“Heartbreakingly real…a remarkable novel about the power of first love and the courage it takes to face your fears.” –Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling authorFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a riveting story about friendship, survival and finding your voice.Growing up, Mallory Dodge learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even … to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime. Now, after years of homeschooling, Mallory must face a new milestone–spending her senior year at a public high school. But she never imagined she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet soon it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out–for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.Praise”This book blew me away, completely. Gripping from page one, I–quite literally–couldn’t put it down.”–Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author”We’re left breathless and a little haunted and wanting more.”–Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author”An achingly real masterpiece… Heart-wrenching, heartwarming, heart-everything.”–Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
more
I really dig this book. That’s saying a lot for me, because, under normal circumstances, I avoid anything resembling teen romance. A particular sparkly vampire series completely killed the genre for me. Jennifer Armentrout has brought it back to life in my eyes. She is an incredible writer. Her characters are lovable, heartbreaking, frustrating, and absolutely relatable. The dialogue is heartfelt, but without the angst or overwrought drama one comes to expect from a YA book centering around relationships. The way she gets into Mallory and Riders’ heads makes me worry about Ms. Armentrout, because she has to have been through some stuff to have this kind of understanding for abused children and their psyches. Having worked with endangered teens in the past, I was concerned about how they would be portrayed, but Ms. Armentrout has proven herself deeply empathetic (sympathetic) to the emotional struggles of the abused. This was just such a good book, and I look forward to reading more by Ms. Armentrout.
I love when a book gives me all the feels and that’s exactly what this one did! I loved it so much!
Oh my heart. This is an all-feels story. Expect it going in. It’s heartbreaking and heart warming. You’ll cry and even swoon. 🙂 You’ll root for Mallory and Rider (I may have rooted for Rider a little harder cuz he stole my heart) from beginning to end. If I’m honest, there is a little lull in the middle but give it a chance, it picks up. It’s a really good story.
“I want to be the guy worthy of your love, and I swear, if you’ll have me, I’ll do everything in my power to be that man. I’ll never stop trying. Ever.”
We meet Mallory in the prologue as a child in the foster care system, and in true JLA fashion she does not shy away from some of the uglier aspects of it. Years later it’s Mallory’s senior year of high school and she has been adopted by a loving couple that has helped her to put the past behind her. Then on her first day of public school she runs into Rider, the boy from her past that said he would protect her forever. Mallory and Rider begin spending time together and getting to know one another again after years of being apart.
This is an emotional story about love, hope, survival, and overcoming the obstacles that life puts in front of us. I really enjoyed seeing Mallory grow and making some self discoveries during this book. And I absolutely loved Rider! Don’t get me wrong, he is just as damaged as Mallory when it comes down to it. It just takes Mallory laying it all out there for him to realize it, but when he does realize it, he makes that decision to change things, and to finally seem himself as worthy. I like that, even though it was horrible, they had this shared past that enabled them to understand each other in a way that no one else possibly could. I felt like that really made the connection between them even stronger.
“My past was a part of me and it molded who was today, but it was not the sum of who I was to become. It did not control me.”
• •
: The Problem with Forever
: Jennifer L. Armentrout
: 4/5
This book is such an emotional read. I was expecting this from reading other reviews, but I had no way of knowing how unexpected this book was going to be for me. It was emotional, that for sure, just not how I expected it would be. This book just highlights a lot of important topics as well which made this book even better. It takes guts to write about topics like these. And the character development (for multiple characters) felt like such a vital part of the story and it was just was done brilliantly. This book broke my heart at some points and I really did not know if I could continue. There were some things that could’ve been done better and I feel this book is either a hit or a miss for someone. Overall, I really recommend reading this book and seeing if it is for you, because if it is…. You are in for an emotional ride.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
This book is brutal but so worth the read.
This was a very hard book to read. Is heartwrenching. What’s worse is that it isn’t just a book, this is what millions of children across the world endure and sometimes reality is worse.
I know this is not exactly a review, but this book really affected me.
Mallory and Rider broke my heart in more ways than one. They where left to fend for themselves when they were defenseless. Their childhood was tragic, brutal and full of monsters.
