Reviews with content warning for Drug use - The Problem with Forever

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The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

11 reviews

agus02's review against another edition

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hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

1.5

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breedawnwriter's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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

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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

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luinerys's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of a character that is so vastly different than me. I think the conflict was realistic and I could comprehend the actions of every character. I loved that the book dealt with slow healing and involved but also flawed parents that had the grace to apologize when they messed up. Even a good teacher had some time to shine.

The two were very cute and I loved the way they learned to speak to each other.

The Ex is not a complete bitch in the end. I don't believe girls always have to be pitted against one another especially over a guy. I don't think her being this mean in the beginning and middle was necessary either, Mallory's struggling with standing up for herself could have been shown differently. But at least the aspect that they could still be friends was not an issue and cheating just not the typical drama.

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blue8's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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risseandshine's review against another edition

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emotional 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? Yes

4.0

"Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn't exist."

Wow. The way this book chose to be as vulnerable as it did smacked me right in the face. I'd also like to give credits to myself for choosing to read this book at the most perfect time. I didn't know I would need this book until I flipped the last page.

This book reads more than just a YA romance. It's about two scarred and bruised characters finding each other again, falling in love, while also battling their demons in the process.

Mallory was one of the most relatable characters I have ever read. I did not go through the same experience as she did, but the aftermath is pretty close. I wanted to give her the biggest hug and cheer for her with every accomplishment she achieved. Her will to try and fight for herself was an amazing display of strength and for that, she inspired me. And Rider...this sweet yet broken boy. It was admirable how he went through so much brutality he still remained standing. He deserves the world and he deserves to know that fact. The character development these two went through was beautiful and it made their romance so deep and genuine.

Aside from the romance, I loved how this book touched on the concept of 'forever'. How it's nonexistence can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. I noted some powerful quotes surrounding this thought that I am keen to go back to if and when the situation calls for it. Or even randomly as they were that noteworthy.

As much as I loved this book, I couldn't help but think that it still felt lacking in some places. There were side characters that I began to love but then they suddenly didn't feel there at all as the story progressed and I felt a bit disappointed. I wish their presence were established more with a more fleshed out characterization because I feel like they could have added significantly to the whole plot.

Overall, I loved my experience with this book. I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a YA romance with depth yet still easy to fly through and digest. This was actually my first JLA book and now I know how this author writes, it definitely won't be the last.

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oraclereadings's review against another edition

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slow-paced

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

2.0

I think the biggest issue I had with this book was that Rider completely disregarded his girlfriend for Mallory. At one point he even informs Mallory that he told his girlfriend, "If I had to choose between you or her, I'm choosing you". That's not something a girl wants to hear, whether she's your girlfriend or not.

Rider was meant to be this perfect savior of a boyfriend, but he was just so plain and boring. Even more so than Mallory. The two had no chemistry together other than their shared past.

There wasn't really a lot of plot, either. Most of the book honestly just focuses on Mallory yearning for Rider when she shouldn't (because he's still with his girlfriend). Instead of Mallory and Rider's relationship being the main focus, I would have loved to see the outcome of a lot of the side character's. Like Ainsley and Hector. Even Paige had a huge character development.

Mallory never stands up for herself unless he's somehow involved and there honestly isn't much growth like everyone claims in the book. This was another big disappointment and why I didn't enjoy the book like I thought I would. As someone that's always had speech problems, I wanted to be able to relate to Mallory and watch her make a big impression. But the story was just so dry.

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