I enjoyed reading this book and agree with the other ladies, but I am wondering what this book is saying about first love, and how younger (targeted) readers might perceive this message. I think Blume is very realistic in making Kath move on from her first love and find another boyfriend. Still, I wonder if younger readers see in the same way, especially when they themselves may still be hooked on their first love, or have yet to encounter him. Does Kath’s new boyfriend crush dreams of a long-lasting first love? If so, is this good or bad?
To find a teen’s perspective on this book I went to amazon.com and read the book reviews for this book. I found one post by a fourteen-year old readerthat answered some of my questions. This girl loved the book and appreciated the realism in the novel. She says she knows first loves do not last forever and liked that Blume was honest about this as well as the sexual parts of the novel. Although she describes them as “graphic,” this girl is glad to learn about “sexual encounters.”
I am very glad to see that this girl learned from and enjoyed Forever. Her passionate review of this book has boosted my confidence in the novel. I believe this is an important book for young girls to read in its description of sexual matters as well as for its story. As noted by another lady, contemporary books for teens pale in subject matter when compared to Forever.
1 Comment
May 7, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Forever was incredibly realistic, except for Kath coming from only vaginal stimulation the second time she had sex.