Years passed and now we see Mallory’s new life but also the trauma all those terrible experiences left her with. Her struggle to be better, to feel better. To love and accept herself. Her battle to recognize that whatever happened wasn’t her fault. That the fault always resides on the monsters not on the victim.
This book rings true because it is true is a terrible reality that sometimes we choose not to acknowledge.
Rider seems strong and well adjusted but in reality he’s as affected if not more than Mallory. He just never learned to love himself and that broke my heart.
I truly believe that regardless of what we went through our past can’t define us if we won’t let it and I wish this wasn’t the reality we live in.
This book did more than entertain me, it got me thinking on ways we could make the world better for all those kids that like Mallory and Raider are trapped and can’t see a way out.
I felt this book in every fiber of my being. It was so real and raw and emotional, I couldn’t put it down.
3.5 YA drama isn’t something I really enjoy, but JLA makes it so it is bearable. This story was highly emotional and I felt so much for the characters and the terrible situations they were put in. I love how he was such a protector, forever, even when he was so broken too
A lot of hot guys and a plot twist you do not see coming.
I found The Problem with Forever at a used bookstore near where I live and I could not believe I had not read it before! As you all know, I am obsessed with Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing and I could not wait to add this to my tbr list.
Mallory has trouble communicating. From a young age, she had to be quiet in order to survive. Now that she has gone through years of therapy, she feels she is ready to go back to high school and learn how to cope with the outside world. The whole experience seems futile, until she runs into Rider. Rider was once her knight in shining armor and picks up that role again, instantly. Yes she still struggles, but having Rider there makes everything more bearable. As they become closer, Mallory realizes that she is stronger then she realizes and may need to be Rider’s knight in shining armor.
I really connected with Mallory. I have trouble speaking my up when it comes to my feelings to people in my life that I care about. I am constantly holding in the words I want to speak, because I am afraid of losing people I love. Seeing Mallory go through these struggles has made me push myself to get through the fear and to speak my truth. I could not put down this book and I hope it helps others learn that it is okay to speak up.
If you would like to see my full blog post, including my notes, quotes & items you should have while reading The Problem with Forever go to https://bookishstateofmind.com/
This book is definitely recommended.
It reminds me that there are people out there that have gone through situations in their past and the present isn’t quite so tolerable.
The book went through how Mallory overcame her past and became herself in the present.
This book was SO GOOD! OMG I just can’t even express how much I loved it. It was heart-wrenching and heart-warming at the same time. It was masterfully written and dove into some intense issues and situations.
Dealing with things like drugs, violence, bad foster homes, good foster homes, adoption, abuse and more, The Problem with Forever, is a book that will consume you and work it’s way into your heart and soul. I felt, deeply, all the things that Mallory and Rider went through and had gone through in their lives. I was horrified at some of the things they had to face, both as kids and as the teens they are in the story. Being a parent myself, I also sympathized with Mallory’s parents and what they must be feeling and thinking as Mallory matured and also reconnected with this part of her past.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance and/or hard hitting emotional stories where some trials are overcome in the end, but inevitably not everything is perfect.
real good book!
Contemporary. Important. So good.
Two kids who were pulled from each other after years of living together in foster care–one the protector, one the protected–end up at the same high school four years later, much to the shock of both. We hear the story is the voice of the girl who many thought mute, for she was conditioned to be silent. But her head? Not so quiet in there.
How these two come together, what they were to one another as kids, and who they are now is so beautiful, heartbreaking, and honest. Messy. And yes, I cried. Again: so good.
4.5 Stars!!
I have read a number of books from Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Wait For You series, but this is my first YA book authored by her. She has blown me away with this book. It was immeasurably better than anything I have read by her, so far. Although the topics covered can be a bit gritty for a YA book, she handles it with extreme care and finesse. I loved Rider and Mallory, but even the supporting characters were strong and well-developed. This was an all-around great read and I hope she delves back into this world with Hector and Ainsley. There were some subtle hints to that possibility. 🙂
Wow, just wow!
