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ellie_girl2929's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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’ve read this book 3 times now and still can’t get enough. This book will forever be my comfort book and I will always come back to it. This book is such an emotional roller coaster and I’ve cried the first two times while reading it. I’ve never read a book like this before and I really relate to it and to Mallory. She wants to feel real and loved and she thinks she isn’t good enough for the world and along the way she learns so many lessons and starts to feel like she’s worthy. I love how she ended up finding herself and helping Rider to help get out those negative thoughts in his head that have buried deep in his head from the abusive household he lived in. Everyone deserves a second chance especially at living and changing your ways for the better. I definitely recommend this book and any chance I get at talking about it I would. I can go on and on and love to have deep conversations with people and this book just describes the feeling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Murder
breedawnwriter's review against another edition
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
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
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Cursing, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Drug use
Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol
There are several sexual scenes between consenting teenagers. They don’t have sex, but they do other things and those things are briefly described.cait's review against another edition
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
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexual harassment, Death, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Violence
tkreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
I absolutely adored this book. It had such a powerful message that being quiet is okay!
Mallory is the main protagonist suffering from the trauma she was faced with as a child. Defending herself left her with scars and bruises, so she always stayed quiet as her best friend Rider stood up for her and protected her. Years later, Mallory decides she wants her senior year in school instead of being homeschooled where she bumps into her childhood friend: Rider.
I loved all the characters. Mallory had such great character development as she was shy (therefore given the nickname ‘Mouse’ that Rider calls her) to being confident and standing up for herself. The emotions she felt were so realistic.
The reunion and reconnecting that these two main characters had was beautiful. The attraction that sparked between them from the very first moment, I loved that.
There is also some of the cliche high school drama such as a mean girlfriend involved. It’s obvious that Rider would straight away choose Mallory over Paige. I felt like he didn’t even really care for Paige, although he mentioned it, I just felt like he never did and it was always just Mallory. Yet Paige understands this and I like how the main male character’s ex is understanding! It’s not like that much in ya high school books. I hated Paige in the beginning because I thought she’d be the stereotypical mean girl but I ended up loving her in the end.
Rider and Mallory have such a deep and emotional connection as they did grow up in the same abusive foster home. They understand each other and Rider always feels like he needs to protect Mallory. I also love Mallory’s connections with Keira, her best friend Ainsley who I adored and the brothers Jayden and Hector. It was a plot twist that Jayden was murdered and I’m not sure how I feel about it
But it’s not just a romance. Mallory ends up with this great courage that she didn’t have at the start of the book! in her speech class, Mallory didn’t like presenting and so she only presented her speech to her teacher and not to the class. In the end, she does a powerful speech about the not just one but multiple people that influence and inspire her to the front of the class and I think that really shows her confidence and character development.
There are several messages in this book such as be your true self, do what you want to do! This is demonstrated as Mallory’s foster parents Carl and Rosa want her to follow in their footsteps of being a doctor. However, Mallory wants to do something else. I loved every minute of this book.
Not a 5 as it was a bit predictable in some points but for sure worth the read! This has become a favourite romance contemporary of mine!
Mallory is the main protagonist suffering from the trauma she was faced with as a child. Defending herself left her with scars and bruises, so she always stayed quiet as her best friend Rider stood up for her and protected her. Years later, Mallory decides she wants her senior year in school instead of being homeschooled where she bumps into her childhood friend: Rider.
I loved all the characters. Mallory had such great character development as she was shy (therefore given the nickname ‘Mouse’ that Rider calls her) to being confident and standing up for herself. The emotions she felt were so realistic.
The reunion and reconnecting that these two main characters had was beautiful. The attraction that sparked between them from the very first moment, I loved that.
There is also some of the cliche high school drama such as a mean girlfriend involved. It’s obvious that Rider would straight away choose Mallory over Paige. I felt like he didn’t even really care for Paige, although he mentioned it, I just felt like he never did and it was always just Mallory. Yet Paige understands this and I like how the main male character’s ex is understanding! It’s not like that much in ya high school books. I hated Paige in the beginning because I thought she’d be the stereotypical mean girl but I ended up loving her in the end.
Rider and Mallory have such a deep and emotional connection as they did grow up in the same abusive foster home. They understand each other and Rider always feels like he needs to protect Mallory. I also love Mallory’s connections with Keira, her best friend Ainsley who I adored and the brothers Jayden and Hector. It was a plot twist that
But it’s not just a romance. Mallory ends up with this great courage that she didn’t have at the start of the book!
There are several messages in this book such as be your true self, do what you want to do! This is demonstrated as Mallory’s foster parents Carl and Rosa want her to follow in their footsteps of being a doctor. However, Mallory wants to do something else. I loved every minute of this book.
Not a 5 as it was a bit predictable in some points but for sure worth the read! This has become a favourite romance contemporary of mine!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Child death, and Gun violence
sw_'s review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
not my cup of tea
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death
its_van_vulpen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcohol, Biphobia, and Cancer
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