Look, Forever was groundbreaking in 1975. Judy Blume said the quiet part loud and gave teens a book that treated sex as real and important. That matters.

But here's the thing: it's 2025, and this book feels like a museum piece. Multiple reviewers—even positive ones—note it reads like a Planned Parenthood pamphlet rather than an engaging story. The 1970s setting is jarring, the pacing is slow, and the didactic tone makes it feel more like homework than a book your teen will actually want to read.

The explicit sexual content means it's only for mature older teens (think 16+), and even then, they might roll their eyes at how dated it feels. If you're looking for a way to start conversations about sex, relationships, and the fact that first love isn't always forever, this can work—but go in knowing it's more educational tool than page-turner.

Bottom line: Important for its time, useful for specific conversations, but not something most modern teens will enthusiastically pick up.