Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret in James Mustich's 1000 Books to Read Before You Die

Feb 05, 2020 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, completist-book-club, young-adult, favorites, classic

What a powerful little book. Sure, it is a coming of age story about a pre-teen girl in the late 1960s, early 1970s, but it feels like a story with lessons and ideas that are important to everyone in any era. I can see why this is on many must read lists.

Simply written – it can be read in one or two sittings. This is a great thing for those looking for a quick and entertaining read in the midst of a busy schedule. No great commitment is required to get through this one. And, you may find more co What a powerful little book. Sure, it is a coming of age story about a pre-teen girl in the late 1960s, early 1970s, but it feels like a story with lessons and ideas that are important to everyone in any era. I can see why this is on many must read lists.

Simply written – it can be read in one or two sittings. This is a great thing for those looking for a quick and entertaining read in the midst of a busy schedule. No great commitment is required to get through this one. And, you may find more content in 150 pages than you sometimes get in 400 to 500 pages!

Another important element of this book that is very applicable to everyone today is the pressures Margaret goes through – social, religious, relationships, etc. She just wants to live, but people are filling her head with lies and arguments that make it difficult for her to make decisions for herself. All it does is make her miserable. This reminds me of how some people seem to be willing to treat others today (especially with the anonymity of the internet). While it isn’t everyone, it seems like many people like to force their opinions down people’s throats and make them feel bad about their own feelings. Those people don’t consider – or don’t care - how this makes others feel. It makes me very sad! And, it made me very frustrated for Margaret!

Side note related to the comment above: The key plot of the story is Margaret trying to decide which religion she wants to be – if any. I was reading online that this book has been censored and banned in some places because of its take on Christianity. As a Christian myself, this is ridiculous – and the behavior of the Christians in the book is ridiculous. No one should be made to feel bad about exploring what feels comfortable to them and, if they decide one thing over another, that is their choice and no one else’s business. The way she is treated in this book I am not surprised she responds the way she does!

I recommend this book to everyone. I think it will teach us all a lot about how we should treat each other, and it is a good reminder that we are all human, no matter what our differences are.
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Feb 22, 2013 Tanya rated it liked it

Shelves: with-dd2, genre-children-s-literature, kids-1-001-books, kids-1001books-8plus, list-40-books-that-you-can-t-put

I reread this in April, 2023 since the movie adaptation was coming out and because this is a frequently banned book. I had forgotten all about the parents allowing her to choose her religion and how this was another of the major dilemmas in the book. When I read it at 10 years old, it was all about puberty for me, but now it is so much more. The irony is that my own parents were allowing me to pick my own religion as I became an adult too. I had many similar questions and concerns as the protago ...more

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Mar 03, 2014 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1000-books-to-read-before-you-die

Rereading for the movie. Wanted to see if changes were made. Long overdue updates were made, but it took away some important details and it read kinda sterile. Still good though.

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