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madiganinwonderland's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
Oh boy.. Ok. So I read "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" right when I was going through girly changes and I actually really enjoyed it. So I always kinda had it in my mind of Judy Blume being a great middle grade author. And I picked up this book thinking it's so short and I'm sure a pretty quick read, which it was. However, I was pretty disappointed in this book.
First of all Deenie is a really spoiled and whiney type of character. I was really hoping for some character development of some sort by the end of the book but to be honest I didn't see much. She was still over dramatic it seemed and was snapping at everyone for everything. I can understand why she would be upset with her getting scoliosis, butt some of the things she got upset about were really ridiculous and childish, even for a middle grade book. For example the undershirt that she had to wear, it would seem pretty insignificant to me but to her it was a crisis.
I found myself wishing this book was actually within the point of view of her sister Helen. She seems like someone I could relate to more and she wasn't so dramatic it seemed plus I really wanted to hear her take on the way her mother was treating her and her sister.
Speaking of which the way her mother treated both of them was honestly very uncomfortable. It was not pleasant and very controlling and Mom you can tell it's going to cause her kids to need therapy later in life. It wasn't addressed as much as it should have been.
Surprisingly this book didn't have instalove. However I think I can associate that to it being written in the 70s and not in the 21st century. If it had been I think it would have been with the character Buddy. At first he seemed a bit like a jerk, and then he did seem sweet the way he didn't treat Deenie differently after she got the brace on but then in the end he was just another creep and the guy who took things way too far too fast especially for the age demographic that this is targeted to.
Also this book touched on acceptance of pleasuring your body, and how it's all right for both boys and girls. Which I guess is a good message but the way it was executed was so strange and made me feel very uncomfortable. It seems completely random and the way it was talking about was just kind of really odd and it just seemed like she was trying to pack in another message into the book just to do it and it was really weird and probably could have been replaced with any other typical crisis of puberty topic.
I'm not sure I really like the message this book sends out. There's a lot going on and a lot to take in that isn't really covered well including signs of depression and eating disorders and mental illnesses as well as the way you can be expected to let a guy do certain things to you once you hit a certain age, which is not something I would want a 13 year old girl thinking is acceptable.
I am glad I read this so because it did help me get out of my reading slump a little bit I think and I'm glad to clear off a book that I had just purchased. Makes me feel productive lol.
Oh boy.. Ok. So I read "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" right when I was going through girly changes and I actually really enjoyed it. So I always kinda had it in my mind of Judy Blume being a great middle grade author. And I picked up this book thinking it's so short and I'm sure a pretty quick read, which it was. However, I was pretty disappointed in this book.
First of all Deenie is a really spoiled and whiney type of character. I was really hoping for some character development of some sort by the end of the book but to be honest I didn't see much. She was still over dramatic it seemed and was snapping at everyone for everything. I can understand why she would be upset with her getting scoliosis, butt some of the things she got upset about were really ridiculous and childish, even for a middle grade book. For example the undershirt that she had to wear, it would seem pretty insignificant to me but to her it was a crisis.
I found myself wishing this book was actually within the point of view of her sister Helen. She seems like someone I could relate to more and she wasn't so dramatic it seemed plus I really wanted to hear her take on the way her mother was treating her and her sister.
Speaking of which the way her mother treated both of them was honestly very uncomfortable. It was not pleasant and very controlling and Mom you can tell it's going to cause her kids to need therapy later in life. It wasn't addressed as much as it should have been.
Surprisingly this book didn't have instalove. However I think I can associate that to it being written in the 70s and not in the 21st century. If it had been I think it would have been with the character Buddy. At first he seemed a bit like a jerk, and then he did seem sweet the way he didn't treat Deenie differently after she got the brace on but then in the end he was just another creep and the guy who took things way too far too fast especially for the age demographic that this is targeted to.
Also this book touched on acceptance of pleasuring your body, and how it's all right for both boys and girls. Which I guess is a good message but the way it was executed was so strange and made me feel very uncomfortable. It seems completely random and the way it was talking about was just kind of really odd and it just seemed like she was trying to pack in another message into the book just to do it and it was really weird and probably could have been replaced with any other typical crisis of puberty topic.
I'm not sure I really like the message this book sends out. There's a lot going on and a lot to take in that isn't really covered well including signs of depression and eating disorders and mental illnesses as well as the way you can be expected to let a guy do certain things to you once you hit a certain age, which is not something I would want a 13 year old girl thinking is acceptable.
I am glad I read this so because it did help me get out of my reading slump a little bit I think and I'm glad to clear off a book that I had just purchased. Makes me feel productive lol.
