Reviews

Forever . . . by Judy Blume

ggreeley's review against another edition

3.0

Never really realized that Judy Blume wrote young adult novels. This book definitely kept me reading, but just not used to dealing with adolescent issues by way of Judy Blume.

livburness's review against another edition

emotional informative lighthearted reflective sad fast-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

3.5

wkbryant2021's review against another edition

3.0

3.5. Simple and intimate portrayal of young love. Our gentle-hearted protagonist falls in love with a boy named Michael, a horny boy who has a premature ejaculation problem and doesn't know how to cope with negative emotions. He falls in love with her too. They have a sweet, childhood romance (as seniors) and we are given a compassionate look at the life of a 17 year old girl trying to figure all this stuff out. The characters in this book are very believable and lovable (Michael is somewhat of an exception) and I really liked the ending. It made this book feel complete. It was a simple, gentle read and in the end, I thought it was nice.

brynners89's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

knuckledown's review against another edition

3.0

I bought Forever because it’s a classic teen book (and because I like the new Judy Blume covers—not that I’m swayed by packaging or anything). Since its publication in 1975, this book has been controversial for its frank discussion of teen sexuality. Even by 2014 standards, the sexuality was more explicit than most contemporary fiction for teens. That’s not to say that the situations are sensationalized or exploitative, just very matter-of-fact. Actually, Blume’s whole writing style is straightforward in the extreme: heavy on the dialogue and light on the description. Although Forever won’t make its way onto my list of favorite teen reads, its honesty makes me glad that the book exists.

More reviews (some much longer) on my blog: Courtney Coherent

blvaillancourt's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

maddynd06's review against another edition

2.0

2/5

I wasn’t very fond of this book. While I can appreciate the idea of a book addressing sex education, I don’t think this did the best job. My main issue was with Michael’s character, and how pushy he was with Katherine. I’m not sure if Blume was trying to make a point about consent or not. Personally, I think Michael needed to be reflected on in a more negative light. Also, the characters felt very flat. There wasn’t a whole lot of depth to them. However, I think this was book pretty accurate to the teenage experience in terms of sexuality.

marissagoodell92's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

ooh_lalaa91's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

cosmo_junk's review against another edition

2.0

sometimes i feel like judy blume is the only person who understands me.

this one was good! i really didn't like michael at all. he was so pushy when it came to sex but was also rly bad at it?? ik you can do better girl. and don't even get me started on ralph... i know ms judy blume only inserted that in (god) so she can avoid saying cock over and over, but it made me even more uncomfortable. anyway good on kath for finding someone else.