Blurb (as on Goodreads):
Katherine and Michael meet at a New Year’s Eve party. They’re attracted to each other, they grow to love each other. And once they’ve decided their love is forever, they make love.
It’s the beginning of an intense and exclusive relationship, with a future all planned. Until Katherine’s parents insist that she and Michael put their love to the test with a summer apart…
Forever is written for an older age group than Judy Blume’s other novels for children. It caused a storm of controversy when it was first published because of its explicit sexual content.
Katherine and Michael, two teenage souls who fall in love, only to discover that most of the times, love is clumsy and awkward. They share a wonderful chemistry, and I would totally vouch for them. But then life happens and so does growing up.
Katherine in insecure and she keeps having seconds thoughts about building a physical relationship with Michael. Michael, on the other hand, is trying really hard to win her trust. And thus begins an intense, exploratory relationship that is also about discovering one’s sexual side.
“Do you think you can wait – because I don’t want you to stop loving me. I keep remembering us and how it was. I don’t want to hurt you…not ever…”
Forever was banned because it talks about sex just the way it should be talked about, not sugarcoated and full of metaphors. It is most certainly explicit, but maybe the society does need to be straightforward about certain things, rather than overrating stuff.
The story is quite simple and predictable, with an emphasis on friendship and relationship. I wasn’t particularly fond of the writing style, It felt weak and shallow. The characters were pretty tolerable, given the circumstances.
Forever should be read because it tells us the perils of a teenage relationship and that even if you had to minus the other problems, facing one’s own sexual side can be quite a challenge.
To join or know more about The Banned Book Club hosted by the lovely Shruti @thisislit, click here
Purchase Links: |Amazon Paperback|
Ecstatic yet Chaotic 
I think this book is still an absolute classic, and I can’t imagine how mind blowing it must have been to read if you were a teen when it first came out!
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I agree. I would have definitely enjoyed the book more if I were a teenager 🙂
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Intrigued. Intend to revisit my teenage years
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I still haven’t read this book. 🙈 I feel like I would’ve loved it as a teenager!
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ikr. I wish I read it as a teenager
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I used to read Judy Blume so much when I was younger, but I never got around to reading Forever although I remember how it was famous for being banned because it dealt with a sexual relationship. It sounds like you didn’t really enjoy it though
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Yeah, I enjoyed it in bits and pieces actually. I think the book would have resonated with me more, if I read it as a teenager. But now I dont read much of YA, the story did feel a bit off. Bute yeah loved most of the bits, especially the sexual exploration. Such an important message.
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Judy Blume’s books have never worked for me, Maybe because I am well past that target age. Still I hear it is considered a classic of sorts.
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Same. I would have enjoyed it when i were a teenager. I found it dull and monotonous
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