Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.

"A quick, fun read about a kid who's just trying to figure out how she fits into everything and every now and again, she asks God, for a little help. This brings back all the angst of being a Tween and though it was nostalgic, I'm glad I'm well past that part of my life."

4 Stars

Pros: It was definitely a reminder of what it's like to be a pre-teen, all the emotions, confusion and attempts to create an identity for yourself and figure out who you are.

Cons: I had to keep in mind that the MC, Margaret, was an eleven year old girl, so her reaction to everything, IE, everything was the end of the world, was to be expected though, it did get a bit tiresome.

Full Review

Margaret Ann Simon is an only child. She's used to her life in New York City. She visits with her Grandmother, almost every single day and she likes her life. Her parents decide to uproot everything and move to Farbrook, New Jersey and to Margaret, she just can't figure out why.

She doesn't know anyone. She doesn't know her school. She doesn't know if she'll be liked. Luckily, they've been in the neighborhood only a few days when she meets a neighbor, Nancy. Once the school year starts, she joins Nancy in her "secret club" the PTS (Pre-Teen Sensations.) It's Nancy, Margaret, Gretchen and Janie. And as the school years progresses, Margaret is glad to find that she has friends.

All through the novel, she has conversations with God, in her head. Her parents, whose marriage caused quite a falling out between their parents, are not religious and have not raised Margaret to believe in anything but she still talks to God. For the most part, these are short, simple requests, asking God for his help to have Margaret grow into herself, since puberty is just around the corner, to help her be kind to others, to help her with life in general.

And once her teacher assigns them a year long project on anything they want, she decides to study religion and see if she can't find one that sticks, find something that she can believe in and a place where she can feel truly close to God.

This was a quick, easy read and the overall message, that, everyone's different, don't believe everything you hear, be true to yourself and kind to others, is what I took away from it. I also now know that "I must...I must...I must increase my bust" was not originally from "Punky Brewster" but from this Judy Blume classic. You learn something new every day.

Comments

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

"Similar to "Game of Thrones" only in space, there was a lot going on with a lot of different people and they were all important and connected but my tired, overworked brain had trouble keeping up. " 2 Stars Pros: I liked Max as a character, I'm all for the tall, dark, mysterious supposed bad boy with a heart of gold cliche, but the kissing cousins thing just made it weird. Cons: It felt like Game of Thrones, only in space, so there was a bit of a kissing cousins vibe going and I wasn't feeling it/The book tried to have these big, shocking moments I was just non-plussed, unaffected./The presence of the Gods irked me as they did in The Illiad, it's all terribly convenient to have divine intervention for your MCs. I feel like it's the cheapest fake-out cheat of all time 👍🤣 Full Review: My co-worker, who has recommended some amazing reads such as, A Man Called Ove , The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, and I'll Give You The Sun...

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

"The classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and his adventures with his Lost Boys and the Darling Children, Wendy, John and Michael. At times fun and whimsical and other times surprisingly dark, it was an interesting read as an adult." 3 Stars Pros: There is something appealing about flying away to a mysterious island where you can play all day and never have to grow up. The thrall of Neverland is a constant for this dreamer. Cons: Peter Pan is truly the most arrogant little brat and very much in need of a mother/I was surprised at the bloodshed because I always thought this was a children's book, it was rather dark at times. Full Review Mr. and Mrs. Darling are the proud yet rather dismissive and negligent parents of three children. Wendy, John and Michael. All three have flights of fancy and dream of an island, with mermaids and pirates. Mrs. Darling dismisses these as the whimsy of childhood but she herself remembers when she too dreamt of...

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

" Science Fiction at its most epically, horrific best. Mankind has colonized the galaxy and is reaching for the stars but something dark and fathomless waits in the recesses of space, biding its time and when it strikes, life itself will change." 5 Stars Pros: Deep and likable characters for all their flaws and a story that grabs you from the very beginning and never lets go. Cons: Some parts were a little technical, like how many G's a ship was flying under and the spin of planets, but it didn't take away from the story too much. Full Review: Julette Andromeda Mao. The heiress to a lunar corporate dynasty who's decided to turn her back on her life of luxury and venture out into the solar system to find work and earn her keep. Miller. A cynical, downtrodden but intelligent and resourceful cop who works out of the Ceres Station on the Belt. Holden, the commanding officer of a water hauler that ships ice from the rings of Saturn to stations ...

All the Books.

Search This Blog