The novel was banned in schools. The Netflix adaptation is a near-perfect TV show.

Get ready to be swept up in a touching tale of young love with the stunning new series, Forever.

Netflix's Forever is a coming-of-age romance adapted from Judy Blume's groundbreaking 1975 novel.

The series follows Keisha Clark, portrayed by Greenleaf actress Lovie Simone, as a confident teenage track star who begins a high school relationship with Justin Edwards, a shy basketball star with music aspirations, played by Michael Cooper Jr. in his breakout role.

As these characters navigate first love, parental pressures and racism in post-Obama Los Angeles, their romance is tested by distance and the emotional toll of leaving high school behind.

Watch the trailer for Forever. Post continues after video.

The show's creative team is led by showrunner and Being Mary Jane creator Mara Brock Akil, with acclaimed director and actress Regina King helming the first episode. Judy Blume herself serves as executive producer, ensuring the adaptation stays true to the novel's raw exploration of teen sexuality and relationships.

The Netflix adaptation of Forever moves the story from its original 1975 New Jersey setting to 2018 Los Angeles. This shift embraces updated lingo, modern technology, social media, ADHD discourse and explores the societal pressures facing girls and boys, especially for Black families.

The series centres on two Black teens, Keisha and Justin, and tries its best (albeit at a surface level, at times) to reflect the realities and challenges faced by Black youth today. To be clear, this was not a theme explored in the original novel, which followed white protagonists Katherine and Michael.

Keisha Clark is portrayed by Lovie Simone in Forever. Image: Netflix.

Showrunner Akil brings her own experiences as a mother and Black woman to the adaptation. A special shoutout to Hollywood icon, Karen Pittman, as Justin's mother Dawn, who is outstanding in this nuanced role.

The series delves into how Black parents navigate conversations about sex and safety in a world where their children face added risks like police brutality.

The result is an eight-part series that feels like a story that should have been made decades ago, but at the same time, it is contemporary and fresh.

Forever has the epic romance energy of One Day or Normal People but through a similar lens as the young adult-led shows Ginny & Georgia or Grown-ish.

I laughed, I cried, I smiled like a big dork as I watched these two uncertain teens go on their first date — layered with nerves, inexperience and anticipation — as their love story slowly blossomed.

A couple of cuties! I love them!

This couple had to overcome a bunch of classic teen obstacles like ex-boyfriends, miscommunications and parental pressures, but like any good love story, they kept finding their way back to each other.

Keisha and Justin are the picture of young love. Image: Netflix.

It's wild to think that such an adorable and heartfelt series came from such a controversial novel. But upon its original release, Forever became one of the most banned books in the US because of its candid depiction of teenage sex and conversations about birth control.

The Netflix series does feature a handful of (very tame) sex scenes, but I wouldn't say that sex is a huge part of the story. The awkward moments of early sexual encounters are more of a footnote in the love story between Keisha and Justin.

Speaking of, since the entire series hinges on these two, I will say that their chemistry was so damn believable.

Lovie Simone is clearly a huge talent on the rise. As Keisha, she brought strength, sensitivity and maturity to the role, delicately tackling some of Keisha's more vulnerable moments.

Then there's Michael Cooper Jr. in his first mainstream role, and get ready because this young man is going to be huge. Simply put: he's a star.

For a character that could have come across as a little insufferable and wishy-washy, Cooper managed to perfectly balance Justin's mounting insecurities with his inner strength, kindness and dedication to Keisha.

Michael Cooper Jr. is destined for great things. Image: Netflix.

What this series does masterfully is encapsulate a throwback feeling, with nostalgic 2010s fashion and music — the soundtrack is an impeccable mix of slow jams and hip-hip anthems — but it still feels centred in the present.

In particular, the prom montage featuring the students in a dance battle gave me a comforting nostalgic feeling, but without any cultural cringe from the outdated daggy dance moves.

Is the series perfect? Not quite. The pacing is a little inconsistent and I found the final episode didn't quite match the energy that was built throughout the season.

The ending might dissatisfy fans of the novel because it concludes on a different note.

Both the book and the series ask the two leads: "Will this person be my forever?"

In the novel, the answer is clear: probably not.

Keisha's book counterpart, Katherine, is the one who actually breaks up with Michael (aka Justin) before a new romance is hinted at on the horizon for the young woman as she begins college.

In the series, the split is more mutual, with Justin initiating it after Kesha grows distant from him. But they end on an optimistic note, suggesting their story might not be over — just their first chapter.

It's a much more hopeful note to end on, and a simplified story compared to the novel, but probably makes more sense for Netflix's target audience of teens who want some remnants of a happy ending.

I won't begrudge them for this slight pivot. Forever is an absolutely delightful watch, and trust me, it will stay with you long after 'Moon River' plays and the screen fades to black.

Feature image: Netflix.