Forever… follows Katherine and Michael as they navigate first love and intimacy during their senior year of high school in the 70s. The two meet at a New Year’s Eve party, and they quickly grow inseparable. Though their parents believe their relationship won’t last, Katherine and Michael are confident that they’ve found their forever person.
This was such an interesting read, and I thought it was an important step in normalizing some taboo topics that often make teens uncomfortable. This novel takes place over a short period of time, which I think shows how quickly young love can escalate. Oftentimes, I think people disregard the feelings of teens and young adults, but I believe these feelings are valid and so intense because it’s their first time feeling such strong emotions. Katherine and Michael aren’t immature—they make very mature, conscious decisions with respect towards one another—they just feel their emotions very deeply. I was rooting for them the entire time, not just as a couple, but as individuals growing up and navigating the world as young adults.
The Netflix adaptation of Forever… was incredible. The show is described as a reimagined version of the book, with Blume as an executive producer and Mara Brock Akil as the executive producer and showrunner. There are a lot of differences between the book and the show, but I believe they both capture the essence of first love—including the awkward firsts, the sweet gestures, and the inevitable heartbreak.
Instead of taking place in the 70s, the show starts on New Year’s Eve 2017 and spans over multiple years, ending in the summer of 2019. Katherine becomes Keisha Clark, played by Lovie Simone, and Michael becomes Justin Edwards, played by Michael Cooper Jr. Keisha and Justin are two Black teens in Los Angeles navigating first love, mental health struggles, academic pressure, family expectations, and racism. The modern updates to the show make the characters and their story feel more realistic and relatable, and I think the representation was fantastic.
The show expands upon both Keisha and Justin’s personal lives, which creates a stronger attachment between viewers and the characters and helps them feel more fleshed out. The inclusion of elements like social media also created more interesting dynamics among our characters and in their struggles, as it allows viewers to understand how social media can impact young adults negatively. Though there are so many differences between the novel and the show, two things remain the same: the heart of the story and the idea that no matter how different someone’s circumstances may be, the intensity of first love is always the same.
The main issue that parents have with Forever… is its depiction of sexual intimacy, believing that it is graphic and inappropriate for young adults. Personally, I didn’t feel this way at all. I didn’t find this book to be graphic, but rather honest. The main characters’ decisions never felt reckless, and I thought it was great to see two teens taking responsibility for their actions and making decisions with a lot of thought behind them.
I can understand parents’ hesitancy to hand their child a book that discusses mature topics, which is why Blume says that the book should not be placed in the children’s section of a bookstore (Judy Blume on the Web). At the same time, I think parents often underestimate their teens’ ability to handle taboo topics, wanting to shield them from things that are new or scary. Though this makes sense, it doesn’t allow for young people to set their own boundaries and determine what they’re ready for themselves.
I think censorship is extremely detrimental to readers—especially young readers—because books can be a great way for young people to understand themselves and the world around them. As Blume described on her website, children know when they are ready to read a mature book, and they can always “put the book down” (Judy Blume on the Web). With a novel like Forever…, parental interference could stop someone from learning about safety precautions when it comes to sexual intimacy, and this repression of sexuality won’t help teens and make them feel safe, but rather create an environment where they feel too scared to ask questions.
Blume describes how her daughter, Randy, was tired of reading about love stories where the couples go through something traumatizing—like death or unwanted pregnancy—that results in punishment (Judy Blume on the Web). This is what inspired Blume to write Forever… and make a story that doesn’t repress the sexual desires that young people have, but rather creates a space where they are safe to explore without punishment or shame. Through this novel, Blume creates an authentic, honest story about first love.
Both the book and the show do a great job of depicting authentic teen stories. This story is meant for older teens who are ready to take the next step in their relationship, and the book and the show don’t shy away from the awkwardness of young love and firsts. In the book, Katherine feels uncomfortable with physical intimacy, so Michael helps her feel more comfortable by taking things slow and creating an environment where Katherine feels safe. In the show, Keisha and Justin are both new to physical intimacy, and though there are awkward moments where they both feel unsure of what to do, a safe environment is also created that allows for mistakes and embarrassing moments. Blume tells such an honest story filled with consensual intimacy that is a perfect model for young adults learning about sexual responsibility.
Forever… feels like a real story—one that I could spend hours obsessing over with my friends, wondering if Katherine/Keisha and Michael/Justin will truly stay together forever. It’s a book that leaves you feeling nostalgic for a time when crushes and first love were the center of the universe, where the pressure of choosing a college to attend feels like the most weight you’ll ever bear. Forever… was such a great read and an even better watch, and it’s an authentic teen story that I will recommend (and defend) forever!
Emersen Cooper, Pine Reads Review Writer, Editor, and Website Manager