Forever Julia

by Jodi Carmichael

Winner of the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award!

Selected for the Best Books For Kids & Teens 2015

Six months ago, Julia's life was perfect. Then her dad died. Now she lives with her grieving mother and sick grandmother in a puny apartment above their bookstore. After a dark bout of depression, Julia is fragile, and mourns both her father and her old life. But she has one thing to be happy Jeremy, the most popular boy at school, has chosen her. Jeremy's love for Julia is passionate, even obsessive. As she grows closer to Jeremy, Julia pushes her disapproving friends and family away. But Jeremy only becomes more controlling and Julia has to decide what lines cannot be crossed.

Genres: Young Adult, Canada, Fiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2015

Reviews

[Paula M · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
Wow. This book is breathtaking. I feel like every woman, no matter what age, needs to read this book. Its an eye opener. I was shaking when I finished this book, and I don't know if it's from anger or sadness or just because I want to hug the main character, Julia. This book will definitely get into your bones. Carmichael's writing is flawless and she absolutely needs recognition for writing this book.

The blurb and cover might look simple and harmless, but this book deals with a serious issue. Abusive Relationship. Ladies (and even gentlemen) if you're in a relationship, you need to ask yourself if you're in a relationship that celebrates YOU. Your flaws, your quirks, your existence. And the most important thing of all, does he know and understand the word 'NO'

Julia isn't the most easiest MC. I felt a lot of things towards her. But despite of that, I can't help but feel for her. From the first chapter in the book, its already obvious that there's something wrong with the relationship that she and her boyfriend have. But, as expected, she doesn't notice this. I've never been in an abusive relationship but I've already witnessed one. So I kinda know why Julia acts and thinks that way. I'm telling you, its so hard not to feel angry and hurt. You don't even know to who. To Julia for being so naive. Or to his boyfriend who I seriously want to hurt.. and I wouldn't even be sorry.

A lot of things happened. Things that got me frustrated, made me cry, made me shake my head. But I was glad by how things ended. The only thing I wish in here is that the ending should've an epilogue or something. But that's just me.

I seriously don't know what more to say other than READ IT. THEN LOVE IT. Then recommend the heck out of it. This is perfect for fans of Courtney Summers who wants to deal with a heavy and serious issue but done in a light but still marvelous way. Forever Julia isn't a book to be ignored.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone should have given me a warning when starting this book. Also reading books based in your hometown can be an interesting experience. It was a rough read, I almost cried and definitely wanted to throw the book across the room a few times. When you read about high school relationships they’re either fluffy or downright ugly. I’m sad to say this one was downright ugly.

The story of Julia is a courageous one. She recently lost her dad due to cancer and now with her mother, they run a little bookshop while barely making ends meet. Julia also has the support of her eccentric friend Annika, and her “loving” boyfriend, Jeremy. The story focuses around her unhealthy relationship with Jeremy.

Truthfully, the relationship between Julia and Jeremy isn’t one that makes sense. They come from different social circles, different family backgrounds. In all reality the only connection they have is the fact that they go to the same school. I mean, I know that she tutored him and that’s how their relationship started, but I feel that it’s more of a case of Jeremy taking pity of her and what happened to her. Which, in itself is a sad thought. That’s not how a relationship works.

The flow of the story build up to the Valentine’s Day dance, but it doesn’t start off slow. We’re immediately brought into a bad situation between Julia and Jeremy. Which is rough, but also slightly eye opening. Julia and Jeremy along with some friends are going on a weekend ski trip. During this time, Jeremy makes it obvious that he wants to have sex with her. Claiming he makes her hot and that he needs her. Now after reading this, you immediately discover this is all he wants from her. Now without going into every scene as to him making a move on her. But let’s just leave it at that it happens a lot.

Now, in the synopsis we find out that her grandmother lives with her too. But that in fact doesn’t happen until about halfway through the story. The reason for her for moving in, is in fact that she herself has been diagnosed with cancer. Which is a big shock to Julia because her grandmother is healthy and is a strong woman in her eyes. Who doesn’t look up to their grandparents, I know I do.
Jeremy can be perceived as a romantic guy, but Julia isn’t the right girl for his type of romance. His violent outbursts overweigh the good moments. And as for any girl who’s madly in love, it takes a while for them to see that there’s a real problem with her relationship.