I purchased this book a while ago but kept putting off reading it because I was afraid some of the subject matter would hit too close to home and I had to mentally prepare myself to read it. Surprisingly though the subject matter was handled in a way that was realistic but not so dark that I couldn’t handle it. I also appreciated how the story shone a light on the psychological damage that such trauma could inflict on a young child, and how it would manifest even years later. This aspect made the characters so realistic to me that I could imagine this play out as a movie (but it would be difficult -not impossible- for a movie to portray the depths of the characters as most of that came from internal thoughts).
I was touched by the sobering look into the foster system. It was a powerful insight into how flawed our child protection services can be, not because of lack of care from the workers, but because of lack of resources to properly care for all those poor children out there. My heart goes out to the real ones out there who are suffering, or who have suffered.
I was so engrossed in the story and deeply invested in the characters that when I saw I was almost to the end, I almost put the book down just because I didn’t want it to end, even if it was the right time to conclude the story from a literary standpoint. Could there potentially be a sequel? I would like to see how the MC’s face the world as adults, or even in their college years. I’d also like to see how the future would play out for the other characters like Ainsley, Hector, and even Paige.
I should add that a person at any age should consider this book as I’m well beyond my “young-adult” years myself, and I enjoyed this story tremendously.
This book kept me up to the middle of the night, or well early morning is where you would consider 5am. My father was a foster child who never became real. As a small child I then witnessed him become the abuser, then alcohol abuse took him when I was 18. The after effects for me were more the Rider type but I was lucky enough to fix most of them (I think) very early in childhood with the help of some amazing friends and a very important church that helped me find my self-worth and create a self-love. Still, new life events can easily bring the cracks to light. I always appreciate a book that goes deep in the feels. She did a great job of portraying them as coherent when they can be so very hard to understand. But also shows the power of small, daily changes. I appreciated Mallory’s character and her personality as it seemed very honest and realistic. I guess I just wanted a prologue farther into the future, something bigger and more meaningful.
Title: The problem with forever
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Number of Pages: 474
Genre: Young adult, Contemporary, Romance
Date read: 23-06-2017
Favorite Quote:“Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn’t exist.”
Review:
I really liked this book. It was a sweet story. I expected, in a way wanted a bit more darkness in it. A more explicite darkness but besides that I really liked it. Now I don’t mean that there wasn’t any darkness in this book, what happened to these characters is bad enough as it is, I’m just used to more explicit scenes.
What is this book about:
This book is about Mallory, also known as Mouse and Rider. Both of them grew up together, not in a friends or siblings, but as two children that where put in the same abusive foster home. They both lived in fear of beatings and grew up hungry. Rider has always tried to protect Malory as much as he could.
One day Mallory was adopted in a save new home while Rider disappeared without a trace.
In her new home Mallory healed as much as she could from her past, enough that she want to finish her high school education in an acutal high school instead of being home schooled.
On her first day she finds someone again, someone she never expected to see again, Rider.
What did I like/love about this book:
I liked Mallory. I loved seeing her heal, her character development was amazing. She got so much better, she got to be her self, she got to heal.
I loved her relationship with Rider. They are great together. They know eachother and are willing to do anything for each other.
I loved Ryder, he’s a genuine good guy that will do anything for the people that he loves. He is fiercely loyal.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA book that I’ve liked as much as I did this one. It helped that the characters weren’t immature. They are good people.
There was enough highschool drama in the form of Ryders on/off girlfriend who ofcourse is the popular girl, and couldn’t handle not being wanted by Ryder.
Don’t worry, there is no love triangle here. Ryder is quite honest with this girl and she knows how much Mallory means to him. There is also no cheating whatsoever, or Ryder dating two girls at the same time.
Rating:
4 I really Liked it Stars
This was definitely different from the type of stuff I am used to reading from JLA, but I enjoyed it. I enjoy her style or writing and her diversity. She’s not afraid to get down to the nitty gritty… it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. A strong does of real life, but still a HEA in some fashion.
This was such an amazingly heartfelt read. I loved the characters and the storyline. Rider truly had a heart of gold even at a young age and Mallory was so lucky to have someone like him in her life. Both of them truly deserved to be happy in life. This is a true story of friendship, love, loss, learning to overcome your fears and learning that just because someone isn’t a blood relative doesn’t mean they can’t love you as if your family. I highly recommend this book to readers, it truly blew me away.