Forever by Judy Blume

Forever by Judy Blume
Young Adult Romance Novel
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5391-3
192 pp.
Suitable for 15+

Reader's Annotation: Katherine and Michael are teenage lovers who think that they are meant for each other, that is, until summer arives.

Plot Summary: Katherine and Michael are 17 year-old high school seniors that fell in love at first sight. However, they have a slow steady relationship that develops over time. They get along with each others friends, Erica and Artie. They end up going crazy for each other where they can't stand being apart. They go on dates, ski trips, and have funny giggles and laughs that are only between them. They each know so much about each other. They have sex the safe way. Michael is Katherine's first and Katherine is Michael's second but the one thing they can agree on was they they are in love. True love. Everything seems perfect. But their parents aren't too sure. They see that they are both too young to be committed. They set their children up with summer jobs each out of state. The summer is to be the truest test that they face.

Critical Evaluation: The characters, as few as there are in the book, all are well-developed and have very good chemistry while the dialogue seems fresh. The sarcastic touch in the dialogue is something missing in most novels. The plot has a steady pacing with loads of exposition but there just wasn't enough of a conflict. It lacked urgency. Nothing extreme happens and the reader is expecting the big bomb but it never comes. Even the tone is light. Maybe that's the point. The story is grounded. And real lifeopics such as pregnancy, abortions, the pill, condoms, etc are mentioned throughout almost serving as sex-ed for some younger readers. The intimate moments between Katherine and Michael are indeed realistic and extremely detailed and is how they should be portrayed for young readers interested in this topic. The book is more about feeling than plot, about education than problems, about thinking that your first love is your only love and this timeless novel still holds up today.

Author: Judy Blume is the author some very well-known children, young adult, and adult novels. She started off with children's and teens while her children were in preschool, then moved on to adults. Though the tone of her books are light, they do deal with heavy issues.

Blume was the recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2004. She has also been honored by the American Library Association, receeiving the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement, which recognized Forever. She currently lives in Key West with her husband, George Cooper.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Sex
2) Birth control
3) Pregnancy
4) Relationships
5) First love

Challenge Issues: There are controversial issues such as profanity, very detailed descriptions of sexual intercourse, and the protagonist goes on birth control.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Why Included: Quite simply, I've heard good things about this book and decided to read it. Though I expected more, I can see what made it controversial for its time.