Puddin’ by Julie Murphy

This was yet another random library pick. I went in with no specific plans on what to pick up to read. I have not read the first in the series, but I did see the movie and enjoyed it. It was the right kind of feel-good movie at the right time. I also read somewhere that they stuck to the content of the original, so I thought I was in a good place to begin this particular volume. I pictured all the characters as I saw them in the movie, which is something I almost never do (mostly because the order of consumption is usually the other way around). I would not recommend starting this book with no prior knowledge of the first. There are two girls who are physically and socially in different places. Millie is trying to chart a new life without having to go to fat camp this summer (like every summer before that), and Callie wants to reach new heights in and with her dance troupe. Their paths end up crossing, and they end up helping each other out, with some major blow-ups along the way. Their school, their personalities and society in general throw quite a few hurdles their way. It has a very good growth arc. We focus on two characters, their hopes and dreams and how hard they are willing to work for those end goals. It was a breezy but emotional (at times) read. I was able to read it in a single sitting. I recommend this book to others who want to spend time with a few young adults who are doing their best to figure their lives out.