Literary Devices in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Welcome to Farbrook, New Jersey, a far cry from New York City where Margaret was born and a suburb where everything looks the same. As Margaret describes it:The new house is on Morningbird Lane. It...
Narrator Point of View
This book literally has Margaret's name written on it, so it's no surprise that what we encounter throughout the pages is Margaret's story. And who better to tell Margaret's story than Margaret her...
Genre
This book is targeted toward people on the brink of their teenage years, and it deals with changing bodies, first kisses, and pressure to fit in. In other words, it's written specifically for young...
Tone
Margaret is our narrator and main character, but she's also still a kid, so when she tells us her story, she tells it to us straight. Though she keeps plenty of secrets in this book, she doesn't se...
Writing Style
Margaret doesn't mince words, and since this is her story and she's telling it, that means we get everything—from facts to feelings—relayed to us in a very straightforward fashion. Check it:If...
What's Up With the Title?
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is not only the title of this book, it's also the most repeated phrase in this book. With the exception of a handful of chapters, it is how Margaret begins all...
What's Up With the Ending?
Reunited and it feels so good… Were you worried Margaret and God would never get back together? We have to admit we were. Not because a girl needs God to get by, but because Margaret seemed to ha...
Tough-o-Meter
Tricky words? Nope. Lots of hidden meaning? Nope. Long and winding sentences? Nope. It's safe to say that Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is an easy read. The subject matter is relatable, the...
Plot Analysis
New Jersey's Not That Bad, Right?Margaret Simon suddenly finds herself living in Farbrook, New Jersey after spending the first eleven years of her life in the Big Apple. It's not so far away phys...
Trivia
A lot of awesome people were born the same year as Margaret. We're talking Michael-Jackson-and-Madonna levels of awesome.
(Source.)
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret received an update in the 19...
Steaminess Rating
We won't say that there's no sex in the book—after all, we've got spin the bottle and Two Minutes in the Closet (hey, at least it wasn't Seven Minutes in Heaven). But these are sixth graders, so...
Allusions
Lincoln Center (8.13, 16.1)Radio City Music Hall (17.2)