I have just turned the last page of this book and my nose is still stuffed, eyes still wet and stinging with tears. My chest is heavy, so, so heavy. 
 It's been such a long time that a book has made me feel--pretty much anything at all. As hard as this story was to take, the back and forth between joy and pain, hopefulness and hopelessness, was exhausting. 
 When I first heard about this book, I told myself I wouldn't read it, I couldn't read it. I don't like books that can't end happy, that have no hope of ending happy. But I could not stay away from this one. And I will tell you all, it was worth the heartache and tears. Lochan and Maya's story is one I will not soon forget. 
 Many will shy away from this book because of the incestuous love story within. But, God, if I can encourage you to look past it, to just see Lochan and Maya as Lochan and Maya, I guarantee you will feel for them too. 
 I can't even begin to express how much I fell in love with Lochan. He is so incredibly tortured by guilt and fear which manifests into a crippling social anxiety. He can't talk to anyone, date anyone, do anything--except with his siblings, and especially Maya. He's 17, has been abandoned by his father, and his mother is a selfish, alcoholic whore who eventually abandons them all for her boyfriend and his family. She cares nothing about taking care of her children and leaves the oldest two, Lochan, and his 16 year old sister, Maya, in charge of taking care of themselves and their rebellious 13 year old brother Kit, their 8 year old brother Tiffin, and their 5 year old sister Willa. The two have more burdens than any 17 and 16 year olds should ever, ever have. They have to make sure all the children are fed, bathed, get to school, doctor, etc, go grocery shopping, chase their mother down for money to pay the bills. 
 It was not surprising that their feelings turned into something more. They were, in essence, acting as a mother and father to the younger siblings, and a husband and wife in their support of one another. It wasn't always incestuous, not in the beginning, but the more they leaned on each other, the more they helped each other through this, the more inevitable it became. 
 As heartbreaking and WRONG it was, I found myself WANTING more for them, despite the taboo. It's hard to come to terms with feeling that way, with wanting something you know is so, so wrong, yet you can't help it. It gives you a bit of an idea what Lochan and Maya went through, how hard it was, how torturous it was. 
 I can't adequately put into words how utterly beautifully heartbreaking this story is. It's so real, so, so real, that you almost wonder if it isn't. I admire Ms. Suzuma for taking on such a hard circumstance and making it so human, so awful, so beautiful. It really brings home the point how you really can't choose who you fall in love with, that when it comes to the heart, it wants what it wants, regardless of color, ethnicity, sex, or even blood. 
 If you can get past the subject matter, if you can leave your preconceived notions aside and open your heart to two kids who are suffering in so many ways that are out of control, give this read a shot. Your heart will soar and it will break. There will be tears. But there will also be joy.