Now for how I felt considering this took place in my city. Because this isn’t a fluffy book, it was a lot harder of a book to swallow. There are times where it was good, especially when visualizing places. But with all that went on with Jeremy and Julia, it was sad because I felt like it was actually happening in front of my eyes, rather than just visualizing it in my head.

This book is a wonderful story of courage, friendship, and love. If you need a read that makes you want a slap in the face, this is a good choice of a book.

[Ella Drayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jodi Carmichael is now on my list of favorite authors. I really loved this book! She really captured what it feels like to be a fifteen year old girl who is desperate for that feeling of belonging.

Forever Julia is a book that needs to be read by all teenage girls who are of dating age. Julia really cares for her boyfriend Jeremy and she puts up with a lot from him that she really shouldn't but when it really comes down to what's important, Julia doesn't change who she is just to make some guy happy. This is a really important lesson that young girls need to learn! Like most teenage girls Julia wants to be liked and be popular and she is well on her way to that goal because she is dating the most popular guy in school. Julia's self-esteem is quite low when the story starts and I suspect part of it is from losing her father and trying to deal with her loss. I feel like Jeremy preyed on that and knew that Julia would do just about whatever he wanted in order to make him happy. He tries to come in between her and her best friend and to convince her that she doesn't need her anti-depressants because she has him and he loves her and that's all that matters. That is one of the first warning signs of an abusive relationship.

Relationships like this are so easy to fall into because it starts out slowly. It's just a little thing that you try to brush off or think maybe you're over-reacting and then the next thing you know he's got you isolated and scared to leave him. It is very easy for young girls like Julia to end up in relationships like this. Her wild friend Annika even tries to save her from her relationship with Jeremy. On more than one occasion she mentions to Julia that Jeremy's behavior is unacceptable but Julia makes excuses for him and stays with him.

The characters in this book are very well-written and believable. I have to stay that as much as I adored Julia and Annika, Julia's grandmother and Tyler were my favorite characters. Julia's grandmother is a force to be reckoned with and doesn't take any crap from anyone. She sees right through Jeremy immediately but she lets Julia make her own decisions while keeping an eye on her from a distance. I really liked Tyler and thought that he and Julia were going to end up together, and I was hoping they would, but Jodi Carmichael surprised me on that one! The ending was my favorite part of the book and I usually do not say that about books. I felt satisfied with the ending of this one, though.

This was a really great read for those young and old. Julia is a very endearing character and seeing how she grows emotionally through the book is very rewarding. I highly recommend!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

PSYCHOCAT READS REVIEW OF FOREVER JULIA BY JODI CARMICHAEL.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

It feels like over the last couple of months I've had several books show up on the review list with darker themes. FOREVER JULIA certainly qualifies in that category, as such I will be following a modified collection of criteria. With that in mind, let's see how things stack up.

The Characters: Julia is a sweet and very broken teenage girl. With her father dead and she and her mom struggling to make it, she's always on the fringe of the in crowd at her school. Unfortunately, this makes her susceptible to what turns out to be a pretty big mistake. While she is a very smart young woman, her lack of confidence and desire for acceptance makes her stubbornly blind even when others try to warn her.

Annika is a fantastic supporting character for this story. She is the faithful best friend, pretty unapologetic about who she is, but also not willing to become a total doormat when it comes down to it. Every girl needs a friend like that.

The Relationships: Annika's friendship with Julia is one of my favorite pieces of the story. Just because they've been friends for years and are practically sisters doesn't mean things are all sunshine and roses for them when things go awry. Julia's relationship with her grandmother is another one of my favorites. The older woman is certainly wise.

The Subject Matter: FOREVER JULIA offers a view into the frightening world of abusive teen relationships. The author did a remarkable job of bringing us into Julia's world and situation. As a reader you can see where things start going wrong, but you can also see how Julia doesn't see it. Ms. Carmichael didn't write an overly graphic depiction of the issue, but still manages to get the idea across that these situations happen and can be dangerous both physically and emotionally.

