Rating: 
Summary: Honesty Is the Best Policy
Review: Our parents always tell us honesty is the best policy and Judy Blume definately shows us that in "Forever". Forever is the story of eighteen-year-old Katharine and her first sexual relationship. Totally uncensored and realistic Forever tells us one of the most honest books I've read about love and loss
Rating: 
Summary: No, it can't really be forever
Review: The characters are naturally described. While Kath and Michael thought their love was forver, it was all blown out in one summer
Rating:
Summary: Forever can be an awfully long time
Review: My husband once told me this story: When he and his best friend were in their first years of college, they spent a week-end at a friend's home. The friend allowed them to sleep in his bedroom, and there on the shelf was the infamous Judy Blume book, "Forever". Remembering the whispers and rumors surrounding the novella, the boys immediately snatched it up and tried to discover its secrets. Says my husband now, "I had thought in Middle School that the government had banned the book. That it was an officially banned book". It was, after all, the most sought after of all the forbidden works out there. After flipping through (and locating the sexy passages)the boys were a bit disappointed and perplexed. There's nothing particularly shockig in this book. From the hype it receives you'd think it was a slightly modified version of "The Story of O". Instead, what you have is a well-written story concerning the course of a single relationship and the consequences of young love.
Katherine is in love with Michael. And Michael is in love with Katherine. As we read, the book follows their growing trust, from their early tentative days, to a growing dependence, to their final words together. Katherine's life is easier than most. She has two wonderfully caring parents, a talented younger sibling, and a wise-in-the-ways-of-the-world grandmother who always gives her good advice. Katherine is eighteen years of age, and privy to all the advantages and problems that such an age entails. Just the same, she understands that her relationship with Michael is special and different. No one is going to keep them from loving one another. Except possibly themselves.
To be honest, I have a hard time figuring out why teens enjoy this book as much as they do (apart from the sex). To me, the adult reader, Katherine is consistently remarking that adults like her parents don't understand her situation or that they're needlessly thoughtless and uncaring. Any reader with a lick of sense will notice that Katherine's assessments are, like many teens', skewed by emotion. She IS rather innocent in the ways of the world. Fortunately, one of Blume's hallmarks is that she remains a distinctly understanding writer. Being young and hormonally screwed up does not mean that your average young adult is incapable of making thoughtful intelligent decisions. This idea is part of the reason Blume's books are banned as often as they are. I mean, honestly, let's consider "Forever" today. At this moment in time there are teen books out there named things like, "Doing It", that are far more graphic and sexually liberated than the relatively tame "Forever". These books (appealing in large part towards young male audiences) have proliferated like mad and are particularly obsessed with sex rather than love. In this light "Forever" is almost an innocent ingénue. It is certainly one of the first books to have spokenly openly about teen sexuality, but why is it still being banned in certain schools and libraries today? Personally, I suspect that it has to do in large part with the fact that it is dealing with a GIRL's sexual feelings. Books about boys and sex are as old as the hills themselves. But put a book like this with a female narrator and her friends discussing getting laid with all the frankness and intelligence they are capable of... well friends, that's a heap o' trouble for a lot of folks. In an interesting side note, the more recently published copies of "Forever" have included a note by author Judy Blume discussing sex, and how the face of sexuality has changed since the advent of AIDS. She even goes so far as to include contact information to Planned Parenthood. And when you consider that the grandmother in this tale works for that self same institution, there's little doubt left that Blume's a gutsy gal. Plenty o' adults will bristle at the very thought of giving kids that much information. Plenty more will approve.
As you can see, if nothing else "Forever" is a great book for starting discussions with teens about sex. But I'd be dishonest if I said that was the focus of the book. It's not. The book is about relationships in general. How they grow, how they change, and how they end. After all, the title of this tale wasn't (the aforementioned) "Doing It", but the wistful "Forever". It's a promise that no one should ever be held to while young. As for people who want to dislike this book based solely on its content, nothing I write here is going to change their minds that this book isn't the spawn of Satan, a corrupting influence, should be in the adult section of the library, etc. For as long as there are talented writers like Judy Blume out there (and let us hope that it's for a very long time) there will be complaints by overprotective adults. Just read through "Forever" before you judge it. You may be shocked to discover that it's a rather tame ride into the heart of the American teen.
Rating: 
Summary: Themes of Forever
Review: Forever is a realistic and graphic book. Some people have suggested that the book is about how high school love
or first love never lasts forever. That is a huge overgeneralization and I don't think that is the point of the book. Besides I know of a married couple who met in their freshman year of highschool.The point of this book is not that highschool love cannot last forever but rather that it usually doesn't last forever and that as someone said only the test of time will tell whether a relationship lasts or not. It is also is about how sex can change a relationship and the consequences that sex has. If your first love lasts and somehow survives your immaturity then you are lucky but if it doesn't then life will go on and you will love again.That is what I got from the book.
