Forever ...

Judy Blume has a way of weaving her stories together that while I could predict where the story would ultimately end, I was surprised by the twists and turns along the way. Furthermore, she truly captures the awkwardness and silliness and beauty of first love in our youth. And while the book is from the mid 70s, the message of how impactful sex can be, the importance of saying no, and how messy first love can be stands the test of time. I also applaud Blume for tying sex education into the plot, and while as an adult I can clearly see what she is doing and why, I can appreciate the information she is sharing with her target audience. She doesn't shy away from the terminology, she instead embraces it and talks about it as a normal part of life, like we all should.