Jen's Final Rating: 5 STARS! I found myself completely engrossed in the story. You know it isn't going to go well, but seeing how Ms. Carmichael built things to the climax was as engaging as it was heartbreaking.

Psychocat's Final Rating: Don't kid yourself that Psychocat is going to get warm and fuzzy with this book. She's out for blood, and this time I won't even try to talk her down.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a brilliant book. It had the suspense, the passion, the angst and the fear that I feel a book like this should have. So often, people get caught in poor relationship, be it with a partner or friends, and whilst everyone around them can see this, they are blind to it, and often push away everyone who cares about them. Truly cares. This book was the perfect representation of that.
Often I have heard people say ‘why didn’t they just leave’ or ‘why couldn’t they see it,’ but until you have been in or close to a situation like this, it is often hard to understand just how easy it is to fall prey to such ways, often blinded by the love you have for the person.
I liked the progression of this book. It was very realistic, in that the harshness and controlling nature of the relationship didn’t just start out straight away, it was built and escalated over time, making it harder for Julia to see it.
The book also had an excellent character base, all of them with unique personalities and depth. I liked that there were compassionate and caring people, the bullies and our two mains, who had very different personalities indeed. I did like that whilst one progressed in possessiveness, the other transformed into a different person. First she became one of the group, then she started to see what was happening around her, noticing she was losing her best friend, and she changed again.
The pace of this book was brilliant and perfectly matched that of the relationship and the tension. I found that it had moments where it would slow down, so that you, just like Julia, could think that things might be changing for the better, but then the fast-paced, controlling nature returned.
Overall, though this is a brutal and sad story, it is very real, very emotional and exceptionally good.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already emotionally fragile after losing her father to cancer, Julia is over the moon excited when the most popular boy in school wants to go out with her. Being with Jeremy though is not always easy as he complains about her clothes, friends and even wants to control what she eats as to not get fat. Jeremy is obsessive and controlling, but Julia seems to be blind to it all because she wants this relationship to work. But will she sacrifice her values and her friends just to prove to Jeremy that she loves him?


Forever Julia was an intriguing and skillfully written story that had me glued to the pages hoping that Julia would see that she deserved so much more and didn't need to settle for something she thought was the best she was going to get.

I really liked Julia's character, because despite all the heartache in her life, she was just a girl trying to do her best and give it her all. Jeremy however was not my favorite (but really, he is not suppose to be). He would go from zero to prick in 2 seconds flat and it was very hard not to want to reach within the pages and strangle him. Blame it on upbringing, or whatever, but people like Jeremy need a good butt-whooping!

Forever Julia may be a work of fiction, but the story is far too real in the lives of many young girls and women everywhere. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially teenagers and young adults because Forever Julia deals with real life issues that happen every day in some girl's life. The signs of abuse may be subtle, but there are signs and this story depicts them beautifully.

4 stars
- See more at: The Avid Book Collector

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was seriously important because it covers two topics that teens tend to get lectured about and pretend to understand but still misread the signals when the event presents itself in real life: mental, emotional and physical abuse.

All in all, Forever Julia was an important story about sticking up for yourself and breaking off abusive relationships while staying true to your morals. I liked this book and would definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a serious, more eye-opening read. Although there are bouts of humor and typical teenager-dom to relieve the reader of the solemn topic at hand, this book still speaks volumes and Jodi Carmichael did a good job of showing how teenagers may pretend to know everything about how the world works, but when faced with a situation in reality, they flounder. This is definitely an important read that you should pick up, because even though I only gave this book three stars, it still holds an important message.

This is just a small piece of what I had to say about Forever Julia. Read the complete review on The Book Bratz by clicking HERE!

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia and her mom are grieving the dad's death by cancer and they’ve had to move into a shamefully small apartment above her mom’s bookstore. Poor Julia—she's a vulnerable mess. It’s a good thing she's smart. But being math-smart doesn’t give her the emotional-smarts she needs to handle the world of relationships. When Jeremy—cool, good-looking and rich—pays Julia attention, Julia falls for him, in spite of her best friend’s warnings.

