Forever (by Judy Blume)
common sense media says
Real look at first love (and sex) -- a teen classic.
parents & educators say
- 38% say there are positive role models
- 38% say there are positive messages
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this book is often challenged and even banned because of its depictions of teen sex. But it remains one of the best ways of discussing this very sensitive subject with your very sensitive teens. It deals frankly and responsibly with tough questions. Katherine has sex with her boyfriend, talks frankly about his penis, visits Planned Parenthood to get birth control pills, and discusses sex with her mother, grandmother, and best friend. She also deals with other adult issues: Michael's best friend tries to hang himself; another character, who has had many sexual partners, gets pregnant and has a baby; and Katherine's grandfather dies. There's some drinking, and some characters smoke marijuana. Readers who are mature enough for the content will find a very realistic portrayal of first love -- and a thoughtful protagonist who considers carefully before deciding to enter a sexual relationship. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to use this book to talk about their own values about sex, birth control, teen pregnancy, and more.
Educational value:
Through Katherine's experience, teen readers will get a good sense of what to expect during an OB/GYN visit. Author Judy Blume also writes an opening note to readers explaining that when she wrote the book, "sexual responsibility meant preventing unwanted pregnancy. Today, sexual responsibility also means preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including a potentially fatal one -- HIV/AIDS."
Positive role models:
Whether or not to have sex is a decision that needs to be made thoughtfully, and the characters in the book approach their decisions with deliberation. Not only do Katherine and Michael have a real relationship, but Katherine thinks carefully about her choice to have sex.
Violence:
Michael's best friend tries to hang himself.
Sex:
This is a book that explores teen sexuality, so it's appropriate that there's lots of sex in it. Katherine has sex with Michael. Katherine visits Planned Parenthood to get birth control pills -- and also has discussions about sex with her mother, grandmother, and best friend. Another character, who has had many sexual partners, gets pregnant and has a baby.
Language:
The characters swear, including "f--k."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Michael gets drunk with Katherine's best friend. Some characters smoke marijuana, and Katherine admits to trying it once.
More on Forever
Review It
Based on 13 parent & educator reviews:
- 38% say there are positive role models
- 38% say there are positive messages
- 31% say it's educational
Most useful reviews by all members
soccer_mufc13
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Dear Parents: Not For Teens !
Im only 13, but I LOVE READING! I picked this book at my school library and i thought it was just about love, nothing sexual. But i recall the first line stated " Sybil had been laid by at least 6 guys" or something similar. I didn't think to go on, but i didn't think i should judge it by the first. But i was wrong. Katherine thinks she has fallen in love and has sex with her boyfriend...and she calls it 'making love'. But the book goes into detail, and describes WAY TOO MUCH information or detail about sex, e.g. how it feels, positioning etc. my opinion is that this book was completely inappropriate for teens my age and even a little bit older. Oh and by the way im not sure how to work the iffy,on and off thing so im sorry!
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Book_Worm313
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
I know that many parents may have objections with this book, but as a teen -- and having read it myself -- I think it portrays love and sex in a realistic light. Katherine and Michael have a real relationship going on. They didn't just meet and hook up, but they met, fell for each other, took the time to get to know one another, and then took the time to make the decision that they were ready to take the next step and add sex into their relationship. Blume wrote a story that very much said: Teenagers are going to have sex no matter what parents want and think, but instead of going on and on about abstinence, we should be telling them to wait until they are in a relationship they can enough about and not just a random hook up. She also shows that you should be prepared with birth control or other means of protection. Overall this book has a good message about what love is and how you should take responsibility is you want to take that nest step in the relationship. Definitely a book for thirteen and up, maybe 12 is they are mature enough to handle it.
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Ironlace
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
A positive learning experience, but do be aware of your child.
Although there are some graphic depictions of intercourse, it is nothing terrible. All teenagers know about sex and there is no way society can hide it, most teenagers have sex in high school and their parents never find out. This book isn't promoting people to go screw each other, it puts an emphasis on a loving sexual relationship. The only downside is that we are talking about high school students who say forever, but it never turns out that way, which is absolutely heartbreaking.
