If my daughter were just a few years older she would be reading this book right now. As it is, we’ll have to wait a few more years. Forever… is a story about teenage relationships and adolescent sexuality. The main character, Kath, meets Michael at a party and they begin dating. As their relationship progresses they naturally become physically intimate as well. This book is an entertaining and honest story that can be easily enjoyed by many, not just the target audience.
There are many books that criminalize teenage sexuality; Judy Blume is accepting. Some authors would have punished the sexually active protagonist with pregnancy, illness or parental wrath, but this is not the case with Blume’s classic. Written in 1975, Forever… gives a teen perspective on many sexual issues that are important to adolescents: virginity, contraception, peer pressure, abortion, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Teens (and others) who read this book will understand that Kath is an average teen who is learning about herself and her body in a healthy way. Even though they seek to protect her, her parents don’t make her ashamed of her sexuality, which is another refreshing departure from the norm. So even though nothing lasts forever (especially teen love), this book’s relevancy is likely to last for a very long time.
