She should not exist.
He should not love her.
Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and ... read full description
reviews
Feb 13, 2012
Amy
rated it: 
For anyone who reads great books the name Syrie James should already be on top of all ‘to-read’ lists, as well as categorized as a consistent ‘5-Star’ author on all reviewer’s lists. Whether taking on Jane Austen, vampires, or anything else you can think of, Ms. James definitely knows how to create a story that is the ‘best of the best.’ But this time around she brings two new things to the table: The subject of angels told in a new way that hasn’t already been done six hundred times; and her
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Dec 14, 2011
Jana (That Artsy Reader Girl)
rated it: 
I was SO excited when Syrie wrote to me and told me that I was the first ever recipient of a Forbidden ARC! I read this book back in August, and was very happy when it was requested that I post this review now, rather than wait for the month of the release. Put this on your Christmas lists, guys! I think you'll enjoy it. :)
First off, I really loved the story. The premise was interesting, and I like how I had to keep guessing and trying to figure out what was going on. I liked the ta More...
First off, I really loved the story. The premise was interesting, and I like how I had to keep guessing and trying to figure out what was going on. I liked the ta More...
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Feb 22, 2012
Jeanbooknerd
rated it:
Syrie & Ryan James’ Forbidden was an interesting take on the Angel genre. Its about the story of Claire who, once again, in on the move with her mother. She never thought she would ever make friends but finally has at her new school. She then meets Alec who would ultimately change her life.
The characters were very unique and will grow on you. The love triangle between Claire, Alec, and Neil was fun to read. Its not because I like to read about jealousy but it was a nice change to rea More...
The characters were very unique and will grow on you. The love triangle between Claire, Alec, and Neil was fun to read. Its not because I like to read about jealousy but it was a nice change to rea More...
Feb 18, 2012
Valerie
rated it: 
I hate to give a book a cold review. My brain just won't stop screaming, "What?! Like you could do better?" So I fully acknowledge that no, no I could not write a better book. Still, I know weak writing when I read it.
To start, I finished the whole thing. I read the teaser for free on-line, and then bought the full book for my Kindle, after already knowing the writing was over-the-top cliche. I liked the story premise, and (protagonist 1) Clare's perspective was written pret More...
To start, I finished the whole thing. I read the teaser for free on-line, and then bought the full book for my Kindle, after already knowing the writing was over-the-top cliche. I liked the story premise, and (protagonist 1) Clare's perspective was written pret More...
Feb 17, 2012
Felicia
rated it:
Book: Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Pages: 410
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: Sent from Harper Teen
Short Synopsis: Claire has been going to Emerson Academy for two years, the longest she and her mother have ever stayed in one place. As she starts another school year, she meets a boy named Alec who changes her life forever.
My Thoughts: An interesting take on the angel genre, and definitely kept me curious for more.
Claire has been att More...
Pages: 410
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: Sent from Harper Teen
Short Synopsis: Claire has been going to Emerson Academy for two years, the longest she and her mother have ever stayed in one place. As she starts another school year, she meets a boy named Alec who changes her life forever.
My Thoughts: An interesting take on the angel genre, and definitely kept me curious for more.
Claire has been att More...
Feb 16, 2012
BookHookup
rated it: 
Overall I liked this book, but I just didn’t love it. I was initially drawn to it because I’m a sucker for any book about angels, and let’s face it, the cover is gorgeous.
I loved:
♥ The concept of Grigori and Nephilim. The Grigori (angels) watch over everyone and only interfere when something has gone very, very wrong. Alec MacKenizie is a Grigori, but he is tired and bored with just “watching”. Then there’s Claire Brennan, who is Nephilim (part angel and part human). I could e More...
I loved:
♥ The concept of Grigori and Nephilim. The Grigori (angels) watch over everyone and only interfere when something has gone very, very wrong. Alec MacKenizie is a Grigori, but he is tired and bored with just “watching”. Then there’s Claire Brennan, who is Nephilim (part angel and part human). I could e More...
Feb 01, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
The authors of this book were a mother and son duo. First of all, this book reminded me of little tidbits of several different YA books I've read. I would compare it to Jamie McGuire's Providence series. I did not expect to purchase this book last night and have it finished by this afternoon. For being 416 pages it flew by.
The action was spot on, the romance was there. There was a slight cliched love triangle but it was clear who your heroine Claire wanted after a few chapters. More...
The action was spot on, the romance was there. There was a slight cliched love triangle but it was clear who your heroine Claire wanted after a few chapters. More...
Jan 29, 2012
Book Whales
rated it:
Originally posted @ Book Whales
How far would you go for love?
