to endure a painful discussion of how Claire finally got "it" (yes, the fact that she has started menstruating factors into the story, but the friends' conversation is off-putting and reads like an ill-conceived infomercial). If teen girls have already raced their way through Lauren Kate's Fallen series and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush series and are looking for something in the same vein, Forbidden will likely satisfy their craving until the next installment comes along. Reviewer: Sara Martin

Kirkus Reviews

Yet another paranormal romance, this time with an assortment of angels in a chick-lit setting, that will appeal to those addicted to the genre if few others. Sixteen-year-old Claire has lived life on the run with her mother. She attends a private L.A. high school, where she meets new student Alec, a young-looking Scot with a delightful accent. Alec reveals Claire's history to her: She's half-angel and may be killed if the angel Elders find her. Alec himself is a full angel, but he has gone AWOL and also risks death if discovered. The two fall in love. Claire receives visions from Helena, who commands her to tell no one about her new psychic powers. Claire, of course, instantly tells all of her friends. The Jameses weave in some quite effective paranormal suspense and intense-but-quixotic high-school romance through their extremely lengthy tale. All characters remain superficial, including Claire, although charming Alec stands out. The plot becomes too intricate at times to work properly, as when Claire envisions that she will be killed if she steps out alone from the homecoming dance and the authors then tortuously explain why she does precisely that. Lightweight, but the story has some thrills, and the aforementioned genre addicts will enjoy it. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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