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Grrr_Jojo_14
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Forever... educational
it's a great book & an easy way to escape the awkward 'sex talk' with your child. i had to research a banned/challenged book and i chose this book and anyone can understand why its challenged but the people that do challenge it focus on the negative and dont look at the benefits some people can get out of this intriguing book. for one its very educational and it can help a lot of girls go through their first sexual relationship. all in all its a great book and i would recommend it to anyone OVER 14 years old
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2crazy101
adult
adult
Perfect for ages 14-17
I am 14 years old and i loved this book and parents yes it does have a lot of sexuality but it will teach your child to have responsibilty when coming to this subject. It tells about all the consquences of having sex and getting pregnant! I do recomend this book to all older teens!!!
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beccabooluvsyou
teen, 18 years old
teen, 18 years old
I read this book when I was a freshman in high school. I'd recommend it for older teens. (15-17)
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napoleonwrasse
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Honest, but not the best. Beware of sexual content.
I didn't like this book. I just didn't find it to be good. The story was pretty lame, but the main issue was the way the sex scenes were described. I did not expect so much detail.
The book was honest though and I think she did a good job with that. But still overall I was not a fan.
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Christian22330
adult
adult
All I can say is, wow.
I litterally just got done reading Forever... I just HAD to write my opinion on it. First, I'm 13 years old. Second, i DO NOT recommend this book for teens 13 or below. Some of the content was... A litle disturbing to read, and they did make love multiple times in the book. I read the whole thing in the matter of hours, I couldn't put it down! It was very well written, but the content was for mature audiances.
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readingfreak
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Good for mature older teens
I read this book and thought that it was way too descriptive in the sex scenes. I don't recommend this for teens unless they are mature.
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sandy5377
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
HMMM
i think that most children in this era know about sex but some concerns need to be shown also. under 15 should not read this
I THOUGHT JUDY BLUME WAS A CHILDRENS' AUTHOR
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andigirl87
adult
adult
I read this for a Teaching Adolescent Literature class. I give Blume credit for discussing teen sex in a way that is realative and real to teens. I think that the topic is too taboo sometimes and is not discussed in ways that give students the info they need to know. BUT...I think this book puts teen sex in a bad light. It makes it seem ok and if a girl reading this is very impressionable it could be bad. The book shows that sexually active relationships of teens dont last, which is a good message, but overall I think the book promotes immoral values.
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kfrench06
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Not for tweens, but perfect for kids 14+
Okay, well I'm 15 years old, and I read this book when I was 14. I loved the book! It is a fairly sexual book, so if you're under 14, I wouldn't recommend reading it just yet. The message in this book is positive, talking about the consequences that come with sex instead of making seem like and easy thing, which it isn't. This book almost, to me, gives off the vibe of when a parent is giving their kid "the talk" because there is some talk about that. Overall: Amazing book, but not for tweens.
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swimmer.katie
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Perfect for teenagers
I love this book. I just read it, and it isn't bad at all. Just a few little descriptions :)
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BBall13
adult
adult
Can Tweens Handle It?
This book was okay. But I wouldn't recommend it to, say, 15 year olds who aren't ready to handle these topics. It was a pretty good book, though.
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ecuaznena
adult
adult
best book ever!!! 14+ though!!!
i love this book!!
i had to read it for an essay im doing, i read the books in 2 hours!! i'm in my last year of high school and i still wish i would have read this book earlier. if i a had read the book before, i wouldn't have done most of the things i did. my parents really wouldn't talk to me about sex or the roller coaster of emotions that comes along with it. after reading the book i felt like that is exactly how it's all about. the relationship part was true also. a boy may love you, but u won't necessarily feel the same way back. love hurts but u gotta move on. the sexual scenes are a bit too graphic for tweens, but i would recommend it for kids 14 and up.
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KatherineLovesJake
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
my name's Katherine too!
love it. sex isnt anything a 12 or 13 year old doesnt know about.and to tell you the truth,im not a virgin and neither is my best friend. i feel that this book helped me through that situation. i loved how she got birth control in it, because manyof the books dont have that written in it and it was interesting to read. GREAT BOOK!
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pandaesa
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
This book was VERY detailed and expicit about sex. I was really surprised about it.
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Skylyn
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Love
i really like this book i read it a couple years back and it is really good :D
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