Netflix’s Forever: 5 biggest changes from book to show
Forever is a teen drama series that released recently on Netflix on May 8, 2025. The show is inspired by the book of the same name by Judy Blume. Mara Brock Akil adapts the book for the Netflix version and adds various changes to make the show relatable to the modern times.
The show features Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr., who play Keisha and Justin respectively. The series is set in Los Angeles and focuses on the love story between Keisha and Justin, who are two young athletes. However, the duo must navigate the struggles of first love, emotions, and family pressure.
While Judy Blume’s book was published in 1975, the Netflix version has updated the book considerably to reflect the modern period. Therefore, here are 5 changes between the book and the show.
A different ending, the importance of technology, and other changes between Forever's book and show
1) Keisha is the more experienced one in Netflix’s Forever
Judy Blume's book, Forever, essentially revolves around the se*ual inexperience of Katherine. In the book, Michael has to teach her some of the romantic things and Katherine gets heavily invested in the idea of having a boyfriend and being near to Michael. Katherine even switches her college applications to be closer to Michael.
However, in the Netflix version, the gender roles as flipped. In the series, it is Keisha, who is more romantically experienced than Justin and therefore guides him through his firsts. Further, in the show, Justin is the one who gets attached to the idea of begin near to Katherine and even tries to attend Howard to be with her.
2) The main characters are different from the book
The Netflix version of Forever, adapts Judy Blume’s book to reflect the changing times and incorporate questions of class and race. In the book, the main characters are Katherine and Michael. However, in the show, their names are Keisha and Justin, and they are Black American teens, living in white environments.
The show also changes the character’s hobbies. In the book, Katherine loves tennis but Keisha is a track athlete. On the other hand, Michael loves skiing and horseback riding but Justin plays basketball and loves music. While Katherine and Keisha are both strong-headed, Justin is soft-spoken when compared to Michael.
3) The Netflix adaptation does not have a sui*ide scene
In the book version of Forever, there is a character called Artie, who is Michael’s friend. The book showcases Artie’s struggles as he tries to figure out his sexuality and dies by sui*ide. While the book handles the matter in a sensitive manner, the Netflix show completely removes the character and the storyline.
The show does not have a character called Artie and none of Justin’s friends attempt sui*ide. However, mental health is an important topic in the show. Justin and Keisha have a conversation about depression and Justin is portrayed to have ADHD, and he deals with internalized stigma.
4) Modern technology plays an important role in the Netflix series
When Judy Blum wrote Forever in 1975, there was very limited technology and whatever gadgets were present, they were limited to governments and corporations. Technology was not accessible to the common man. However, the Netflix version of the show is updated to present modern times and gadgets plays a huge role.
In the show, Keisha has to cope with a leaked s*x tape and all her decisions in the show are guided by that fact. The harmful influence of technology has therefore harmed her reputation. Further, messaging via text is an important part of how Keisha and Justin interact with each other. Both of them talk about important topics through text. The Netflix version is therefore relatable to today’s teens.
5) The ending is different
While both versions of Forever showcase the parting of the two leads, there is a major difference between the book and the Netflix version. In Judy Blum’s book, Katherine cheats on Michael with a boy from camp. Even though Katherine loves Michael, she is confused. And when Michael makes a surprise visit, the two end up parting ways.
However, in the Netflix version, the entire plotline about cheating is removed. Keisha and Justin part ways amicably and the ending leaves hope for a reunion in season 2. Therefore, there is a big difference between the book and show’s ending of Forever.
Forever is available on Netflix.
