At first glance, one may look at Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and simply dismiss the work as a comfort book that has been passed down for several generations or a work that is to be criticized for its frank discussion of religious and sexual topics. However, it is crucial to take a step back and wonder why this novel has remained so well-known. When Blume published this novel in 1970s it was groundbreaking, a story that talks about sex in a matter of fact way. As if free from the taboo cloud that plauges young women and their bodies this novel incorporates religion and sex, asking key questions and providing real answers. In addtion to this "Margaret's story deals directly with religious issues [...] and the search for religion" (Brewbaker) the main character Margaret's search for religion was, and remains, eye opening for young women. Margaret's choice at the end of the novel, "I don't think a person can choose religion just like that. It's like having to choose your own name" (Blume) was a revolutionary statment. This novel's influence does not lie in its literary prowess, though Blume does do a beautiful job of creating realistic dialouge, its true influence lies in its success at sticking in the minds of women for generations and opening the door for body positive and religiously open novels that came after. 

Brewbaker, James M. “Young Adult Literature: Are You There, Margaret? It's Me, God--Religious Contexts in Recent Adolescent Fiction.” The English Journal, vol. 72, no. 5, 1983, pp. 82–86. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/817351. Accessed 4 June 2021.