Straightforward, Simple
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 I could figure out which religion to be I'd know if I wanted to join the Y or the Jewish Community Center. That was meaningful, wasn't it? I'd have to think about it.
Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. What would you think of me doing a project on religion? You wouldn't mind, would you God? I'd tell you all about it. And I won't make any decisions without asking you first. I think it's time for me to decide what to be. I can't go on being nothing forever, can I? (8.3-4)
She has the vocabulary of a tween, which means the words are never fancy, and the book reads a lot like a diary, which means there also aren't any tricky metaphors or anything complicated like that. With Margaret leading the way, this story comes through crisp and clear, and goes down easily… no matter how tricky growing up gets.