Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Big Girl Small

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 1,370 ratings · 287 reviews

Judy Lohden is your above-average sixteen-year-old—sarcastic and vulnerable, talented and uncertain, full of big dreams for a big future. With a singing voice that can shake an auditorium, she should be the star of Darcy Academy, the local performing arts high school. So why is a girl this promising hiding out in a seedy motel room on the edge of town?

The fact that the nat...more

Hardcover, 294 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

2012 Alex Awards Winners

2nd out of 10 books — 7 voters

YALSA 2012 Best of the Best List

79th out of 82 books — 49 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 05, 2011 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Nice idea but my motivation for reading was basically to see what the scandal was. After the big reveal, the novel devolved into a chronology of events - this happened, then this happened, then we did this and this and this - and it became so obvious that the author hadn't thought this through. Also I'm tired of these sarcastic teenage narrators. I feel like every time a first person narrator is slightly out of the ordinary, they have to make up for it with quips and sarcasm. It gets old, especi...more

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Katie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-books-2012-goal

Part PSA, part freak show*, this book is disgusting. Gang raping a Little Person? Really? But it's OK, because after the boys get expelled from school, our heroine is much more popular with other girls who've "been through stuff". BARF.

Judy's mom doesn't press charges against the Neanderthals who GANG RAPED HER DAUGHTER (yes, I am shouting), because: Why ruin the futures of three young boys who made a mistake? A mistake? They didn't cheat on their finals; they gang raped someone! I get that she...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2013 Erica rated it 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I always make it a point to pick up one book I’ve never heard of by an author I’ve never heard of, just because it looks interesting. Unfortunately, this book stakes its entire narrative on one event, teases it out in the initial chapter and then beats it over the head every few pages because the author knows that finding out the nature of this awful event is the only thing keeping the reader reading. The prose is rambling, switching topics every few par...more

like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Susan Ferguson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, book-club-reads, fiction

Interesting book. Teen-age years from the point of view of a Little Person. Moreover, Judy is an extremely talented singer. She decides to try for the D'Arts Academy for gifted potential singers, actors, etc. Then the trouble starts. She comes into contact with a whole new group of people she did not know before. Some of them are extremely absorbed in themselves, but they all like to gossip. Formerly she was at school with kids she'd almost always been around. But she begins to make friends and...more

like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Karen Hansen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rachel DeWoskin's "Big Girl Small" was a case of picking a book by it's cover. I saw it sitting on the shelf at Vroman's Bookstore and without reading the synopsis, I took a leap of faith and bought it.

The central character of the story is Judy Lohden, a high school student at a local Arts high school. Judy's high school was nearly identical to arts high school that I graduated from in the mid 90's. DeWoskin even had a character that had the same name as one of the teachers at my high school, G...more

like · see review

Jul 20, 2012 Ariel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this as an audiobook. I loved the first half - Judy had a unique voice, sarcastic yet thoughtful, that put a spin on the usual high school perspective. But in the second half the plot got in the way of the character development and writing style, which I think were the best parts of the book. I would have enjoyed this more if it was a less dramatic story with more exploration of Judy's normal life, rather than the scandal that engulfed her.

SPOILER ALERT

I also found it really frustr...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Christie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The author, Rachel DeWoskin, flawlessly captured the voice of the angry teenager. DeWoskin shares universal teenage angst spun around this complex character, Judy Lohden, a small person attending and new to Darcy Academy, a performing arts high school for the gifted. Although we know from the beginning that Judy is involved in the videotaping of some sex scandal, the complexities of blame around date rape, gang rape (according to Judy), and teen drinking-and-sex are masterfully handled in this v...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Gabby rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure what possessed me to read this book last summer, as I am 22 years old and far past the time for YA novels, but I can only conclude that it was a combination of boredom, working at a library, wanting to turn my brain off and nostalgia for all of the Sarah Dessen novels I read in middle school. So when I saw that my university's library was adding this to its collection my interest was piqued.

I urge everyone to take this review with a large grain of salt: if I was 13 again I would pro...more I'm not sure what possessed me to read this book last summer, as I am 22 years old and far past the time for YA novels, but I can only conclude that it was a combination of boredom, working at a library, wanting to turn my brain off and nostalgia for all of the Sarah Dessen novels I read in middle school. So when I saw that my university's library was adding this to its collection my interest was piqued.

I urge everyone to take this review with a large grain of salt: if I was 13 again I would probably give this novel 4 or 5 stars, which would be perfectly deserved coming from someone that age. As someone who is a bit older and much better read than I was at 13, I doesn't feel fair to give this 5 stars when it is being compared to works of "serious fiction". However, when stacked against other YA novels I have read, this book is a standout and I would definitely recommend it to young people.

