Judy Blume's classic young adult book "Are You There God?" which originally came out in the 1970s, has received a modern makeover that should appeal to the smartphone generation, but longtime fans of the coming-of-age story do not seem pleased with the update.
A photo of the updated cover for "Are You There God?" went viral on Twitter this week after a netizen shared her discovery. The new version suggested that Margaret, the teen protagonist in the best-selling book, appeared to be talking to God via text or iMessage, which did not sit well with some people online, especially readers who grew up with Blume's book.
"This cover may appeal to today's youngsters but it just seems wrong," one netizen from Netherlands posted. Twitter users also poked fun at the cover redesign and suggested that God never replies to text messages.
The updated version of "Are You There God?" actually hit store shelves in 2014 and received no outrage at that time. Illustrator Debbie Ohi disclosed to Vox in 2017 that she discussed the modern cover change several times with publisher Simon & Schuster. Editor Justin Chanda also revealed that they consulted Blume about the redesign.
"We were thinking that this was the most iconic book for kids this age, so what is the most iconic thing we can think of? Texting emerged," Chanda shared. "It's funny, of course, because there are no cell phones in the book, but Judy has also said that if it was written today, Margaret would be a texter!"
"Are You There God?" follows the story of a young woman who has yet to discover her religious affiliation since her parents belong to different faiths as a Christian and a Jew. Margaret wants to find her place in one religion and in doing so, the novel also touches on issues plaguing adolescent girls, such as having periods, wearing a bra and developing crushes on boys. The book belongs to Time's list of top 100 novels published since 1923.
