Yes, Forever for a Year Is Banned!
ISBN: 9781627791915
B. T. Gottfred’s Forever for a Year alternates between the perspectives of Carolina and Trevor as they navigate their first real relationship. They meet, fall hard, fight, break up, get back together, and eventually have sex, all rendered with the kind of overheated intensity that only first love produces. Gottfred doesn’t shy away from the physical side of their relationship, and the alternating perspectives let the reader see how differently two people can experience the same moments. The novel captures the specific emotional weather of being sixteen and in love: everything is enormous, permanent, and world-ending.
Forever for a Year was challenged 9 times in the 2024-2025 PEN America data, with bans across multiple Florida school districts including Broward, Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Union County. The challenges target the book’s sexual content, specifically its depiction of teenagers choosing to have sex within a committed relationship. The book doesn’t treat teen sex as inherently dangerous or wrong, which is the core objection. Forever for a Year represents a category of banned books that aren’t about trauma or crisis but simply about normal teenage experience depicted honestly, a category that somehow provokes even more discomfort.
Why Was It Banned?
Where Was It Banned?
Read It Anyway
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Forever for a Year banned?
Yes, Forever for a Year by B. T. Gottfred has been banned or challenged in 14 documented instances across 1 states in the United States, including Florida. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.
Why was Forever for a Year banned?
Forever for a Year has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Sexual Content, Language. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.
Where is Forever for a Year banned?
As of 2025, Forever for a Year has been banned or challenged in Florida. Notable bans include Broward County Public Schools (2025), Hillsborough County Public Schools (2025), Orange County Public Schools (2025).