The story and its tragic heroine inhabit a world that is thoroughly modern in its concerns: teenage sex, rape and the abusive potential of the internet and technology. Yet at its heart the problems are classic: teenage self loathing and alienation, gossip, humiliation, high school friends, controlling parents, the need to assert independence and learning who you can trust.

Judy is a little person (dwarf if you aren't familiar with the more modern term), who is trying to navigate the world of high school and love. Although her body marks her a different to those around her, I liked that the novel doesn't make her dwarfism the focus of her problems, as it is something she is mostly comfortable with. It only becomes an issue when others, teenagers in particular, are unable to look past it and see her for the person that she is. The climax of the novel is a despicable betrayal by someone Judy thinks she can trust and in light of the incident she tries to understand whether it was motivated by someone trying to exploit her difference or whether it was merely incidental.

Overall I found the book to be a fast paced, well written, and intriguing read that I would recommend for those interested in YA fiction.(less)

like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, friendship, young-adult, teen-topics

From the very first page, I fell in love with Judy; she might be small in stature (a dwarf), but she has a BIG personality. We spend the majority of the story knowing that something bad happened because Judy narrates her story in flashbacks, but Judy's sass and spirit add humor to the tale. I think the story is true to teen nature, and I know this book made me question how I (inadvertantly/with the best intentions) treat some people because of their "handicap".

I have to be honest, though, and sa...more

like · see review

Mar 04, 2012 Lena Schipper added it

In the beginning of "Big Girl Small" by Rachel De Woskin, the reader is introduced to sixteen-year old Judy Lohden. She is a well-rounded, incredibly intelligent and social girl, with beaming confidence and a voice that can “shake an auditorium.” Judy has just been accepted to Darcy Academy, only the most prestigious performing art school in New York. But Judy worries if she will be an outsider at her school. Maybe it’s because she will be the awkward new girl in class. Or maybe it’s because she...more In the beginning of "Big Girl Small" by Rachel De Woskin, the reader is introduced to sixteen-year old Judy Lohden. She is a well-rounded, incredibly intelligent and social girl, with beaming confidence and a voice that can “shake an auditorium.” Judy has just been accepted to Darcy Academy, only the most prestigious performing art school in New York. But Judy worries if she will be an outsider at her school. Maybe it’s because she will be the awkward new girl in class. Or maybe it’s because she is only three feet and nine inches tall.

On her first day of Darcy, Judy struggles to compensate with her new surroundings. She is overwhelmed with the groups of kids and elaborate classes. Never has she felt so small, a feeling she can’t seem to understand since she is generally very gutsy and confident. But things begin to lighten up. Judy is selected for senior chorus (almost unheard of for anyone other than seniors at the Academy) and is the star of the class. She even begins to make some friends: Goth Sara, a fearless feminist with a few too many piercings, and Molly, the preppy and quirky poet. And then there is Kyle, the most gorgeous and popular boy in school. “Kyle saw me. When we had eye contact I thought my heart would shoot out of my chest like a cannonball” (pg.46). After adjusting to D’Arts, Judy is certain that she is on her way to popularity and success. Judy is just an average girl; at least in her mind. However the fact that she is a dwarf seems to isolate her from everyone else in the school. High school is swallowing up her dreams and goals. Near the middle of the book, it becomes evident that Judy is telling the reader all of these things from a run down motel room on the edge of town. So what has gone so hideously and terribly wrong that this promising star has run away? Maybe it has something to do with a night she can’t remember; a night the national media is on her tail about. What has Judy gotten herself into?

Big Girl Small is an exceptional novel in which the author has created a character so unbelievably genuine and unique. Judy Lohen is a teenage girl experiencing the hardships of high school, while battling an unfortunate self-image. She is the teenager inside any person, wanting to break free and start a life with out being held back by society and judgement. Rachel DeWoskin incorporated fabulous description in her novel to create Judy Lohen. "The halls were bulging with kids hugging each other, throwing books into their lockers, slinging on fashionable backpacks, singing, leaping. It was like that old movie Fame ... I felt sick, tried to focus on the student murals my parents had pretended to admire “(pg 83)/. Judy is such a relatable character; it is as if the reader is living through her eyes. Another wonderful aspect of the story is the thematic message DeWoskin conveys through out her novel. Judy's experiences reveal the underlying message to never loose sight of yourself and your dreams. This message is so important for anyone to know, not just teenage girls in high school. Big Girl Small is a great read for anyone, and will leave you with a smile on your face.
(less)

like · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Hope Baugh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: award-winners, contemporary, fiction, pub-for-adults, read-in-2012, audiobooks

2012 Alex winner. (The Alex award is given to up to 10 books annually that were published for adults but which also have potential teen appeal.)

