Rating: 
Summary: Awesome that Young Adults are still reading Ms. Blume!
Review: I was astounded that this book is still in print. I read it in the early 80's when I was in junior high and passed it on to friends. We were all "green" and this book was an eye-opener at the time! I think that it is awesome that teenage girls are still reading it. I would have thought that it would have been outdated considering all what is going on in this world, but apparently not. I enjoyed all of Judy Blume's books and it is great to see that they are still being read by young adults today.
Rating:
Summary: Passing on an old favorite
Review: I first read this book in 1981, when I was starting junior high and my friends were just beginning to wonder (aloud) about sex. At the time, I was both shocked and intrigued by the honesty (and detail) in which Judy Bloom writes about "the first time". I shared the book with many of my friends and to some surprise found that each of my pre-teen friends had the same questions about sex as I did. Remembering back, I can say that the book not only DIDN'T corrupt me...it helped me understand a little more about a mature relationship (and the consequense) without having to actually experience them first hand. As a result I waited until I knew I was ready for MY first time. I am now passing on this book to my niece, who at 17 is showing an interest in sexuality. I think she can learn alot about teenage sexuality and be able to make an educated decision on whether or not she is ready for such a large step at her young age by using Catherine and Michael's journey as a resource of feelings, fears, questions and heartbreak. And as a final note to Judy Blume...this book will stay with me FOREVER.
Rating: 
Summary: An OK book
Review: Forever is one of those books everybody keeps talking about. Most people pick it up because of the sex but that really isn't what the book is about. Yes, it has explicit sex scenes and for those of you trying to avoid that, there's your warning.Overall, the book is dated, the characters naive, and the plot unrealistic. Then why read it? Well, it does give some interesting insight to love even for grown-ups. Adults tend to forget how real romance can be the first time and even if its obvious that it isn't going to last, well, you still want it to. Seriously, who doesn't want everything to work out in the end? So, anyway, even though it has many flaws, if you get a chance pick this book up.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books i read
Review: I read alot and this book was a top choice i wish they could make this book longer it was so good. I'm 14 years old and read this book in 2 hours the day I got it. It was a good example of first times. Judy Blume shows it is ok to be scared and for many girls who havent had these encounters can really wants going. I recommended this book to anyone who loves Judy Blume or who is over 13.
Rating:
Summary: Honest and real
Review: I first read this book when I was 11, back in the early 1980s. I realize some might be shocked and think that was too young. Of course the "dirty" parts were titilating and mysterious, but I certainly the book did not corrupt me in ANY WAY. I sailed safely through adolescence and eventually had a mature intimate relationship when I was ready. This book is wonderful. It may seem "shallow" to some (see other reviews), but I found it realistic for the young teenage viewpoint. You cannot expect teenagers to think the same way as adults. However, I've never forgotten Katherine's anguished question, "Can't you be in love with someone and be attracted to another?" Like it or not, that is a reality of life that people do not want to discuss. Bravo to Judy Blume for her bravery.
Rating: 
Summary: it's okay, but disappointing.
Review: I expected it to be a MUCH deeper book, but it's actually quite...shallow. It's just like everything in the story revolves on Katherine and Michael being together. yes, the story is supposed to focus on that, but it revolves on that almost too much, plus the fact that the story develops too fast. It's an okay book, but not the kind worth raving about.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: i really wanted to read this book after i saw some good reviews here, the 4.5 stars it got and also read the excerpt, but when i got it and read the whole thing, i was kind of disappointed. the style of the book is really too much like the sweet valley books i had stopped reading a few years back (i had never read anything by judy blume) because i outgrew that. but other than that, the story wasn't too bad, though i was also doubtful to believe that after what kath and michael had had, they didn't even bother to try working it out. how that relationship ended and how they acted towards each other afterwards is very similar to what i had when i was 12 or 13, and they're 18 in the book. i'm 15 and have slept with my boyfriend of almost 2 years, and although we often have disagreements we consider ourselves as best friends (which kath also said about michael in the book...), but maybe i'm just lucky for now.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult to Judge
Review: I really want to give this 2 and 1/2 stars but that isn't an option. I want to be straight down the middle on this book because it has definite merits but also huge drawbacks. All readers of this book, especially young teenage girls, need to be very careful about the content of this book. I read this book years ago when I was a teenager myself...and boy, was it an eye-opener! I was extremely naive and very innocent, having never even come close to experiencing what the characters in this book did. This book left me less innocent and I don't think that is necessarily a good thing. I had no trusted adult to discuss the book with, so who was I to go to, to ask the serious questions that I should have had answered? I couldn't have been more than 12 or 13 when I read this book and let me be very clear--I was much too young for the content and not ready for loss of innocence I experienced just by reading a book. On the plus side, however, I give Judy Blume full marks for being frank and candid on the subject of teenage sex--most authors cringe at the very thought of such discussions. If I took one very important lesson away from this book it was this--Is having sex the same as love and is it worth losing my virginity to someone who may not be around "Forever"? One thing this book did for me that it can also do for many other young people is help them to decide what they want to do in a sexual situation before they get into it. This book can help many take the power of their sexuality into their own hands instead of letting someone else decide when is the right time for them to give up their virginity. This is a powerful and important lesson indeed, especially in this day and age where teenage sexuality is looked at as absolute or necessary. A day and age in which many give up their innocence before they are truly ready and regret it for the rest of their lives. This is an important topic which must be handled with maturity and great care, and definitely NOT before the teenager in question and good and ready to handle "Forever"'s content. I would definitely not recommended this book for anyone under the age of 14. I also think parents should read this book themselves before letting their teenagers read it, and prepare ahead of time for an in-depth discussion. However, the important lessons in this book can be taught without this book at all, and certainly without being so explict. Which leads me to another important lesson that this book gives to those of us who are parents--we need to take more time and effort to talk about these "embarrassing" subjects with our kids. If we don't somebody else will, and that somebody will most likely be the last person on earth we would trust with our children's sex education. It's time that parents took more responsiblity in this area of our kid's lives.
Rating:
Summary: Feelings Change When You're Young
Review: I loved this book. Read it some years ago. It is very helpful for young people. Sometimes they can think that what they feel is real, but only the test of time will determine if their love will last. It usually doesn't survive with the absence of time, because both are too immature. As one reads the story, they will fall in love with the couple, and be able to indentify with the emotions they felt for each other. They will understand their parents...some may find that the character's parents are like their own. So much in this book that young people can relate too, but it's message is "Infatuation is not love."
Rating:
Summary: one of the best
Review: I loved forever. it is now one of my favorite books and once i finished it i could have picked it up and read it again. It deals with the issues teens face today and makes you want to have a love like theirs. I wish Judy Blume would write a sequiel. It is one of the best and I loved it.
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