A review by ricksilva
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Margaret, a few months short of twelve years old, moves to the Jersey suburbs from New York City, and tries to figure out what religion she belongs to. She talks to God on a regular basis, but her parents, one raised Christian and one raised Jewish and both decidedly agnostic at this point, have decided to let Margaret make any religious decisions on her own.

Margaret converses with God through a succession of pre-teen experiences, and eventually finds herself back in the middle of her parents' original fight with their own parents over religion.

This has good character work, and great details. The book is notable for its time because it doesn't shy away from the realities of puberty, but it handles these issues with grace, a touch of humor, and compassion. It also does a great job with the upper-middle-class New York/New Jersey setting and culture.

Although some of the bigger issues are left unresolved, the story feels very real, and the growth and sincerity of Margaret's character are delightful.
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