What I liked most about this book, besides the author’s authentic dialogue and wonderful sense of humor, is the complexity of the her two main characters. Julia is sometimes her own worst enemy and being smart doesn’t give her the necessary insight into her situation. Even the antagonist has a side that makes him more human, more understandable, even pitiable. Yet he remains a bully—a dangerous one.

Also, it’s all so true that male/female relationships can wreck havoc with female relationships—especially at the high school level. Great tension build-up to a nightmarish last scene, almost grotesque with its sexual caricature. An engrossing, satisfying book. And did I mention that it’s funny, too? Highly recommended.

[Dianna (SavingsInSeconds blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the fact that Forever Julia didn't contain vivid, graphic sex scenes. I hesitate to recommend this to a younger group of teens, simply because of the theme, but it's definitely a discussion worth having with young adults. My biggest concern was for Julia's boyfriend Jeremy. Readers get the inside look at his seemingly charmed life, and it's scary! I'd give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I especially liked that the back of the book contained helpful advice and numbers for teens who need help getting out of an abusive relationship. I received this book to review. Opinions shared are mine.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

*advanced copy for PBN Review*

This book was an amazing representation of how abuse can look like, and how it can hide behind what the abused may see as "love" especially if they have not experience romantic love yet like the young Julia has. Amazing book by one of our own Manitoba authors!! Highly recommend!

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novel in a day. It was captivating! And very timely. Handsome, rich, popular or not: Is this what love is supposed to be? No!!

This is a great read for young adults to distinguish between love and abuse. I hope it helps young women recognize that love shouldn't hurt (physically or emotionally).

[Melinda Friesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the wake of 50 Shades, a book like this sends a strong positive message to teen girls--true love doesn't harm the other. With memorable characters, a strong voice and a dynamic protagonist this book is definitely worth a read.

[Suzanne Costigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that will hopefully open the eyes of girls who are in abusive relationships and may not see the light. It may help to give them strength to see their self-worth. A must-read.

Well written, can't-put-it-down read. Highly recommended!

[Jamie Boyko · Rating 3 out of 5]

jodi kinda wrote in circles the entire book... it was basically just julia being like "omg my boyfriend bought me something/did some rich kid bs!!!!" and annika would be pissed, then jeremy would try to have sex with her and julia would refuse, so jeremy lashed out and kicked her out/took back the gift, then annika would be like told u so! which is a good plotline, but perhaps it doesn't need to happen five times.

[regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. The storyline was flat and it didn’t impact me at all. The characters were okay and the plot could’ve been good but it just wasn’t. I feel like 3 stars was generous.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forever Julia is a fantastic novel that successfully incorporates many important issues, including grief, abuse, anxiety, and social/peer pressure. Julia is dating one of the most handsome, popular boys in the school, but he never quite accepts her the way she is and his pressure for her to change (appearance and behaviour) eventually comes to a head. In the meantime, Julia is struggling to maintain her close friendships and support her family.
Jodi Carmichael's writing is superb; the teenage angst is portrayed well - never belittled and never irritatingly stupid. Great book for a wide audience.

[Ciarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first 60 pages earnestly and skimmed the rest. From what I read it wasn't too bad. I found a lot of what Julia was going through relatable. Her relationship with her mom stuck with me especially.

But there was just something… missing. With the archetypal characters and cliche story line I knew what was going to happen before even finishing it.

I also found it difficult to sympathize with Julia. Jeremy was so obviously an asshole I couldn't see how any self-respecting person would put up with his bullshit. Maybe if the reader had to doubt themselves about him too it would have added a new layer of complexity to the story.

Overall from what I read I'd give this a 2.5.

[Kristine Posthumus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Julia is a loveable character and Jodi's words bring her to life, with all of her quirks and charm. Julia could easily be any young adult in our high schools today. A very important message for young adults, especially girls, is written in this book. One that I hope my daughter will carry with her... always be true to yourself. My teenage daughter is currently reading Forever Julia and I hope she reads it over and over again. I'm also going to suggest it to my son when he gets older as it's not only a book for women.