Former Teen Rebel: The boy is rather messy and rebellious as a youngster and teenager, with "strange friends and strange clothes and strange music." He grows up to be a regular, well-adjusted man with a nice house and a child of his own. Playwright Topher Payne wrote an alternative ending to the story, in which the mother is forced to recognize the son's need for personal space, and they instead agree to share their time doing things together. [8] Come on people, wake up! This book is an example of a horribly disturbed and dysfunctional parent/child relationship!

Only, you have to imagine that she sounds like a Valley Girl with a southern accent. Because she does, and it makes everything she says 10x more hilarious. One day the publisher called up and said “This is very strange. It is selling very well in retirement communities in Arizona. It is selling in retirement communities where kids are illegal. This is supposed to be a children’s book. What is going on?” The overall general creepiness is another reason I didn't like this book. I realize that the mother sneaking into her grown son's house via a ladder is supposed to be kind of funny (at least I hope it is), but it is still creepy and weird! Babies Ever After: The book ends with the boy (now an adult) singing the song to his infant daughter. I made that up after my wife and I had two babies born dead. The song was my song to my dead babies. For a long time I had it in my head and I couldn’t even sing it because every time I tried to sing it I cried. It was very strange having a song in my head that I couldn’t sing.Questions for Philosophical Discussion » Summary Love You Forever explores a number of serious subjects including love, gender roles, and the circle of life and death. Will they still love me once I'm not an integral part of their everyday lives? What happens when it's not important that I sign their report cards, take them to friend's houses, and cook them dinner? What about once they're ready to move out? Will I be ready for it?! And, now that I’m on this roll, I wonder what kind of message it is sending to young mothers. This woman apparently has no other identity apart from being a mom. She appears to be a single mom, because the dad is never mentioned. The only other authority figure that we hear about is the grandma. But there’s almost no substance to the mom. I get the point - unconditional and everlasting love, hence the three stars. But that's just not how you do it man. I like what the book is saying, I just don't like how it's saying it. Maybe, just maybe, I would've appreciated this story more as a kid, when I saw the world through innocent and unspotted eyes, but now I know such words like STALKER, PEEPING TOM, OBSESSIVE CREEP, LOONEY. Nooooooo. I just can't overlook how disturbing this is. I really couldn't enjoy this book. How do I fall asleep now? I just wanted something sweet **sniffs** This is definitely better than Edward Cullen's night watch sessions.

Apart from discussing the value of love and the intrinsic means of happiness, Love You Forever also delves into the deeper concept of the circle of life culminates in death. The story explores not only the young boy’s life but also the mother’s and her journey through aging. It is understandable that many of the children reading this story will not recognize the fact that the mom did indeed pass on; and if they do, it is likely that they will not identify exactly what that means. This is an important part of the story that should be discussed with the child to gain a more thorough understanding of the book’s lesson. It is important for the children to realize that death is a part of the circle of life; it is not always something dark and something to be feared but rather, if happening in a timely fashion, something that one can embrace. We can help the child appreciate this concept more by examining the character of the mother. She lived a life of fulfillment and happiness, raising her son to be respectful and in turn a great father. She was able to pass on the greatest knowledge of how to love; and this love was then reciprocated onto her. Her death is something to be celebrated; not only did she lead a long and happy life, but it is through her that the circle of life was able to continue and grow in a respectful and loving way. Death is something that young children, in perhaps a more delicate form, need to be made aware of. Love You Forever is a perfect example of how this can be done. This mom I seriously think has issues with letting her children go. Once a man gets married the woman in their life isn't you--it's the wife! And when children grow up and become adults and you should have an adult-to-adult relationship with them. Quit trying to cuddle them!

Parental Love Song: The "I'll Love you Forever" song is about how the woman will love her son no matter what. The son's verse is about how he'll always love her no matter what. My friend, I need you to hone your survival skills, because if a slasher tries to take you out while you’re sleeping…you’re gonna be completely screwed. Always a Child to Parent: The mother never changes the phrasing of "my baby you'll be" in the lullaby, even when her son has become a grown man who lives on his own. The son is implied to feel the same way too, singing the same song to her but rephrased to say "my mommy you'll be" as she lay dying.