Judy is a dwarf (or little person or person of short stature, NOT a "midget.") She is a good writer and has a knock-out singing voice, so she was accepted to the elite performance arts high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her average-sized parents, who run a local restaurant, and her average-sized brothers love her very much. She also has several good fri...more 2012 Alex winner. (The Alex award is given to up to 10 books annually that were published for adults but which also have potential teen appeal.)

Judy is a dwarf (or little person or person of short stature, NOT a "midget.") She is a good writer and has a knock-out singing voice, so she was accepted to the elite performance arts high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her average-sized parents, who run a local restaurant, and her average-sized brothers love her very much. She also has several good friends. However, she is telling her story from a seedy motel room where she fled after "it happened." She takes her own time telling the story because the feelings associated with it are complicated and she is struggling to process all the layers of it, but you guess pretty early on that the beautiful, popular boy she thought she loved and maybe loved her back videorecorded her having sex with him and his friends one night when they were all drunk.

I listened to 2/3 of this book on audiobook CDs, narrated by Tai Sammons. The audiobook narrator had good diction, good emotional expression, and the sound of her voice was in many ways a good match for the snarky-gifted-stunned teenaged main character, but often it seemed as if she hadn't read the book ahead of time and thought about which words needed more emphasis than others. I kept questioning her line readings, which kept knocking me out of the story, even when I ultimately decided they were okay for someone trying to portray a smart teenaged narrator that had had the ground pulled out from under her.

The aural distraction was especially annoying because this isn't the kind of book where you're reading/listening to find out what happens - you know what happened on the surface - you want to know if this likable girl will make it through this horrible experience and come out whole on the other side. In the meantime you're engaged by the skilled use of language, the unusual-to-most-people world view, the vibrant setting, and the tension produced by Judy's struggle to actually say what happened and confirm what you've guessed. And the humor! While I think the audiobook narrator's pacing fit the writing, it made me antsy not to be able to move more quickly through the depressing parts and linger over the joyful and/or fascinating parts and re-read the confusing parts.

I finally got the print version and finished the book that way, and now I wonder if maybe the literary voice of the main character is just so strong and lovely that no actor can do it justice? Or maybe I just wanted to make it come alive in my head myself? I do have control issues. (lol)

Anyway, all that said, I loved this book and plan to re-read it from the beginning in print form after a while. I agree with the Library Journal reviewer that this offers "the old high school ache from a very different perspective and from a good writer, too." I also agree with the Kirkus reviewer that "DeWoskin creates a compelling voice for Judy and performs neat literary magic, confronting the stereotypes of teen fiction even as she uses them to pull the readers' heartstrings." More than one professional review used a different name for the boy than the one I remember from the published book and audiobook (the reviews say Jeff instead of Kyle) so I wonder if the name changed in between the ARC and the published book.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Kelsey Burnette rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was great to read this right after finishing Helen Schulman's "This Beautiful Life." Similar theme but this novel appealed to me so much more. Partly because I just loved Jane, who narrates this story in such a real voice that you can't help but like her and relate to her, but also cringe and want her to shut up at times. I felt like I was reliving my teenage years without glossing over all of the hideous parts that I've tried so hard to forget. Just imagine how it would be if your most humil...more It was great to read this right after finishing Helen Schulman's "This Beautiful Life." Similar theme but this novel appealed to me so much more. Partly because I just loved Jane, who narrates this story in such a real voice that you can't help but like her and relate to her, but also cringe and want her to shut up at times. I felt like I was reliving my teenage years without glossing over all of the hideous parts that I've tried so hard to forget. Just imagine how it would be if your most humiliating, frightening moment of high school was broadcast for all to see.

This was a poignant portrayal of just how tough life can be when you are a teenager. Goth Sarah tells Judy, "when you're a teenager, your brain isn't fully developed yet...your brain is all exuberant when you're young, but then it gets you know, adulted out with rules or whatever." Later, when her parents are bickering about Christmas plans, Judy listens to them, annoyed, and thinks, "Can I please keep my exuberant brain forever?" The answer, of course, is no. Because, life happens, and the exuberance never seems to survive intact.

Judy reminds me of how most of us were at that age. Alternately, on top of the world and completely insecure. Struggling with her own insecurities, Judy sees herself when she reads Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," commenting, "the part of the book that kills me is how she loves the blonde doll. How she wants to be what she can never be. That's life-ruining enough, I think." And when her teacher expresses compassion after reading Judy's paper, Judy thinks, "I had a little chill of fear--that she knew more about me than I knew about myself, the way your parents think they do but don't, and the way some grown ups actually do."

