When Judy Blume’s “Forever” first hit shelves in 1975, it sparked controversy — and connection. The novel’s candid exploration of teenage love and sex was revolutionary, giving young readers permission to feel deeply, make mistakes and move on.
Nearly five decades later, Netflix’s adaptation of “Forever,” developed by Mara Brock Akil, brings Blume’s themes into a modern context, reminding a new generation that love, especially first love, doesn’t always last, but it always leaves a mark.
“I think Judy was ahead of her time,” actor Michael Cooper, who plays Justin, says. “Especially with ‘Forever’ as a book — it’s brilliant. And then Mara’s adaptation is just so current. It’s such a beautiful interpretation.”
The eight-episode series centers on Keisha and Justin, two high school seniors whose whirlwind romance mirrors the intensity of Blume’s original couple, Katherine and Michael.
But instead of prom and campfires, Keisha and Justin face contemporary challenges —digital privacy, racial identity and the pressure of making decisions that could impact their adult lives.
There are other changes between the book and show, like the setting — the show takes place in California rather than the book’s New Jersey setting.
Actress Lovie Simone, who portrays Keisha, read the novel while auditioning. “I needed to be Keisha after reading it,” she says. “It’s such a well-written book.
The couple’s connection is immediate, unfolding at a chaotic party where both characters seek familiarity. “There was a lot going on,” Simone recalled. “Both of them are shy at first, so I think they were just looking for someone. They didn’t expect to find each other—but it was a pleasant surprise.”
That sense of surprise quickly deepens into commitment. Throughout the series, Keisha and Justin repeatedly promise each other: “It’s forever.” It’s a phrase they cling to as their lives begin to change.
“In high school, everything feels so big,” Cooper says. “I remember thinking one little thing could make the world crumble. That’s how their relationship feels — high-stakes.”
“When you’re younger, and you don’t have many years to look back on, everything feels more intense. It feels like the end of the world,” Simone says.
But as in Blume’s novel, that promise is tested.
In “Forever’s” final chapters, Katherine realizes she’s grown apart from Michael after her grandfather dies. It’s a quiet heartbreak — no scandal, no villain, Just two people choosing to be honest.
The Netflix version similarly grounds Keisha’s evolution in loss. When an old sex tape filmed without her full consent resurfaces, it fractures her sense of safety and identity. Justin is a student with ADHD who is passionate about music but struggles in school and with direction in life.
Simone says Keisha’s ability to love Justin was shaped by her need for self-love. “She wasn’t able to love him fully until she checked in with herself,” she says. “She wanted to love him so badly that she had to do something for herself first.”
For Justin, the journey is equally internal.
“There was this line Mara wrote: ‘He had one foot in confidence and the other in insecurity,’” Cooper says. “Keisha gave him the space to be his authentic self. He could be vulnerable with her. And although sometimes I’d be like, ‘Bro, what are you saying?’ He just let it out. She allowed him that space.”
In the show’s final episodes, Keisha earns a scholarship to Howard University. Justin, meanwhile, is torn between following his parents’ preferred path — attending Northwestern — or taking a gap year to pursue music. When Keisha encourages him to choose himself, it’s no longer a breakup rooted in pain, but a conscious step toward individual growth.
“If you’re not going to fight for us,” she tells him, “then fight for Justin.”
That sentiment echoes Blume’s original message. Her characters don’t reunite in the end. There’s no grand romantic gesture — just a phone call from a friend, a reminder that life goes on.
Blume didn’t write “Forever “to make readers feel better about breakups. She wrote it to validate their feelings — that first love is real, even if it isn’t permanent. Akil’s adaptation honors that truth while layering in modern realities like race, class, and digital trauma.
“What I hope audiences take away,” said Cooper, “is that love can teach you who you are — but it can’t always carry you into who you’re becoming.”
In the end, the title “Forever” isn’t a promise. It’s a question. And the answer, as both Blume and Netflix remind us, is that growing up is the point.
“What I hope audiences take away,” said Cooper, “is that love can teach you who you are — but it can’t always carry you into who you’re becoming.”
In the end, the title “Forever” isn’t a promise. It’s a question. And the answer, as both Blume and Netflix remind us, is that growing up is the point.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