If you are a fan of Lauren Kate and Becca Fitzpatrick, you will devour this book! Not only the cover is beautiful, the story is amazingly good too! The book was written by Syrie James and Ryan M. James. A mother and son collaboration; good team work!!
The story starts with Claire going to Emerson Academy, she is turning seventeen soon and is suddenly experiencing psychic ab More...
How far would you go for love?
If you are a fan of Lauren Kate and Becca Fitzpatrick, you will devour this book! Not only the cover is beautiful, the story is amazingly good too! The book was written by Syrie James and Ryan M. James. A mother and son collaboration; good team work!!
The story starts with Claire going to Emerson Academy, she is turning seventeen soon and is suddenly experiencing psychic ab More...
Jan 29, 2012
Elin
rated it:
So, I wont summarize the story, since others have done that already.
Things I liked about the book (no spoilers):
-The whole forbidden love thing. I guess I'm just a sucker for it
-The characters were funny and kind (well, not the bad guys of course)
-I liked reading from both Alec's and Claire's perspective. Come to think of it, I thought of something which bothers me when reading guy and girl perspective. When the girl is looking at the guy, she is always admiring the More...
Things I liked about the book (no spoilers):
-The whole forbidden love thing. I guess I'm just a sucker for it
-The characters were funny and kind (well, not the bad guys of course)
-I liked reading from both Alec's and Claire's perspective. Come to think of it, I thought of something which bothers me when reading guy and girl perspective. When the girl is looking at the guy, she is always admiring the More...
Jan 29, 2012
Kathy
rated it:
This was a very enjoyable paranormal romance that would be suitable for middle grade students as well as young adults. Claire is a junior in high school and a scholarship student at the prestigious Emerson Academy in Los Angeles. She is smart and has a couple of really good friends - Erika and Brian. She lives with her mother. She is hoping that they will be able to stay but she has no guarantees. She and her mother have moved seven times since she was born. Her mother seems to be on the run fro
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Jan 14, 2012
Vennela
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 03, 2012
Courtney
rated it:
It you are looking for a synopsis, there are ton of them already. So to the review: I thought Forbidden was a really good read. It has likeable characters with realistic personalities, plenty of action and a romantic triangle (which seems to be must for a YA novel). The story jump starts at the beginning (which I love) and moves quickly making it easy to get sucked in and not want to put the book down. I like that Claire (main character) actually seems like a teenager. She has a relationshi
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Dec 06, 2011
Maria
rated it:
This book immediately caught my eye because I thought the cover was just beautiful; and when I also found out that it was co-written by Syrie James (who also wrote Dracula, My Love, which I loved!!), I couldn't help but move this book to the top of my list.
The story focuses around a teenager named Claire who begins having psychic visions of the future - but has no clue why. She will soon find out that she is a half-angel and that her very existence is considered highly dangerous by ot More...
The story focuses around a teenager named Claire who begins having psychic visions of the future - but has no clue why. She will soon find out that she is a half-angel and that her very existence is considered highly dangerous by ot More...
Dec 29, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
This book caught my attention with it's cover. It's beautiful isn't it? However, as I started to read, I realized it was much more than just a beautiful cover! This book had me hooked from the first page.
Claire is 16 and has finally reached puberty. Why this matters is important because it coincides with her starting to have psychic visions at the same time. Claire does not want to alert her mother to this fact though because her mother is a "paranoid hippy" and has made Clai More...
Claire is 16 and has finally reached puberty. Why this matters is important because it coincides with her starting to have psychic visions at the same time. Claire does not want to alert her mother to this fact though because her mother is a "paranoid hippy" and has made Clai More...
Feb 20, 2012
Emily AKA Doodle
rated it:
When I first started this book, it was hard to get into. I would read a chapter then hop over to one of my networking sites. But after powering through the first five or six chapters, I was ready to read it to the end only breaking to eat and sleep.
Let’s meet the main characters. Claire Brennan must maintain a 3.8 GPA or risk losing her scholarship to Emerson Academy. She is the class brain because of her study habits but all she wants is to be just like everyone else. Then she st More...
Let’s meet the main characters. Claire Brennan must maintain a 3.8 GPA or risk losing her scholarship to Emerson Academy. She is the class brain because of her study habits but all she wants is to be just like everyone else. Then she st More...
