Big Girl Small

It's taking a lot of self control to not file this post under recommended books, but I'm trying to keep that label as books that could have universal appeal and Rachel DeWoskin's Big Girl Small can at times be crude, possibly offensive to some people. That said, I absolutely loved this book! After listening to Starters I was looking for another Playaway and this one jumped out at me. Not the title, which I don't particularly like, but the spine and author's first name. (Silly, I know.) I listened to about a third of it before the Playaway broke--Arrg!--which I've since learned happens often to these new devices. Therefore, I had to wait two agonizing weeks to find out what happened to the unforgettable Judy Lohden.

Judy Lohden is a person of short stature (more commonly, though derogatorily called a midget). She begins a new arts high school where her amazing singing voice makes a big splash. She's hiding out in a seedy motel following something that happened that is not revealed until the ending. She meets a man there who listens to her tale which she begins with her arrival at the high school. Judy is absolutely hilarious and an extremely lovable character, one I came to care about intensely. After I read it, I strongly encouraged (aka pestered) Alan to read it and he too found it funny, though also disturbing. I can't get into that without revealing too much, but I should at least acknowledge that yes, this book is not only funny, but also disturbing and sad. But that's one of the reasons I love it so much--its complexity and its ability to both delight and shock the reader. I'm looking forward to checking out more of Rachel DeWoskin's work. A glance at her website shows what an interesting person she is and obviously a very talented young woman. You'll likely see me writing about another one of her books sometime in the future.