Although it makes Judy's character very interesting, this is not a book about being a little person. Well, it is, but it is also a book about being a person--how everyone has to come to terms with who they are, how they are different, and the mistakes they invariably make.

An exuberant book that makes you remember your own youthful exuberance--the good with fondness, and the mistakes with something like forgiveness and understanding finally replacing the shame--we were only kids afterall.(less)

like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

At one point in Big Girl Small, protagonist Judy wonders whether it is worse to have someone love you because you are different or if it is worse to have someone love you in spite of that.

I think that summarizes Judy's central struggle throughout the book. As a sixteen-year-old dwarf, Judy gets treated differently by others because of who she is. While she's generally a smart and well-adjusted young woman, Judy naturally at times longs for lanky limbs and a normal life. She wants to be seen as...more At one point in Big Girl Small, protagonist Judy wonders whether it is worse to have someone love you because you are different or if it is worse to have someone love you in spite of that.

I think that summarizes Judy's central struggle throughout the book. As a sixteen-year-old dwarf, Judy gets treated differently by others because of who she is. While she's generally a smart and well-adjusted young woman, Judy naturally at times longs for lanky limbs and a normal life. She wants to be seen as more than just her 3'9" height, yet she realizes that her dwarfism is irrevocably intertwined with who she is and that those who seek to understand her must ultimately acknowledge her height and how it has affected her life. A paradox! I like it.

Kyle. There was so much more that could have been done with Kyle's character. There was so much more that I wanted to know about him. However, I respect DeWoskin's decision to leave us in the dark about him because in many ways, that's true to the novel and true to life. You don't always get to know everything.

This book doesn't work unless the reader believes that Judy loved Kyle. I believed it. Like Judy, I believed at first that he was sweet and a good guy. I believed that she realized that it was just teenage love, but that it still felt more real than anything else. And so I believed that she was able to rationalize, deny, ignore the signs that perhaps Kyle wasn't quite so wonderful after all.

Finally, Judy herself is a flawed protagonist. She can be whiny, judgmental, shallow, and inconsistent, as teenage girls are wont to do. I appreciated that Judy's family and friends were very much supportive, present, and developed. The novel does tend to meander and wander for the first half before the plot starts to snowball-- whether or not that's a real criticism depends on how you much you enjoy hanging out with Judy's narrative voice. Unfortunately, I also managed to guess what the terrible cause for Judy's hiding out was far before it was actually revealed. That got rid of a lot of the suspense. (less)

like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Marnie Webb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Marnie by: Erica

It's hard not to fall in love with the narrator of Big Girl Small. It's not so much that she's smart or articulate. Sure, there's that. It's more that she has a perspective on the world around her, and it's not always consistent. And, I always think that's what makes a narrator (or a person) worth loving. Because you can see them learning. Trying to pull in the various things they think so that they have a view of the world, a view that become more and more complete and well-rounded.

The narrator...more It's hard not to fall in love with the narrator of Big Girl Small. It's not so much that she's smart or articulate. Sure, there's that. It's more that she has a perspective on the world around her, and it's not always consistent. And, I always think that's what makes a narrator (or a person) worth loving. Because you can see them learning. Trying to pull in the various things they think so that they have a view of the world, a view that become more and more complete and well-rounded.

The narrator, Judy, is a Little Person. And, with that, there's an object for the awkwardness that everyone I know felt in high school. There's a really wonderful scene in the book, where the narrator, Judy, climbs up onto a bed. And, for her, it is climbing. And she does the math of it, the pulling down the shirt, wondering if she can do it without help, the pressing of the hands on the bed to lift herself up. All of that. And it's great. Because that's how everybody feels. But DeWoskin provides an object, a real difference, for that feeling. It's wonderful. All the scenes that pull that together are a reminder of high school in a way that is uncomfortable, real, and provides a way for the narrator to show off her difference, and the ways she is the same.

The suspense in the novel comes in finding out The Big Terrible Thing that happened to Judy. The thing that moves her to a motel, that prompts newscasts about her. It does not take much time or imagination to figure out the category of The Big Terrible Thing, and waiting to find out the details, waiting for the timeline of the readers' view and the narrators to merge, gets tiresome.

And at first, when I read what came next, I was disappointed. And the ending is a disappointment. But I was disappointed because I thought, well, it's what comes after The Big Terrible Thing that a girl needs to know. And everything that's important happened off stage.