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great book about a girl overcoming a physical limitation. Deenie is a sweet girl who deals with a lot of common issues to junior high kids: boys, friends, fitting in, peer pressure, but on top of all that she discovers that she has scoliosis and has to be fitted with a brace. This changes everything, or at least, it seems like it will, but thankfully life goes on and all that changes is her perspective. Her relationships with her parents are key to this story, especially her with mother. Her mother has expectations that Deenie will become a model and her curvature of the spine causes this dream to be ruined, or at least put on hold. Deenie wasn't sure about the modeling to begin with, so this isn't a big deal to her, but it is devastating for her mother who always thought of modeling as Deenie's one chance to be special and achieve more than she did. I like that her father and the doctors recognize that Deenie is handling the problem better than her mother and give her credit for being strong and brave.
julianagram's review against another edition
5.0
this was my introduction to Judy Blume, and it is still my favorite.
samikoonjones's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
gabmc's review against another edition
4.0
I think every adult should read a Judy Blume book - especially if they never got to read one as a child. Although this book is almost fifty years old, it still holds up today as an exploration of coming of age, disability and overbearing parents. Thirteen year old Deenie has always been praised by her mother for her looks and her older sister Helen for her brains. Deenie's mother takes her to modelling agencies and really wants her daughter to become a model. During cheerleading tryouts, Deenie's PE teacher notices something unusual about her posture and recommends she go to her doctor. She is eventually diagnosed with scoliosis and fitted with a back brace she has to wear for the next four years. At an age where appearance is so important, Deenie struggles with the idea of the brace. She also struggles with her concept of herself, particularly when she thinks about her former classmate who now has a brain injury because of a car accident and has to take the 'special bus' to school.
kelhutch68's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I chose Deenie for a reading challenge this month because Judy Blume was a favorite author for me late elementary/early middle school. It’s been years since I read this book, and my reaction was very different reading it now.
As a kid, I loved it because there were things going on with Deenie that I could relate to: never wanting to be the last one picked, avoiding things that made me uncomfortable, not getting along with my siblings, having the awkward sex discussions and dealing with your first crush/kiss.
Reading it now as a mom, I was so mad Thelma, Deenie’s mom. Her pushing the girls into what she felt they should be, not what they wanted, really did not sit well with me. This need for Deenie to fit a certain mold really formed how she reacted to Deenie’s scoliosis. Her actions and words made it harder for Deenie to come to terms with the situation. Kudos to Frank though as I did feel like he truly had the girls’ best interest at heart.
On this read, I also appreciated Deenie’s growth whereas I’m sure I didn’t even recognize it when I read the book as a kid. She learned how to look past people’s outward appearance and to give them an opportunity as a person. She realized that she and her sister were dealing with the same pressure from their mother, and it brought them closer together. All in conjunction with figuring out how to navigate a difficult medical situation.
I really hate that this, as well as other Judy Blume books, are consistently on banned lists. Many years after they were written, I still feel like they are relevant to kids in the tween years. I will never understand why people try to censor what is and is not appropriate for a mass group. Let families make their own choices about what is appropriate for their children…..
labunnywtf's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Book Roast's Magical Readathon: NEWTs Exams. Subject: Ancient Runes, E Level. (Most Ancient Book on Shelf)
Marked to read January 12, 2009
I do love me some Judy Blume. It's crazy to me that I've never read this one before. Or that there are Blume books I haven't read, period.
She really has such a way with teenaged characters. Deenie hits just the right note of innocent teen and snotty teenaged brat. I find it unrealistic that more students at her school didn't gawk or treat her poorly for having a brace, especially in the era that this was set. But this is a sweet, innocent story that I think any teenager with a disability could enjoy.
Assuming they are of an age to not be scandalized by their special spot. ^^
Marked to read January 12, 2009
I do love me some Judy Blume. It's crazy to me that I've never read this one before. Or that there are Blume books I haven't read, period.
She really has such a way with teenaged characters. Deenie hits just the right note of innocent teen and snotty teenaged brat. I find it unrealistic that more students at her school didn't gawk or treat her poorly for having a brace, especially in the era that this was set. But this is a sweet, innocent story that I think any teenager with a disability could enjoy.
Assuming they are of an age to not be scandalized by their special spot. ^^
jenmat1197's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
2.5
This is the story of Deenie - a 7th grader whose mother has high hopes for a modeling career for her. Deenie just wants to be a normal teenager and make the cheerleading squad and hang out with her friends. When a teacher notices that Deenie seems to have a problem with her spine, Deenie is on a path she never expected. Forced to wear a large brace for 4 years while her spine straightens, she learns to navigate junior high school with her "specialness" and what that means.
This was a weird book. Shocking since it is Judy Blume. I read it for a challenge. Deenie is a huge whiner. Yes I know she is 13 years old, but still. It was over the top. The mother is terrible. The older sister, Deenie's friends and her dad are the only good characters in the book. It is a really short book and it kind of just ends. Not her best.
Stars: 2.5
arrrjae's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
chickaboogawah's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Body shaming, Medical content, Bullying, Ableism, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse