Forever [Unabridged] [Paperback]

Judy Blume (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2001

Do you remember the first time? Still the bravest, freshest, fruitiest and most honest account of first love, first sex and first heartbreak ever written for teens. It was a book ahead of its time and remains, after thirty years in print, a teenage bestseller.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Judy Blume is a publishing phenomenon" TES"

About the Author

For several decades Judy Blume has been winning legions of fans around the world with her stories. More than 75 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. She receives thousands of letters every month from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her. Judy lives on islands up and down the east coast of America with her husband.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Pan Childrens; Unabridged edition (March 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 033039780X
• ISBN-13: 978-0330397803
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,131,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, NJ, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places, doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Superfudge; Blubber; Just As Long As We're Together; and Forever. She has also written the best-selling novels Wifey; Smart Women; and, Summer Sisters. More than 75 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into twenty-six languages.
She receives thousands of letters each month from readers of all ages who share their feelings and
concerns with her.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year that American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. She has won more than ninety awards, none more important than those coming directly from her youngest readers.
She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild, currently as Vice President; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, where she sponsors an award for contemporary fiction; and the National Coalition Against Censorship, working to protect intellectual freedom. In Spring 2002, Judy was a spokesperson for the Cheerios "A Book for Every Child" literacy campaign which benefited Reading is Fundamental, America's largest literacy organization. She is also the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation.
Judy's first book in the Fudge series, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, was published in 1972. She is thrilled to be celebrating its 30th Anniversary with the publication of Double Fudge. Just as generations of fans have loved the Fudge books, generations of Judy's family have inspired them. Thirty years ago, Fudge was inspired by her son, Larry, and now Double Fudge was written at the request of her grandson, Elliot.
Judy lives on islands up and down the East Coast with her husband George Cooper. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading for all teens, July 12, 2007

By 

B. Pitt "Pittmeister" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forever (Paperback)

Judy Bloom's "Forever" is a great tale about a young woman's journey into adulthood and independence by focusing on her relationship with a boy who becomes her first sexual partner. We follow the main character from the time she meets the boy until the end of the book. I first read this book as a horny 15 year old boy and read it again years later when I was in my 20's and it had a different meaning for me. When I have teenagers, especially if I have girls, I am going to recommend they read this book. It's that good!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 20, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever (Paperback)

FOREVER... is the most romantic teen love story ever written!

Katherine and Michael are normal teens who meet in a normal way - at a party! What they have together is so bonding it seems like it will last forever. It's also the most difficult kind of relationship, because they are truly in love.

After meeting and going out a few times, Katherine feels like she is in love. When she and Michael begin getting closer in a sexual way, they both feel as if this could be it.

If I say any more about the plot then I will give away the whole book!

Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down! It isn't often that you come across such an amazing love story because it is told as if Ms. Blume has really been in this intense of a relationship. FOREVER... is a must read for any older, mature teens due to sexual content.

Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful in every way, November 4, 2011

By 

MariaBav - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever (Paperback)

What can I say about this book... firstly, it is the best growing up book I have read, and secondly Judy Blume has captured the process of growing up extremely well.

Forever is about first love, first sex and first heartbreak, and I believe that Blume has portrayed this effectively by the way she has described what is involved in first love relationships. This book is aimed at teenage girls who will be going through the same steps of growing up, so Katherine, the main character, is leading the way and showing that everyone goes through the same thing. Blume has portrayed Katherine's worries and feeling about the subject of sex, which will help other girls to think about what they want for the future. Throughout the book we also read about other girls and their own experiences on sex which Blume will have added so that the reader learns of what happens when you take different steps of action through sex.

However to be honest, I did think that throughout the book it kept skipping parts, for example it was talking about one day, then the next sentence it was talking about a few days later. But this could be seen as effective because Blume wanted to get across the facts of relationships, so she may have felt that skipping parts and moving straight on to the relationship parts of the story would help people keep in their minds what the story is portraying.

When it was first published there was a debate about whether it was suitable for teenage girls, because of its sexual content. However, in my opinion this book is most definitely suitable because teenage girls need to learn of risks of sex (pregnancy, STIs), and this book includes all the steps to take for when you first start having sex. If you ask yourself a question, whom do girls go to for help and advice? The answer may very well be family or doctors/family planning clinic, but some girls don't have the confidence to speak about their worries. Therefore this book will give them all the information about sex, without having to speak out about it. It may well contain graphic scenes, but that's the whole part about growing up and learning.