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Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr
Forever
Season 7, Ep. 16
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We're back for our third Judy Blume text with Forever! The 1975 book was written to candidly discuss a sexual relationship between teens and even if some aspects don't quite hold up, Brenna and Joe find its frankness refreshing.
On the flip side, the Netflix series from 2025 falls somewhere between IP cash grab and spiritual adaptation. Creator Mara Brock Akil interprets the text through a celebratory Black lens, though we could do with less blocking and breaking up between Keisha and Justin.
Plus: musicality, stereotypical secondary characters, the most excessive house porn we've seen, and Brenna's pandemic speculation about the series' 2nd season.
Reference: Candace Frederick. "Mara Brock Akil Grew Up With Judy Blume’s Very White Characters. In Forever, She Made Them Black." Refinery 29
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question or a contribution to July's Book Club on Felix Ever After (before July 18)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com
Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”
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