Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Willowdean lives in a small Texas town known for its Miss Clover City beauty pageant. Her mom is a former winner. Willowdean has always hated the pageant - she does not have the physique of a 'beauty' queen, and she is really ok with that. Her mom on the other hand sees Willowdean's weight is a character flaw. So every year when it is pageant time, Willowdean braces herself while her mother dives deep into the preparations for the pageant as one of its directors.

It's not all about the pageant. First, there's Bo. He's the hot guy behind the grill at the hamburger joint where Willowdean works. He's been paying attention to her. When they kiss, Willowdean cannot figure out what someone like Bo would see in a fat girl like her.

Second, Willowdean is still not over the loss of her beloved aunt Lucy. She was not petite either and lived with Willowdean and her mom. Lucy shared her love of Dolly Parton with Willowdean. She had a bond with her aunt that she will never have with her mother.

Third, Willowdean's best friend Ellen seems to be drifting away. She has a new friend (who Willowdean can't stand) and a job at a 'skinney girls' store.

Willowdean decides to make a statement by joining the pageant. It turns out to be more difficult than she thought.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

If you were going to die, would you take the opportunity to do things you might not normally do...like take revenge on people that have been cruel to you or tell your best friend that you feel the same way about him that he does about you. With nothing to lose, Alice did those things and more but must deal with the consequences when her cancer goes into remission.

Harvey loves Alice. He knows exactly how he feels, but she's never expressed her true feelings for him no matter what they may be. After she stopped ballet dancing her freshman year, Alice starting dating Luke (one of the people on her revenge list) and no longer spent time with Harvey. But that was before the cancer. After, Harvey became the person she depended on to help her complete her 'bucket' list and give her what will be her last nice memories.

This book could have easily been a book about Alice's revenge, but is deeper than that. This is a before and after tale - actually a before, during and after cancer story. Told in 'before' and 'then' chapters from Alice and Harvey's points of view, we have insight to their motives and feelings. It really is about these two young people dealing with whirlwind of emotions and all their relationships with each other and the people in their lives.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.