Blume, J. (1975). Forever: A novel. Scarsdale, N.Y: Bradbury Press 9780027110302
Reasons for Reading : I remember loving all the Judy Blume books I read as a child – Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Just As Long As We’re Together, etc. As I grew, I read Deenie and It’s Not the End of the World. When I read Wifey as a high school senior, the book scandalized me. From what everyone told me about Forever…, I decided not to try it until November 2011. I requested and checked it out from HCPL.
Summary: When Katherine meets Michael at a New Year’s Eve party thrown by best friend Erica’s cousin, she immediately catches his eye. Soon, the two high school seniors are dating and can’t get enough of each other. Michael wants to “go all the way” with Katherine. Ready for true love, Katherine agrees that their love is a “forever thing” . . . but is it really?
What I Liked : I wish Judy Blume had been my Life Science teacher. She doesn’t back away from the pros and cons of teen sex. The book even began with a note from Blume on how Forever… was published before HIV prevalence. The characters were identifiable, especially narrator Katherine.
What I Disliked : I didn’t care for Michael. I thought he pushed Katherine around the proverbial baseball diamond. Simply put, he pressured her into having sex with him.
Four Out of Five Pearls
Song: The Shirelles – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Setting : New Jersey
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I loved this book as a pre-teen! It got passed around from girl to girl at school. Judy Blume is so awesome.
Glad to hear this book holds up well. Yeah, I agree Michael was a jerk. Great idea to have a note from Blume about the timing of the book and HIV, etc.
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