I'm the parent of a girl. And I can't control, no matter how much I want to, I can't control what comes before The Big Terrible Thing. The decisions, big and small, that led to it. But I can help respond. Maybe that's why what happens after is so important to me. But when my daughter reads this, when she's older and she reads this, maybe it's what comes before that will really matter to her.(less)

like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Doreen Fritz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reading this book, I kept forgetting that the protagonist was only 3 feet nine inches tall. Judy is hiding out in a motel, surviving on can after can of Spaghettios, afraid to face her family or friends after some horrendously embarrassing event. It takes most of the book for us to find out what that event was -- but in the meantime we get to know Judy, a character worth knowing. In spite of her recent flight to a hideout, we discover that she is brave, strong, smart, has a great sense of humor,...more

like · see review

Jul 04, 2011 Joanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Really 1.5 stars.

At times, the writing was so bad, I wondered how this could've gotten published without some serious revision. I get that the author was going for a conversational tone, as in Catcher, but close reading of Holden's angsty words reveal so much depth that I can teach that book over and over and learn something new every time.

Judy is no Holden. Her voice is interesting at first but then becomes repetitive. How many times do we have to hear that she considers herself "hot" and "cute...more Really 1.5 stars.

At times, the writing was so bad, I wondered how this could've gotten published without some serious revision. I get that the author was going for a conversational tone, as in Catcher, but close reading of Holden's angsty words reveal so much depth that I can teach that book over and over and learn something new every time.

Judy is no Holden. Her voice is interesting at first but then becomes repetitive. How many times do we have to hear that she considers herself "hot" and "cute" and well-proportioned although she is a dwarf? Ok, we get it!! She's cute! And she can sing. And she has a hard time reaching things, and sometimes---but not always---people do a double-take when they see her, but it really isn't enough to keep the story going.

Of course she likes a boy. Of course he is sweet to her but turns out to be a jerk and a user---or wait---does he? Or is he a nice guy at heart? Can he be excused because of his alleged tragic past? By the time we get to this point in the book, we don't care.

Judy may dislike being underestimated because of her size, but she labels and dismisses everyone she meets, including her best friend, who is forever referred to as Goth Sarah instead of just Sarah. Maybe that's simply to remind the reader what "type" Sarah is supposed to be, instead of actually developing her character. The other new girl at school, Molly, seems to exist to show people that pretty, smart black girls can have lawyer/law professor parents and adorable little sisters (I'm guessing that the Obama family was the model here, you think? Molly and Susanna= Malia and Sasha?) Then there are the swimmer guy, the fat guy, the Amazonian music teacher, the nerdy, maybe-gay math teacher and the pretty, kind-hearted AP Lit teacher. So many characters, all of them cardboard cut-out stereotypes! I haven't even mentioned Judy's parents and brothers, or her best friend from California, or the pot-smoking beauty with the wannabe-MILFy mom....oy! Lots of descriptions of how these people look, but not much else.

When the Big Thing happens (and if you can't see it coming from miles away, you are dense) it is rather anticlimactic and poorly resolved. And, again, there is no reason for Judy to be a dwarf, because the bad thing happens not due to size-related bullying, but because Judy makes terrible, terrible choices that any girl with as much confidence and intelligence as Judy supposedly has would never make.

Still, I finished it. So 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2 because for the first few chapters, I was enjoying this. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 26, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK, so the narrator is a whip-smart, hyper-articulate, above-it-all (but so NOT) teen girl who has lots going for her, including a supportive family, awesome, dedicated teachers who see her amazing potential and love her for it, plus a couple trustworthy friends...yet she'd be willing to risk damaging all that if it could mean a shot at grabbing the brass ring that is high school popularity. Original, right? No?
You're right; it isn't original at all. But somehow, the author provides a couple li...more

like · see review

Jun 04, 2011 Marie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I pretty much hated this book. Judy is a 16-year-old little person transitioning to a private arts high school. She's smart and talented, and she says she confident, so why does she make such tragically awful choices?

