From a corner in the library

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Book Info

Title: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Author: Judy Blume
Date of publication: 1970
Synopsis: 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?
[From goodreads.com]


 I really don't like to review books that are classics or super well-known because probably whatever I say has been said before. But here I go anyway.
The other book I've read by Judy Blume was Summer Sisters (which according to my copy of Are You There God? is one of her books for adults), so I didn't really know what to expect of this one. But of course I've heard all the fuss about it.
It was super short (read it in about 3 hours...?) and it was fun, simple and perfect for teenagers, I think. The whole religious dilemma really got me, because I live in a country where pretty much everybody is Catholic and you don't really get much say about it. And if you're not Catholic, you'd better not say anything... What really caught my attention was the fact that she was really interested in knowing more about the different religions and she wanted to pick one in which she could 'feel' God. All of this, while her grandmothers were trying to push her into their religions only because it was theirs. Stupid? I don't know... That's what happened to me. And I never really thought about it until I was around 20-21 years old. I guess I still haven't found answers to my questions...
What makes me like the book and think it's perfect for teens is the fact that Margaret spends a lot of her time wondering if she's "normal." Now, I don't remember really thinking about that... but I know that most people do (Trust me, I've seen it). I don't think anybody is normal, even if they try to appear to be so. And what's normal, anyway?
I did feel the book was way to short. There were just some things I wanted to know more about. Like what did Mr. Benedict told her about her letter? And what happened with Laura? And did Barbara forgive her parents? What happened with Janie when she was the last one to get it? They are all stupid questions (and they made me feel like Hazel Grace :P), but I just felt that if I'd read this as a teen, it wouldn't have been enough.
But, you know... BBTTR, right? I'll imagine the rest ;)

Would I read it again? Maybe.