Forever... by Judy Blume (Book + Show)

Forever... by Judy Blume

There are some stories that imprint on you long before you understood why. For me, Forever... by Judy Blume is one of those books. I first checked it out of the library when I was about nine (seriously) and practically wore out that copy by the time I was twelve. I always felt so clever getting it from the library—surely the librarians had no clue what this was really about!

Re-reading it as an adult, first in 2020 while taking Judy Blume's MasterClass, and again in July 2025 in anticipation of watching the Netflix adaptation, was both nostalgic and surprisingly fresh.

Honestly? It holds up. Even more than that—I love it more now, reading it as a grown woman and a parent. There's something powerful about how Blume writes a teenage love story with such clarity and compassion. It's tender, it's honest, and it doesn't moralize. Kath and Michael fall in love. They have sex. They break up. No one gets pregnant. No one dies. And life goes on.

I can remember countless (dated) books of teens having sex and having a baby, being forced to marry, etc. (Thinking of you, Mr and Mrs Bo Jo Jones.) While I do think it's important for teens to know possible consequences, I don't think only focusing on those negative outcomes in stories helps anyone. For that, Forever... was—and still is—refreshing. It allows its main character to explore sex and heartbreak without shame. That message felt radical when I was young, and it still feels rare today.

There is SO MUCH to see in every second of this show. I loved watching the pictures change during the opening credits of each episode.

 

I watched the Netflix adaptation after re-reading the book, and while it stays emotionally true to the original, it definitely updates and reshapes the story for a 2025 audience.

What Stayed the Same:

• Michael's signature mole on his cheek is still there (thank you, casting!). That's one thing that I remembered from the book over all these years, even before re-reading.
  
  

• The cozy New Year's Eve party and fondue scene made it into the show and felt like a direct lift from the book—nostalgic and warm.
  
  

What Changed:

• In the book, Kath and Michael meet for the first time at the party, but in the show, Keisha and Justin already know each other from childhood.
  
  

• They kiss on New Year's Eve in the show, which speeds up the emotional stakes right away.
  
  

• The show's version of Keisha is more experienced and confident, sexually and socially.
  
  

• Justin's family is portrayed as more emotionally stable and warm compared to the book, where Michael's parents are pretty absent, but his sister and brother-in-law are somewhat involved.
  
  

• The story is much more modern, with FaceTime calls, ADHD references, and other contemporary updates.
  
  

• Their relationship gets physical more quickly than in the novel, a nod to how teen relationships have changed (or how they're perceived to have changed) over the decades.
  
  

The show is a solid reimagining, but the book still holds a sacred place for me. It captures something timeless about first love—that intoxicating mix of intensity, idealism, and eventual unraveling. And it does so with respect for young people's intelligence and emotional depth. Even re-reading it as an adult, I was blown away by how the book captures those feelings and then, at the end, allows room for heartbreak, acceptance of change, and new beginnings, all at once.

Check out this article where Mara Brock Akil, the producer, shares a lot of her thoughts about the book and also insight into the show's creation. Watch the show for a contemporary spin, but definitely read—or re-read—the book for its quiet, enduring power. Because Forever... is a solid story about growing up, letting go, and realizing that the end of a relationship isn't the end of you.

Learning How to Move Plot Along from TV Shows

One of my biggest problems with fiction writing has always been the plot. I have no problem creating characters and putting them in certain situations, but I often have trouble raising the stakes from there. Or I have trouble getting them out of problems I've created for them.

I've been reading less lately, which is not the best thing to admit on a book blog, but I'm happy to announce the shows I've been binging on Netflix has great plots that move right along and keep me hooked (hence the binging).

First up was Dead to Me on Netflix, at the recommendation of some coworkers. The concept was compelling enough, but the secrets revealed towards the end of each episode made for perfect cliffhangers. I know cliffhangers are necessary for shows, especially season finales, and sometimes for book chapters. But cliffhangers can be well done, or they can be so overly dramatic that, when they're resolved, you feel like you were duped. Like when the resolution turns out to not be a major plot point, but just a fake-out. And I think there were one or two of those in this show, but overall I felt like the use of suspense and slowly letting the viewer learn secrets was perfectly done. The season finale was also a nice balance of suspense, but believable events.

I recently saw that there will be a second season, though no date has been set yet. I'm eager to see what happens - and if you haven't seen the show yet, you have time to catch up before anything new is out!

After finishing Dead to Me and wanting more, More, MORE!, I turned to Good Girls.

Season one of this show is on Netflix, and I recommend you watch it... but try to have a way to watch season two, because you'll be hooked and wanting more! I was able to watch a few episodes of season two through a friend's on demand account, but now I need more! The last few episodes of season two are on Hulu, but I haven't been able to find 1-8 on any streaming service.

Viewing difficulties aside, this show is amazing. It's a little more over the top to me - it's somewhat realistic, but three women planning a major robbery and getting away with it (to the point I've seen, anyway), is a little tough for me to believe just because there were so many witnesses and secrets coming out. Once the gang gets involved, things get a little more unbelievable for me, but I love the show so much I'm more than happy to suspend my disbelief and escape into their crazy world for a binge.

I love the balance of humor, crime, and mystery, which makes me think of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone series or the early books in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I like serious dramas sometimes, but the humor in Good Girls is perfectly timed and dry, and always elicits a genuine laugh from me. I love humor and comedy, period, and have typically attempted to use it in my own writing, but felt like it was hard to pick up on unless someone shared my sense of humor. This show helps me see that it's always worth adding humor, and if someone gets it, they get it. If not, it's just over their heads - it doesn't detract from anything if it's well done.

Both of these shows have been teaching me a lot about what a good plot is made up of, and how to create one without going over the top into unbelievable territory, or being underwhelming with a slow moving story. And while reading definitely teaches me all of these things, too, I love watching quality shows that help me become a better writer when I'm not in a reading mood.