Aside from not liking Judy AT ALL, I really hate books that feel obligated to describe what someone is wearing when it really makes no difference whatsoever. "I was wearing red tights, a denim skirt and a soft sweater." Who cares? Is Judy really into what she wears because she's a...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2011 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book tells the story of a girl named Judy who is a Little Person attending a performing arts high school. She does pretty well fitting in with everyone until a humiliating scandal leads her to run away to a hotel from where she is telling her story. I had high hopes for this book after hearing a good review on NPR, but a lot of things fell flat for me. First, the scandal was very predictable. I think I guessed on page one what was going to happen to Judy, so it didn't even feel shocking whe...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Scot rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was drawn to the initial premise of this Young Adult novel, and the witty, sarcastic voice of its narrator, Judy Lohden, a sixteen year old Michigan girl with an incredible singing voice who transfers from her regular high school into a tony private academy for those Glee fans (or if you’re Old School, Fame wannabes) who dream of hitting the big time. There she encounters the cliques, hierarchies, and existential angst common to all high school experiences, as raging hormones drive young peopl...more I was drawn to the initial premise of this Young Adult novel, and the witty, sarcastic voice of its narrator, Judy Lohden, a sixteen year old Michigan girl with an incredible singing voice who transfers from her regular high school into a tony private academy for those Glee fans (or if you’re Old School, Fame wannabes) who dream of hitting the big time. There she encounters the cliques, hierarchies, and existential angst common to all high school experiences, as raging hormones drive young people to constantly worry about their status, their self-worth, their social acceptance.

What makes this even harder for Judy is that she is only 3’9”.

I think the author did a fairly good job, actually quite sensitively, representing or noting some of the issues and challenges—and personal reactions—a person of Judy’s stature, age, gender, and social class would have as the novel unfolds. At the beginning we find the narrator holed up in a seedy motel, hiding out from the world in total shame. The story is a flashback, leading up to how and why she got there, and then moves on to resolution.

I’m probably showing my age here, but the frank discussion of a range of sexual acts, by teenagers, in a novel lauded and targeted for such young people, startled me. But perhaps I need to get with the program—if so many of them are sexting, and it is part of their reality, then maybe this and other illegal but widespread behaviors should have a place in their realistic fiction. (I expect opinions will vary sharply here.)

Beyond the attention-getting, more sensational aspects of teen sex in this novel, however, it does raise several important topics and issues worthy of book club discussions: the role of the internet and changing options for privacy in the 21st century, how teens need and choose to rebel against their parents, what constitutes a happy family, the role of peer pressure in teen life. Its core query: how do those who are recognizably and irrefutably different deal with the wide range of responses they get in daily life—running the gamut from patronizing pity to bigoted bullying--and how do they decide when and why to take offense, and what responses are appropriate? As all teens go through some self-loathing and insecurities, Judy’s trek toward maturity holds lessons for all.
(less)

like · see review

Jun 07, 2011 meeners rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to meeners by: Chelsea Szendi

Shelves: ya, borrowed

slow going at first but really came together in the end. part of the initial problem for me came from the author's decision to write in Teen-Speak (tm) for the great bulk of the novel: so many "it was, like..." and "i mean, just..." and "kind of, you know..." sentences cluttering up the place, like dirty candy wrappers strewn all over a room. i felt this was a disservice to readers, especially teen ones; relying on such generic stylistic crutches means you end up writing in the voice of Your Ave...more slow going at first but really came together in the end. part of the initial problem for me came from the author's decision to write in Teen-Speak (tm) for the great bulk of the novel: so many "it was, like..." and "i mean, just..." and "kind of, you know..." sentences cluttering up the place, like dirty candy wrappers strewn all over a room. i felt this was a disservice to readers, especially teen ones; relying on such generic stylistic crutches means you end up writing in the voice of Your Average Teenager (never mind the fact that there is no such thing), instead of in the voice of a distinct, complex individual. i noticed that the back cover has a blurb that disses holden caulfield YET AGAIN,* but surely this is unfair to both rachel dewoskin and j.d. salinger. holden caulfield may be an annoying zit of a teenager, yes, but at least he is - at all times - himself. salinger is also a smart enough writer to show us holden both as he perceives himself and as he is perceived by others - the latter ironically, dialogically, through a very deliberate prose. i have always found the brief moment when holden's bravado shatters devastasting, not least because it is the moment when he is finally forced to confront, in his own voice, brutal things we (as readers) have already been clued in on. as such, the book couldn't possibly work if it weren't narrated in the way it is.

big girl small is less ambitious than the catcher in the rye but also i think fairer to its protagonist. perhaps part of the reason why so many people hated the catcher in the rye in high school is because the book is not speaking to teens, and not really speaking about them, either. this book is. at the same time, i'm inclined to think that the Teen-Speak here is, in a way, a kind of bravado as well. it mostly falls away when judy finally starts speaking about the crucial night, giving way to a self-narration that is powerful and moving precisely because it acknowledges its own retrospected, constructed nature. just because it's a first-person narrative doesn't mean you have to abandon the awareness that it is still writing, after all, not the facile transcription of speech.

anyway, it's a compelling read, and it approaches high school life from a perspective you'd be hard-pressed to find in other novels. would quite like a sequel, in fact! judy is one smart person, and i'd love to see how she tackles her life from here on out.

