In Kirkus’ review of Judy Blume’s 1975 YA novel Forever…, our reviewer pointed out that “increasingly Judy Blume's books center on single topics.” Her classic 1970 middle-grade novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., is generally remembered as the author’s girl-hits-puberty book, and Forever… might be called her teen-loses-virginity novel. The books do address these topics—in frank, sensitive, and realistic ways—but it’s unfair to reduce either book to a mere blurb. Are You There God? also grappled with the difficulties of moving to a new home, as well as Margaret’s, and her mother’s, struggles with organized religion. Similarly, Forever… has things on its mind other than teen romance; one of the main couple’s friends, for instance, struggles with his sexuality and with undiagnosed depression; another girl decides to get pregnant, carry the baby to term, and put it up for adoption—just for “the experience.”

Both novels are great candidates for book-to-screen adaptation, as they have lots of material for filmmakers and actors to work with. Two years ago, a theatrical film of Are You There God? hit theaters, and it was very faithful, addressing all the themes of the original text and featuring excellent performances from young Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret and, especially, Rachel McAdams as her mother, Barbara. (It made the list of Our Favorite Adaptations of 2023.) A new streaming series version of Forever…, however, tosses aside not only the title’s dramatic ellipsis, but much of the rest of the book, as well. It premieres on Netflix on May 8.

The original novel, set sometime in the 1970s, centers on white New Jerseyites Katherine Danziger and Michael Wagner, both high school seniors, who meet at a New Year’s Eve party and later start dating; before long, they declare their love for each other, and make-out sessions eventually lead to sex. It’s the first time for Katherine, and Michael has very little experience, so it’s awkward at first, but after a few more tries, they get the hang of it. (Strangely, Michael’s off-putting habit of referring to his genitalia as “Ralph” doesn’t cause any problems.) Along the way, Katherine makes an appointment at Planned Parenthood in New York and gets birth-control pills. She’s honest with her parents about the seriousness of her relationship with Michael; they want to be supportive, but they worry about her, as it’s leading her toward poor decisions about her future. She thinks that her parents’ concerns are ridiculous, as she’s certain that she and her boyfriend will be together forever—but her time at a summer tennis camp reveals other possibilities.

The new eight-episode series, which boasts Girlfriends creator Mara Brock Akil as its showrunner, makes many changes to Blume’s story, and alters many aspects of its main characters’ lives. Some additions really enhance the viewing experience: The two main characters, renamed Keisha Clark and Justin Edwards, are now a young Black couple in 2018 Los Angeles; nearly all the secondary characters are people of color, and the series effectively centers the Black experience. Keisha’s arc is focused on her fierce determination to attend her dream school, historically Black Howard University, and part of the series is set in the town of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a gorgeous summertime destination for Black vacationers that’s rarely seen in TV shows and films (although it appeared at length in last year’s MGM+ series The Emperor of Ocean Park).

Many other changes, though, are less successful. For one thing, Blume’s novel is very much narrator Katherine’s story, while the show spends equal time with both Keisha and Justin; it transforms a young woman’s story into a young couple’s story—a significant change. Specifically, the book highlights Katherine’s rosy perception of her relationship with Michael, whom she really barely knows. In the show, viewers know everything about everyone, all the time, which is a far less interesting dynamic.

The show also contains other elements that don’t quite work. Petty jealousies and misunderstandings continually threaten Keisha’s and Justin’s couplehood, turning it into an on-again-off-again affair, rather than an all-encompassing first love. Also, it’s revealed early on that Keisha left her previous school because of a scandal involving an explicit video that she and her ex-boyfriend made. The show does address this topic in engaging and unexpected ways, but there’s nothing like it Blume’s book, and it sits very awkwardly alongside the novel’s major theme of how young people overly idealize and romanticize the sexual act. In fact, very little of the novel makes it through to the show intact, although the young man still calls his genitals “Ralph”—a truly bizarre detail to preserve.

Although the series isn’t entirely successful as an adaptation, it’s very watchable as a romantic drama, thanks in large part to the talented cast. Manhunt’s Lovie Simone, as Keisha, has an appealing intensity that melds well with the laid-back style of Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin; The Mindy Project’s Xosha Roquemore is also quite good as Keisha’s financially struggling and fiercely determined mother, as are Luke Cage’s Karen Pittman and The Wire’s Wood Harris as Justin’s loving but sometimes difficult parents. And, very much unlike the novel, it leaves the story open-ended. After all, what does forever mean, if not the possibility of a second season?

David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.