Feb 04, 2012
Jessica
rated it:
I got this book though a giveaway here on GoodReads, so I stuck with it from beginning to end! I just want to say, first off, that if this book didn't start out and continue with cliches and if it explained some key elements to the story at some point BEFORE halfway, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.It was a good book, and I did enjoy reading it, but it started out just like EVERY OTHER "fantasy romance thriller", and it stuck with it. The lame, cheesy romance takes over the entire p
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Jan 22, 2012
Andrea
rated it:
3.5 out of 5 rating
When I first started reading the book, it took a litle while to get into it. Not becuase of the plot or story line, but because it seemed to be written in an immature tone (even though I knew the author wasn't young). But I soon got over that and really got into the story.
I loved Claire. And her friends! Everyone was such a positive figure in the book (Even the popular girl, Gabby, who was made to appear like she was snobby and bratty. But whene More...
When I first started reading the book, it took a litle while to get into it. Not becuase of the plot or story line, but because it seemed to be written in an immature tone (even though I knew the author wasn't young). But I soon got over that and really got into the story.
I loved Claire. And her friends! Everyone was such a positive figure in the book (Even the popular girl, Gabby, who was made to appear like she was snobby and bratty. But whene More...
Jan 25, 2012
Rie
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book and felt it to be a quick read even though it was over 400 pages. Alec’s POV drew me in more than Claire’s which is unusual as I don’t usually enjoy reading from the male POV. I had read an adult book by Syrie James previously and found myself completely at a loss as to how this book would end because of my former knowledge that Syrie James has unusual endings.
I could instantly relate with Claire and wanted to know what was going to happen to her throughout. More...
I could instantly relate with Claire and wanted to know what was going to happen to her throughout. More...
Dec 19, 2011
Asheley
rated it:
(a similar version of this review can be found here at Into the Hall of Books: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/2011/1...)
I have always wanted to read a book by Syrie James but I never have...so when I got the chance to read and review this one, I jumped all over it. Of course, it didn't hurt that it had a pretty cover. When I read a little about Forbidden, I learned that this was James' YA debut as well as her first time writing with her son.
1. Th More...
I have always wanted to read a book by Syrie James but I never have...so when I got the chance to read and review this one, I jumped all over it. Of course, it didn't hurt that it had a pretty cover. When I read a little about Forbidden, I learned that this was James' YA debut as well as her first time writing with her son.
The Breakdown:
1. Th More...
Dec 09, 2011
Samantha
rated it:
This book was the first ARC I ever reviewed....so here it goes! I really enjoyed this book. Claire Brennan is a girl that is not the most popular in school, so when she has to go back to Emerson Academy, she is happy to see her two best friends, Brian and Erica. While they were waiting in line to get their textbooks, Erica realizes a very hot guy behind them. They exchange names and find out his is Alec. At first, Claire thinks he is a stuck-up snob because his lack of communication with them...
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Feb 09, 2012
Kelly
rated it:
I enjoyed Syrie James’s first two paranormal novels, Dracula, My Love and Nocturne, and so I was happy to try her new young adult paranormal, Forbidden, co-written with her son Ryan James. I enjoyed Forbidden but found that it didn’t quite stack up against the two aforementioned books.
Forbidden centers on Claire, a studious high school girl; and Alec, a Grigori angel who goes AWOL from his job of eliminating fallen Nephilim (human/angel hybrids) and decides to attend high school. It More...
Forbidden centers on Claire, a studious high school girl; and Alec, a Grigori angel who goes AWOL from his job of eliminating fallen Nephilim (human/angel hybrids) and decides to attend high school. It More...
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Jan 31, 2012
Natalie (Mindful Musings)
rated it:
Click here to read this review on my blog, Mindful Musings.
In a Sentence: Forbidden showed some good writing, but the story and romance fell flat for me.
My Thoughts
Forbidden was one of those books that showed up unexpectedly in my mailbox. I honestly hadn't heard much about it, but it was a YA book, and I'm almost always interested in the books HarperTeen sends me, so I figured I'd pick it up and give it a whirl so I could try to have a review up close to its More...
In a Sentence: Forbidden showed some good writing, but the story and romance fell flat for me.
My Thoughts
Forbidden was one of those books that showed up unexpectedly in my mailbox. I honestly hadn't heard much about it, but it was a YA book, and I'm almost always interested in the books HarperTeen sends me, so I figured I'd pick it up and give it a whirl so I could try to have a review up close to its More...
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Jan 24, 2012
Mrs. Heather Maddox
rated it:
From the first look, this book interested me. The cover is amazingly beautiful. I love the contrast of the colors and the transparent angel wings. This is definitely a cover that will shout out to you while sitting on the shelves.
This is a tail of “Forbidden” love. Alec and Claire meet at their private school on book day. This is the day that everyone comes in before school starts to collect all your books and locate your locker. Claire and her friends notice Alec in line and decide More...