*dissing catcher in the rye has become, i think, the literary equivalent of asserting membership in the Cool Kids Club. it's one of those things people do even when they haven't actually read the book, or when they only read it years and years ago in 8th-grade english. not saying that everyone should or can like salinger, of course. but it irks me when i can't get into proper arguments about books because the other person isn't endorsing a position so much as an Attitude.**

**i admit i am sometimes guilty of this myself, too. THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT. XD(less)

like · see review

Aug 16, 2011 MJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-read

The super smart and very talented 16 year old, Judy Lohden is hiding from the national media at a seedy motel on the outskirts of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her story unfolds as she explains it to Bill, a kind, if troubled fellow inhabitant of the motel. Judy had decided to apply and was accepted to the prestigious Darcy Arts Academy for her final two years in high school. A gifted writer with a singing voice that can rock the auditorium, Judy should be a star at D. Arts and the early weeks of her fal...more

like · see review

May 11, 2012 Kristen Fickes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This isn't the type of book you can recommend to just anyone, but its impact on those who do read it is tremendous. Big Girl Small, by Rachel Dewoskin, tells the story of Judy Lohden, a small girl with a big voice. Lohden's sarcastic and witty nature makes for a quick-paced read, in which a naive girl becomes wise to the world of adulthood. The reader follows Lohden through her first year in a highly competitive performing arts school. You see Judy as she makes her first non-dwarf friends, and a...more

like · see review

Jun 09, 2011 Kate Z rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: book clubs

(this book is really more like 3 1/2 stars for me)

I selected this book for Challenge #1 in the group "You'll Love This One ... A Book Club and More ..." The challenge was to choose a book entirely by its cover. This book came across my NPR newsfeed and the cover immediately jumped out at me. It reminded me of the (original) Wally Lamb book "She's Come Undone"

. It also reminded me of the book

. Apparently I have a "thing" for blue covers.

I selected the book and committed to it for the challeng...more (this book is really more like 3 1/2 stars for me)

I selected this book for Challenge #1 in the group "You'll Love This One ... A Book Club and More ..." The challenge was to choose a book entirely by its cover. This book came across my NPR newsfeed and the cover immediately jumped out at me. It reminded me of the (original) Wally Lamb book "She's Come Undone"

. It also reminded me of the book

. Apparently I have a "thing" for blue covers.

I selected the book and committed to it for the challenged then read the write ups and was instantly sorry. I even considered bailing on the challenge. The book is the first person story of a dwarf high school girl who goes to a special performing arts high school. The premise is basically, "If you thought YOUR experience as a high schooler was bad trying being a dwarf ....". Ugh, right?

But as soon as I got up the courage to open the book and start reading some of my fears were alleviated. The voice of Judy, the main character, is funny and sarcastic. It turns out that being a dwarf really is a metaphor for Judy's experience as a high school girl ... and I mean that in the good and subtle way. It's not an overdone device that is trotted out. I found this book both brutal but honest. Witty and tragic. To borrow a phrase from my friend Colleen, "there's a train wreck coming" and you know it from the first sentence but you're compelled to watch. No turning my head in this book.

I actually don't know if this is technically a YA book but I found it funny that I was drawn to this book because of the similarity of its cover to two other books I had enjoyed and that both of those books were about a high school girl trying to make her way. Perhaps it's a publishing "thing" to use a bright blue cover with a simple image of a young girl in some form or other (in this case floating away with a bunch of brightly colored balloons) for a coming of age story.

This would be a good book club book - lots to discuss and think about.
(less)

like · see review

Aug 19, 2011 Leah Iannone rated it 4 of 5 stars

Big Girl Small is a book that is impossible not to like. Judy is a 16 year old with a huge voice, but she is only 3 feet nine inches tall. As a dwarf she makes the brave decision to transfer (at 16) from her safe high school to a performing arts high school. What follows is 6 months in the life of Judy, an amazingly funny, sardonic, heartbreaking, and vulnerable teenager. Amazingly she lives as normally as possible the anecdotes in the book are amazing, funny, sad, and triumphant. This book lets...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2011 Robin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

On some level I must have liked this book since I did finish it. However I felt like I was reading a Lifetime movie about teenage sex, drugs, and videotape with art school and LPs used to make it "unique." I want to file this under "young adult", however the author's references and metaphors were not representative of YAs or a teenage (albeit intelligent) speaker (e.g., frappes, Catholic high school skirts -or women in them- as sex objects). Plus, the binder blurb about "a world that exalts crea...more

like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Dustpuppy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an uncomfortable book; DeWoskin's protagonist is 3' 6" tall, so all the uncertainties of being a teenager are intensified because she also has to factor in people's reactions to her size. "Is this person being nice to me because she likes me, because she wants to look like she's not prejudiced, because she has an ulterior motive, because ...", etc. (DeWorkin's writing is much better than my example).

