Forbidden

October 1, 2014
A Mesopotamian girl seeks love in the 18th century B.C. In a tribe of desert nomads whose names come primarily from the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, a 15-year-old hilariously named Jayden prepares for an unwanted betrothal. It's the time of Hammurabi, and Jayden, "a daughter of Abraham," is to wed loathsome Horeb, heir to the throne of her tribe. Horeb, selfish and lazy, abandons Jayden in her deepest tragedy, but mysterious Kadesh appears out of the desert to aid her. Even Jayden's older sister, Leila, sees which way the wind is blowing, telling Jayden, "Horeb might be your future husband, but Kadesh is the handsome stranger who can't take his eyes off you." Meanwhile, Leila is thinking about abandoning the ways of their fathers for the comforts of the Temple of Ashtoreth, giving Jayden plenty of opportunity to moralize at her sister about the wickedness of priestess practices (though Jayden herself is not quite clear what's so evil about it). When everything goes wrong (mostly because of Horeb's cackling villainy, invisible to all but Jayden), it's the people Jayden judges and finds wanting who rescue her-not that their kindness changes her opinions. Readers looking for blandly re-created historical settings that are less anachronistic than this would be better served by Esther Friesner's Princesses of Myth series. The setup for a sequel doesn't entice. (Historical fiction. 12-14)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In this novel set in ancient Syria at the time of Hammurabi, 16-year-old Jayden is betrothed to Horeb, future king of her tribe, a contract she views with apprehension. When her mother dies in childbirth, Jayden, her sister Leila, and her father are left behind to bury the dead. While mourning at her mother's gravesite, Jayden meets a mysterious young man from the south who tells her his name is Kadesh and that he has been stranded in the desert after an attack on his trading caravan. As Kadesh travels with her and her family, Jayden falls in love with him, a forbidden romance because of her betrothal to Horeb. The heroine is also trying to protect her older sister Leila, who wishes to leave tribal life behind and live at the temple of Ashtoreth as a temple prostitute. When Horeb turns violent, Jayden must find a way to save herself, her family, and Kadesh. Middle Eastern dance is a major part of this story. The protagonist and the women of her tribe dance to celebrate betrothals, to ease childbirth, and to mourn death. The women at the temple of Ashtoreth also dance, ostensibly in worship of the goddess, but male spectators see their dance as sexually titillating, an attitude offensive to Jayden's people. There are a few minor historical inaccuracies but overall, this is a fast-paced, entertaining choice which will appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance, as well as readers interested in this dance form.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* In the unforgiving desert of Mesopotamia, 1,700 years before the birth of Jesus, lives Jayden's tribe, descendants of Abraham and believers in the one God. For Jayden, her life is filled with certainty. She is betrothed to Horeb, who will one day become tribal leader, and until their wedding, she lives with her loving parents and sister, Leila. Then all falls apart. Her mother dies in childbirth; her sister insists that she will move to the Temple of Ashtoreth, where she will live in luxury as a pagan priestess; and Kadesh, a stranger, comes to her aid and into her heart. Jayden tries to fight a relationship that is strictly forbidden, but as Horeb's cruelty becomes more and more evident, Jayden must make choices between dishonor and freedom. At its core, this is a romance, with all the push and pull that goes along with impossible love, and Little elevates the story by creating a perilous landscape, both outward and inward, as Jayden must deal with the hardship of desert life as well as her own desires. This fits neatly into the new adult category, and an apparent sequel will be anticipated.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)