Forever (Mass Market Paperback)

by Judy Blume (Author) "Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys..." (more)
Key Phrases: tennis counselor, New York, Tommy Aronson, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"Going all the way" is still a taboo subject in young adult literature. Judy Blume was the first author to write candidly about a sexually active teen, and she's been defending teenagers' rights to read about such subjects ever since. Here, Blume tells a convincing tale of first love--a love that seems strong and true enough to last forever. Katherine loves Michael so much, in fact, that she's willing to lose her virginity to him, and, as the months go by, it gets harder and harder for her to imagine living without him. However, something happens when they are separated for the summer: Katherine begins to have feelings for another guy. What does this mean about her love for Michael? What does this mean about love in general? What does "forever" mean, anyway? As always, Blume writes as if she's never forgotten a moment of what it's like to be a teenager.

Product Description
"No preaching (Blume never does) but the message is clear; no hedging (Blume never does) but a candid account by Kathy gives intimate details of a first sexual relationship. The characters and dialogue are equally natural and vigorous, the language uncensored, the depiction of family relationships outstanding."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (August 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671695304
• ISBN-13: 978-0671695309
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (309 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #543,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

124 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous book!, January 29, 2000

By A Customer

I just read through all 104 customer reviews, and while I agreed with most of them, I couldn't believe the ones from people saying that this book was 'perverted', 'disgusting', and whatnot. I'm 14 years old and read this book in 2 hours the day I got it. It's a very good example of first love - you think it will last forever, but it ends up that it isn't going to happen. I don't know if the sex scenes are realistic or not, but I know this much: they are NOT your typical perfect, amazing, swooning scenes of other books and movies. It's a very honest book. Yes, it is somewhat graphic at times, but for us girls who haven't had any sexual encounters yet, it shows us how it will very likely be for us at first. Katherine is nervous, and scared when she loses her virginity - Judy Blume shows the emotions and fear that comes with it. Overall, this book is fantastic, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Judy Blume and is 13 or older!

87 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This has endured for a reason..., October 21, 2004

By	Book Mom (Maryland) - See all my reviews

...that being that it is still as topical now as it was when I read it more than 20 years ago. It is not a "how to" manual for sex, but rather illustrates the disappointment that can come from giving yourself sexually to someone who doesn't deserve you. That's what I took from it all those years ago, and *this book* was one of many factors that encouraged me NOT to have sex as a teenager.

To the reviewer who said "I can tell you that many young women I knew became sexually active at a very young age, due in large part to this book. It made sex seem 'hip' and 'cool'. The saddest part of all is what this book says about our culture..." If you think a book is what makes teenagers have sex, you need a lesson on hormones. This book makes sex seem special, and not something that you want to do with just anybody. And what is says about our culture is that teens are naturally curious about sex, and if their parents instill in them some self-esteem and self-respect, they won't want to just give their bodies away to someone who doesn't appreciate them. Don't blame a book because people are poor parents.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teen Issues About Love & Sex, September 25, 2001

By A Customer

"Forever" is the 'adult' novel about Katherine Danziger and Michael Wagner, two teenagers experiencing first love together. They meet at a mutual friend's New Year's Eve party. Initially, Kath isn't too impressed with him, but as the night wears on, she finds herself growing more and more attracted to him. Then he shows up the next day and admits he's interested in her.

From there, everything's pretty obvious, so I'm not going to prattle on about details and events. They spend countless hours together, going skiing, making out, etc. The sex scenes are explicit (but not trashy) and sometimes funny. You'll understand what I mean when you meet Ralph.

Then comes the dreaded summertime when Katherine and Michael are separated by jobs. This is when their relationship is on the line: Does Katherine cheat on Michael or not? Answer: You'll just have to read "Forever" and find out for yourself.

When I picked this book up recently, I was surprised to see it was written back in the 70s. Even though it's a 'dinosaur' of a book, the material is pretty much up-to-date about teenage pregnancy and sex. The one thing that's changed over the years is AIDS, which Judy Blume briefly talks about at the beginning of this book. Otherwise, this book will probably be passed on for generations, and the issues will probably still be the same.

One complaint: Nobody in this book seemed to have any major hang-ups about sex or birth control. Kath's family and friends were eager and open to talk about sex; Kath's grandmother even gave her birth control advice. Now, I don't know of anyone who could be so lucky, so in that respect "Forever" failed to be realistic.

Even though "Forever" is not my favorite Judy Blume book, it's definitely worth reading. If you're pretty comfortable about sex, you'll probably enjoy this book. If not, you'll probably cringe and either burn it or secretly continue reading it.

Three years after it was published, "Forever" was made into a TV movie. I wasn't born yet to see it, but from what I heard, I didn't miss much.