Author: Judy Blume
Published: April 29, 2014 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (First published January 1, 1970)
Format: 192 pages, Paperback
Genre: Coming of Age
First Sentence: Are you there God, It’s me Margaret, We’re moving today.
Blurb: If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him?
My Opinion: I remember feeling scandalized when I first read this book as a preteen. However, reading it today made me miss those naive times. At the same time, I realized how outdated the ideals portrayed in the book are.
The genre of coming-of-age books has evolved over the last 50 years. Unfortunately, I don't believe this novel is the classic others claim it to be since it doesn’t hold true today as it did in 1970. Although the portrayal of girls' friendships, lies, and cliques still resonates today, other parts of the book seem dated and unrelatable. Do girls still stuff their bras?
Thank you for taking me on a trip down memory lane, but I would not recommend this book to today's young girls.
Blurb: If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him?
My Opinion: I remember feeling scandalized when I first read this book as a preteen. However, reading it today made me miss those naive times. At the same time, I realized how outdated the ideals portrayed in the book are.
The genre of coming-of-age books has evolved over the last 50 years. Unfortunately, I don't believe this novel is the classic others claim it to be since it doesn’t hold true today as it did in 1970. Although the portrayal of girls' friendships, lies, and cliques still resonates today, other parts of the book seem dated and unrelatable. Do girls still stuff their bras?
Thank you for taking me on a trip down memory lane, but I would not recommend this book to today's young girls.
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