A review by briannethebookworm
Puddin' by Julie Murphy

5.0

Callie Reyes and Millie Michalchuk have nothing in common until a dance team prank gets Callie kicked off the team and she's forced to work with Millie at a local gym owned by Millie’s aunt and uncle. Despite Callie's hard outer shell, Millie continues to kill Callie with kindness because that’s just the kind of person she is, even though most just view her as a fat girl. As Callie’s world falls to pieces around her, she’s forced to make new friends and a new name for herself at Clover City High School, but she’ll have to conquer her own close-minded and judgmental ways in order to do it.

You know when a book is just exactly what you need? That's how I felt about this one. I don't typically gravitate toward series books and the like, but this one was an exception. Millie and Callie played a smaller role in Dumplin', and I really enjoyed getting to know them in Puddin'. I was inspired by Millie's self-acceptance and by the changes Callie made to herself and her life after she lost the things most important to her. I loved the diverse cast of characters. Most of all, I was really touched by the female friendships in the book, and I felt grateful for all of the strong female friendships in my life. I loved Dumplin' but loved this one equally as much. Highly recommend!