Sheep Book Review: Forbidden by Syrie & Ryan James + GIVEAWAY

***Stay tuned until the end of the review for your chance to win the paperback edition of this book! Open to US residents only***

Forbidden, by authors Syrie James & Ryan M. James, ( a mother and son team) is a YA paranormal story that frankly I thought would have been a bit of a bore. Surprisingly, I found myself going against my usual dislike of "teen angst" stories and enjoying what was offered, and there quiet a bit going on at this buffet table!

Plot:

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?

If the High School scene appeals to you, OR you enjoy a book that's more for the young at heart, then you'll be pleased with what Forbidden has to offer. I was surprised by the darker element the authors were able to intertwine within the story's plot. Characters coming from an angelic descendant take some turns towards evil and as the story picks up you get invested in the young adults and plot line. But in an attempt at full disclosure, the beginning of the book, for me, was an uphill STRUGGLE! Fortunately it got much better and after that first third of the book I found myself flying through the pages to get to the ending and see how this might all possibly end.

Brennan is our young high-school student who's moved around from town to town with her mother since as far back as she can remember. As someone who personally changed school multiple times through the Junior High-High School years (6 schools in all) I could totally relate. She's surrounded herself with a tight-knit group of friends who seem to be very supportive of her and each other. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and your typical back-stabbing to take place but was surprised yet again with these young adults.

Alec is the Scottish hunk who's new to town, (Kalpar: Why do they always seem to be Scottish?) and is immediately embraced by the group he finds friends and gets going down the right path. That is, until Brennan has some major changes taking place and starts making waves on the psychic grid. Angels descend with family secrets coming into play and the plot thickens. The Fallen ones come lurking about looking to recruit a vulnerable young girl to the dark side (No, Vader not you, please go back to your seat) and all Hell is about to break loose if she can't fight what's coming. In a very literal fashion. Alec, the man with the skills to fight back the Fallen hordes, steps into the scene just as a possible romance starts to heat things up.

Some twists to the plot line keep things interesting and as you get to the ending new foes and friends will arise. Forbidden is a well thought out story with the young in mind but one that anyone who's looking for a fun read could enjoy. It's PG on the smutty scale (for the kiddies) but holds some powerful elements of friendship and discovery. I could have used a little less "does he love me, does he love me not" metaphoric flower petal pealing but hey it's a YA book and kinda comes with the territory.

Getting 4 'weeee on the Farris wheel' Sheep

KD

***Giveaway***

If you'd like a chance to win a paperback copy of this book make sure to list all the things in the comments below. Double entries for followers. Contest ends February 20th at midnight.

1. Your email address.

2. What's your favorite memory from High School?

3. Did you tweet or FaceBook about this giveaway? If so add another entry for either or.