It was an uncomfortable read; it was so much like being back in high school that it was...more

like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

I truly cannot resist books about high school. Even if their writing is nothing special (as here) I get so sucked into teenage girls' high school drama. Nostalgia perhaps? This one has the added interest of a protagonist who's a dwarf/little person. It's a good metaphor for the alienation/out-of-place-ness that so many high schoolers feel. Good, juicy coming of age stuff.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 14, 2011 Alicia Duell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I seem to gravitate to novels in which the main character(s) has a physical deformity of some kind: *A Prayer for Owen Meany* (very short stature, odd voice); *Stones From the River* (dwarf); *The Girls* (conjoined twins); and now *Big Girl Small* (Little Person). Maybe it's because these characters have been developed with such skill, and with such depth, and each have been portrayed with such unique perspectives on life. In *Big Girl Small*, Judy Lohden is a teenage Little Person who has the t...more I seem to gravitate to novels in which the main character(s) has a physical deformity of some kind: *A Prayer for Owen Meany* (very short stature, odd voice); *Stones From the River* (dwarf); *The Girls* (conjoined twins); and now *Big Girl Small* (Little Person). Maybe it's because these characters have been developed with such skill, and with such depth, and each have been portrayed with such unique perspectives on life. In *Big Girl Small*, Judy Lohden is a teenage Little Person who has the type of dwarfism that allows for a still-proportionate body, without the enlarged head. She describes herself as "cute", with a pretty good body, and has been blessed with an amazing singing voice. Her parents have allowed her, because of this voice, to enroll into a competitive performing arts academy. Judy has all of the typical teenage "new kid in school" misgivings, but eventually finds a group of friends and eventually develops a major crush on the hottest guy in school. What I loved about this novel is that Judy pays only cursory attention to her Little Person status and gives herself every opportunity for success and happiness as any other high school kid. The crush on Jeff, then, is just another normal high school experience. A normal high school experience, that is, until Judy's dream comes true and Jeff begins to pay attention to her in a romantic way. What happens to Judy as her relationship with Jeff develops and morphs into something horrible-yet-not-all-that-unrealistic becomes the crux of the novel. Judy tells her story from the aftermath of the major incident in the novel and recounts the events leading up to it. I loved Judy's voice, and loved the fabulously fresh character she is. I also liked the adults in the novel (a rarity for me in novels in which teenagers are the lead characters), and especially loved DeWoskin's absolutely HILARIOUS writing style. I didn't love the ending, but it would have been a tough one to stick with a perfect 10.0. I highly recommend *Big Girl Small* to any and all who enjoy a unique character with a great, big voice!(less)

like · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Bess rated it 3 of 5 stars

The parents of the main character a 16 yr old "small person" were remarkably perfect in their raising of their 3 kids. I found myself thinking that in all situations they handled it right. Which turned to envy and then just maddening frustration because no one handles raising kids as well as they did in this book. Even with that, their daughter started to push the boundaries of her independence (pot, lying about where she was staying, etc) but unfortunately for her, her dip in the water of being...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Wild Things: YA G...: Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin	1	4	Jan 22, 2013 09:23pm
A teen book?	5	18	Jan 11, 2012 06:15am

combine
Other Editions (13)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

30 users

Adult

15 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

9 users

Adult Fiction

9 users

Young Adult > Teen

9 users

Realistic Fiction

8 users

Contemporary

4 users

Novels

4 users

Book Club

4 users

Family

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Rachel DeWoskin

Rachel DeWoskin is the author of Foreign Babes in Beijing, a memoir about her inadvertent notoriety as the star of a Chinese soap opera, and a novel, Repeat After Me. She lives in New York City and Beijing and is at work on her fourth book, Statutory.

More about Rachel DeWoskin...

Books by Rachel DeWoskin

Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Big Girl Small

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Big Girl Small

“I mean, we have to read books or we'll make mistakes. If we read stories of how other people lived, we can figure out better ways to live. I mean we can look at other people's lives and not make the same mistakes they made. Or we can, like, use their examples as models for ourselves.” — 3 people liked it

“At my audition, I had one of those anxiety visions where you do something totally crazy in your mind, just to torture yourself with the possibility, just to wonder what would happen if you actually did it.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Big Girl Small
avg rating	preview: Big Girl Small Goodreads rating: 3.38 (1370 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8789529-big-girl-small?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311978825l/8789529.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8789529-big-girl-small?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin[/url]

Big Girl Small

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website