Book Review: Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little @KimberleyGLittl

Wow. I just loved Forbidden. It is just my kind of book.

Forbidden takes place in 1759 BC in the desserts of Mesopotamia. Jayden's tribe are nomadic, moving as the rain moves and barely subsisting. There is a lot going on in Jayden's life, so I'm resorting to bullets:

• She's betrothed to the future leader of the tribe. Not only does she not love him, she doesn't even like him. She think's he's a louse (and he is.)
• She suffers a great loss at the beginning of the book that changes her life.
• Her tribe worships the God of Abraham, but her sister longs to worship the goddess in the temple in the city. (But don't worry. Forbidden is in no way a religious or preachy book.)
• She's desperate to be reunited with a missing family member, who she feels responsible for.
• She meets a dark, handsome, rich stranger from an unknown foreign land. The attraction is mutual and undeniable. He wants to take her away and surround her with riches. But she can't get out of her betrothal.
• Dancing is a very important part of the women's lives. They dance to pray, worship, and to entertain their husbands.
• Her father, while doing his best, is becoming poorer and more destitute with each passing season. He has lost many of their camels, which are necessary and a symbol of wealth.
• Her grandmother is priceless.

So you can kind of see where this is going. Jayden is a resolute character who deals with each situation in the best way she can. You just know she will always land on her feet. She is the only important character in the book, leaving side characters more undefined. This story is all about Jayden. And that's not a complaint. She's awesome.

One of the marks of a good book for me is if I continue to think about the characters after I'm done reading. As if they are alive and I'm wondering what they are up to. Ms. Little, how am I supposed to wait for the next book? The situation you left Jayden in will haunt me until I get to read of her further adventures. So, WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK GOING TO BE HERE?

I loved Cleopatra's Moon and The Dovekeepers so it is no surprise that Forbidden gets added to my list of favorite books about ancient history. If you like this type of book, make sure you add Forbidden to your list.

Published by HarperCollins, November 4, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
400 pages

Rating: 5/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2014 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved