This universal aspect of Blume’s storytelling is what appealed to television mogul Mara Brock Akil when she was 12 and read “Forever” for the first time.

Creator Mara Brock Akil's take on the 1975 YA classic moves the action to 2018 Los Angeles, following two Black teens as they navigate the ups and downs of first love.

I n 1975, Judy Blume released Forever, a YA novel about a young woman falling in love for the first time and losing her virginity. Almost immediately, it was deemed controversial by those who believed it was too sexually explicit for young readers, with some states going so far as to ban the book from schools.