This is a tail of “Forbidden” love. Alec and Claire meet at their private school on book day. This is the day that everyone comes in before school starts to collect all your books and locate your locker. Claire and her friends notice Alec in line and decide More...
Jan 31, 2012
Sharon
rated it:
I was so incredibly impressed with this novel! Syrie and Ryan James have accomplished the nearly impossible feat of writing about teenagers without being too sexually explicit while keeping the story lively, interesting, and fast-moving! Being the mother of four sons, I know teenage hormones rage at that age, but the James' story manages to convey the sense of longing and affection the two main characters have for each other without having to paint a graphic picture! Well Done!!!
W More...
W More...
Nov 30, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
This book was amazing! I loved Claire, she was a teenager. She didn't act like an adult; she complained to her friends, hid things from her mom, gossiped about boys, etc. I really liked that she stayed true to her age and wasn't overly mature. However, my favorite character was definitely Helena, she was so sassy! Actually, I liked all the characters, from the good guys to the bad guys. They were all very well developed and I felt like they were people I would know (minus the paranormal stuff);
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Feb 16, 2012
Celeste
rated it:
Overall I liked this book, but I just didn’t love it. I was initially drawn to it because I’m a sucker for any book about angels, and let’s face it, the cover is gorgeous.
I loved:
♥ The concept of Grigori and Nephilim. The Grigori (angels) watch over everyone and only interfere when something has gone very, very wrong. Alec MacKenizie is a Grigori, but he is tired and bored with just “watching”. Then there’s Claire Brennan, who is Nephilim (part angel and part human). I could e More...
I loved:
♥ The concept of Grigori and Nephilim. The Grigori (angels) watch over everyone and only interfere when something has gone very, very wrong. Alec MacKenizie is a Grigori, but he is tired and bored with just “watching”. Then there’s Claire Brennan, who is Nephilim (part angel and part human). I could e More...
Sep 26, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
This book is great! It has everything you want/need in a book. It is amazingly written and sucks you right into Claires world as it gets turned upside down.
Claire is written as someone who would rather go right out and ask questions than just pretend it didn't happen. Like Alec and his magical powers that she notices and doesnt know how to define. One day she is a normal teenager and the next she has psychic abilities and being saved by the mysterious Alec and the scaffolding fallin More...
Claire is written as someone who would rather go right out and ask questions than just pretend it didn't happen. Like Alec and his magical powers that she notices and doesnt know how to define. One day she is a normal teenager and the next she has psychic abilities and being saved by the mysterious Alec and the scaffolding fallin More...
Feb 08, 2012
Kelli
rated it:
I won an ARC from Goodreads and was happy since I finally won a YA book! I was unsure about reading it since the other angel/human love stories I have read were mainly so-so. I happened to LOVE this one!
The protagonist, Claire, is a likable and average teenage girl. She can easily remind you of yourself at her age. She isn't super popular and has a couple good friends. She has a raging crush on the most popular guy in school and he ignores her. Until the day she and her two friends are More...
The protagonist, Claire, is a likable and average teenage girl. She can easily remind you of yourself at her age. She isn't super popular and has a couple good friends. She has a raging crush on the most popular guy in school and he ignores her. Until the day she and her two friends are More...
Jan 30, 2012
Tara
rated it:
This just appeared in my mailbox one day, and having enjoyed Syrie's Dracula, My Love and Nocturne, I was excited to read it.
It's different. It's about angels, only they aren't called angels, and there is no mention of God. Matter of fact, they aren't sure where they get their orders from... It's like a paranormal CIA group. Alec is an angel trying not to be an angel, trying to live a normal teen life despite the fact he is actually over a hundred years old. Claire is...something el More...
It's different. It's about angels, only they aren't called angels, and there is no mention of God. Matter of fact, they aren't sure where they get their orders from... It's like a paranormal CIA group. Alec is an angel trying not to be an angel, trying to live a normal teen life despite the fact he is actually over a hundred years old. Claire is...something el More...
Feb 21, 2012
Jackie
rated it:
Forbidden was an enjoyable read. The cover caught me eye and i just had to read it. When i started reading this book, i had trouble into getting into it. And it seemed this way till the end of the book. I had enjoyed reading from both Claire's and Alec's POV.
This is a story of forbidden love. A Grigori boy meets a half-blood girl. Claire had been at Emerson Academy for two years now and when she turned seventeen, she's been experiencing psychic abilities. When she meets Alec, with hi More...
This is a story of forbidden love. A Grigori boy meets a half-blood girl. Claire had been at Emerson Academy for two years now and when she turned seventeen, she's been experiencing psychic abilities. When she meets Alec, with hi More...
