Forever . . . characters

Appears from the start

A high-school senior who narrates the story. Katherine is thoughtful, close to her family and best friend Erica, and inexperienced in serious romance when she meets Michael at a New Year's Eve party. She wants to make decisions about love and sex deliberately rather than simply accept other people's rules.

Appears from the start

A high-school senior whom Katherine meets through mutual friends. Michael is direct about his attraction to her, attentive, and eager for a committed relationship. He respects the importance Katherine places on trust, even as the intensity of their bond raises questions neither of them can settle in advance.

Appears from the start

Katherine's candid best friend. Erica is more skeptical about romantic permanence and willing to discuss sex plainly. Her relationship with Artie develops alongside Katherine's relationship with Michael but faces a different set of pressures.

Appears from the start

Michael's close friend and Erica's romantic interest. Artie is sensitive, theatrical, and uncertain about the future expected of him. His emotional instability places strains on both his friendship with Michael and his relationship with Erica.

Appears from the start

A friend in Katherine and Erica's social circle whose New Year's Eve party brings Katherine and Michael together. Sybil's own pregnancy provides an immediate, concrete counterpoint to the friends' discussions of sex, contraception, and responsibility.

First appears in chapter 2

Katherine's younger sister. Jamie observes Katherine's growing relationship from within the family and represents a less experienced stage of adolescence, one that Katherine's parents are also trying to guide.

First appears in chapter 2

Katherine's mother, who works in family planning and speaks frankly about sexual health. She wants Katherine to make informed choices, but she also questions whether an intense first relationship should determine her daughter's future.

First appears in chapter 23

A fellow counselor Katherine meets during her summer job. Theo is friendly and appealing, and knowing him outside her home and school life gives Katherine a new perspective on the certainty she once attached to her relationship with Michael.