Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Problem with Forever

This is one of those books that changes you. That sticks with you long after you finish reading the last page. That leaves you feeling like not only were the characters real, but that they have made you want to be a better person.

I'd planned to break this down into my usual "What I Loved" and "What I Didn't Love" sections, but as I'm here, thinking about the book, I don't think I can write that kind of review for this book. There really wasn't anything that I strongly disliked, and something about this book doesn't fit the usual mold. So, this might be a mess, but I hope that this review is able to shed light on why I think you should give this book a chance. <3

The Characters
Mallory: Mallory is the protagonist, but she's one of those protagonists who truly drives the story forward. I can't actually say that this is a plot-driven book because the external plot is so secondary to Mallory's internal conflict. From page one, we know what her internal conflict is, why it matters to her, and what she thinks is the way to conquer it. Of course, that plan goes to shit almost immediately, but unlike other lame protagonists, Mallory actually has agency. She makes decisions. She f***s up. Mallory makes stupid choices and has to deal with the consequences. But, I never got mad at her, not really, because I knew why she was making those decisions. The author makes sure that we know enough about Mallory and her past to understand why she does what she does, and that keeps the story from feeling shallow.

Rider: He was my favorite character, hands down. I've always loved the scarred, broken, vulnerable boys who would literally do anything to protect the girl they love, and Rider is no exception. A lot of people would probably write him off as a walking cliche, but even so, he feels real, which is so much more important to me. He gives off the bad boy/protector energy that so many of us expect (and love) in the romance genre, which made me kick my feet and swoon constantly. But, he's also so much more than just a trope. He's complex and complicated and multifaceted, and we get to discover that alongside Mallory as the two reconnect. There's so much I want to say about him, but for sake of time, I'll just say this: Rider contains a lot of cliches and tropes, but he exists outside of those, too. He's a broken, f****ed up little dude who had to grow up way too fast, and watching him learn how to love himself was a painful, but healing, ride.

Ainsley: This girl taught me what a successful subplot looks like. Ainsley is Mallory's best friend, and while she's a secondary character, she is so important for the story. Without Ainsley, Mallory's story is lacking. Ainsley exists to fill multiple roles, and her ability to create nuance and parallels to the overarching theme is my favorite.

The Plot
There isn't necessarily anything incredibly unique about this story. At it's most basic level, it's a story about two teenagers who survived an abusive childhood and reunite in high school. They have to face their trauma and learn how to heal the shattered parts of themselves that they didn't break.

What makes this plot so successful are the characters. (See above for details.) Mallory and Rider carry this story, and they do so incredibly well. They balance each other: where Mallory is broken, Rider is strong, and where Mallory is strong, Rider is broken. They portray the dangers of codependency and what happens when you don't learn how to heal from severe trauma.

There are parts of this story that are really hard to read because no child should ever go through the things that Mallory and Rider experienced. But, it's in those moments that you're able to realize the importance of stories like this—the stories that shed light on how trauma impacts all areas of your life. The stories that expose the reality that healing is not linear: it's a journey with a lot of negative moments and steps backward.

The Theme
Throughout the book, Mallory returns to the idea of forever. When she and Rider were children, forever wasn’t something to look forward to because their current situation was so bad and abusive. So, the idea of forever meant that there would always be pain and suffering. As I was reading this book, I wrote “Is that the problem with forever?” in the margins next to so many of these moments (where Mallory wondered about forever). Every time the idea of forever came up, I was ready to see a title drop or a theme emerge. I was so ready for it that, by the time I reached it, I couldn’t believe it still managed to catch me off-guard. I knew it would come full circle, but I never could have imagined that it would happen in a way that resonated with me beyond just Mallory’s journey. I have a lot of thoughts about the scene where this happens, but I'm not going to say anything else because I don't want to have to mark this entire review as a spoiler.

In the end, The Problem With Forever is a book that I know I'll return to many times in the future. I annotated the hell out of it while reading, and I can only imagine how many more times I'll annotate it over the years. It was one of my favorite reads this year, and I'm so grateful to Armentrout for giving me a book that made me feel sixteen again. <3

Content Warnings

cait's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

sarahrose14's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

_mm_'s review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I liked some parts if the book, but the not talking part and stuff was very annoying

the breaking up in the end because she deserved better was very annoying if that didn’t happen i would rate it 3.0

it was cute and a very good way to spread awareness about the child/youth care. Very real and very honest characters which i loved! But i think the book could be shorter because of an experience that did not add anything to the story (the spoiler bit). So 2,5/5 stars, okay romance with a very serious topic! (Check triggerwarnings!)

Content Warnings