Rating:
Summary: Teen Issues About Love & Sex
Review: "Forever" is the 'adult' novel about Katherine Danziger and Michael Wagner, two teenagers experiencing first love together. They meet at a mutual friend's New Year's Eve party. Initially, Kath isn't too impressed with him, but as the night wears on, she finds herself growing more and more attracted to him. Then he shows up the next day and admits he's interested in her. From there, everything's pretty obvious, so I'm not going to prattle on about details and events. They spend countless hours together, going skiing, making out, etc. The sex scenes are explicit (but not trashy) and sometimes funny. You'll understand what I mean when you meet Ralph. Then comes the dreaded summertime when Katherine and Michael are separated by jobs. This is when their relationship is on the line: Does Katherine cheat on Michael or not? Answer: You'll just have to read "Forever" and find out for yourself. When I picked this book up recently, I was surprised to see it was written back in the 70s. Even though it's a 'dinosaur' of a book, the material is pretty much up-to-date about teenage pregnancy and sex. The one thing that's changed over the years is AIDS, which Judy Blume briefly talks about at the beginning of this book. Otherwise, this book will probably be passed on for generations, and the issues will probably still be the same. One complaint: Nobody in this book seemed to have any major hang-ups about sex or birth control. Kath's family and friends were eager and open to talk about sex; Kath's grandmother even gave her birth control advice. Now, I don't know of anyone who could be so lucky, so in that respect "Forever" failed to be realistic. Even though "Forever" is not my favorite Judy Blume book, it's definitely worth reading. If you're pretty comfortable about sex, you'll probably enjoy this book. If not, you'll probably cringe and either burn it or secretly continue reading it. Three years after it was published, "Forever" was made into a TV movie. I wasn't born yet to see it, but from what I heard, I didn't miss much.
Rating:
Summary: Not Blumes best, but not her worst either...
Review: This book did not have the best plot- rather dissapointing when you've read some of Blume's other work. However, it angers me when I read other people's reviews that say, "This book was dirty!" or "Get some morals, Judy!" Yes, what the charecters in the book did was wrong, but Ms. Blume stated that toward the end. This book was not meant as a moral guide for life, but as a book of FICTIONAL entertainment. The people who made those idiotic comments were probably too young for the book, or it was at too high a perception level for them. No, this book is not for everyone. I would only reccomend it for the high school and mature middle-school students (middle school being 7th grade and up). Many people of that age group may even be disgusted by the book. Who knows. Ms. Blume talks a lot about teen issues in her books. If you enjoyed 'Are You There, God? It's me, Margaret' in elementary school, there is a good chance that you will like this one now. Content wise, 'Forever' simply takes on another teen issue that is one step higher than the last one.
Rating: 
Summary: graphic
Review: Forever
Is love meant to last forever? In this book, Forever, Judy Blume tells a story about a first love. A love that seems strong and true enough to last forever. Katherine and Michael live in New Jersey and are very much in love that Katherine is willing to lose her virginity to Michael, and as time goes by it gets harder and harder for her to imagine living without him, and then something happens when they are separated for the summer. Katherine begins to have feelings for another guy. She does not know what that means about her love for Michael. So she asks herself what love really is and what ' forever ' really means. These two high school seniors believe their love to be so strong it will last forever.
Katherine and Michael met at a New Year's Eve Party. They are immediately attracted to each other, and grow to love each other. And once they have decided their love was forever, they make love. It is the beginning of a crazy and exclusive relationship, with their future all planned by them, until Katherine's parents insist that her and Michael spend a summer apart to put their love to the test.
When Katherine and Michael are together and in love for the time they were they grew as people. They learned what "first loves" really where about and feel like. This story convinces you that their love is true and really will be infinite. An example of their love for each other is shown on page 59 when Katherine says she is afraid to make love and Michael says that it is fine, and does not force her to do it.
This is a great book for teenage girls. The novel is really tremendously moving and honest. The words "I love you" have a strong meaning in this book, emotions are a big part of this book, and knowing for sure if they really would last forever. On page 143 when Michael gives Katherine a necklace for her birthday it shows their feelings for each other, engraved on the necklace was her name and on the back it said 'Forever'.
This story it certainly a loving book that shows that you never know what the future may bring for you. I suggest teenagers read this book for a story about a girl going through a time where emotions would take over her mind. You learn in this book that love is sometimes not forever. I definitely think this book is great for teenage girls to read. I enjoyed the story because of the way Judy Blume shows two people really fall for each other.
Rating:
Summary: Forever-Judy Blume
Review: Being a teenager myself, 17. I think reading this book reminded me a lot of the stories I hear today. Some people view sex as a priority... others, a gift. This books best aspect was its honest way of describing how teenagers deal with change, growing up, and relations with the opposite sex. I recommend this book to parents, teens (both boys and girls), and even adults without children. Beware, it is blunt. But in fact, very true. I have read this book neary 5 times, almost done it now! It's a very quick and interesting read. So go ahead... Read it!:)
Rating:
Summary: must read for older teens
Review: this is my first review- i felt it was important to. i loved this book!!! i am 16 and it educated me while being a good read. i have to admit that it was almost too mature for me and i am mature for my age. no one under 15 should read this book. as much as i enjoyed it, it is very graphic and it gives all the specific details when it comes to sex. it is a must read for those who are mature. a book of first love and first times, a book when forever is thought to be realistic. read it- but remember that it is a mature book- it is a serious deep read. it talks about all those unsaid things, it doesn't say sex is good or bad it just gives facts. it is not just a fact book though- it is a wonderfully romantic, sweet yet distressing story- it is realistic- something that i see happen in my high school world. read it when you are at 15+ (otherwise wait)
Rating:
Summary: THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY
Review: Hi I'm 17 I read this book couple of month ago, and I don't like to read a lot of books (because I get bored when I start reading). But with this it was different, I finished the book in 5 hours (which is pretty fast for me), I just couldn't put it down. This book thought me a lot about relationships and sex. Judy Blume gets right to the point as the book starts until the books end. I love this book, and this is the best book I've read so far, I loved it so much that I already read it three times (once after the other). THIS BOOK IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
|
