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§Author· 1 book
Kody Keplinger
Exploring honest high school dynamics, body image, and adolescent self-discovery gained widespread attention through the breakout young adult novel The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend. Author Kody Keplinger published the bestselling story after drafting it during her senior year of high school, establishing a career centered on authentic coming-of-age fiction across young adult and middle-grade literature.
Career & Background
Born on August 8, 1991, and raised in Owensboro, Kentucky, Keplinger began writing stories at age eleven before drafting her debut novel as a teenager. Her first book, The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend, became a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, earned a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers selection and a Romantic Times Top Pick award, and was adapted into a 2015 feature film starring Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Allison Janney, and Ken Jeong. After attending Ithaca College, Keplinger expanded her bibliography across young adult and middle-grade fiction with titles such as Shut Out, A Midsummer's Nightmare, The Swift Boys & Me, Lying Out Loud, Run, That's Not What Happened, and Lila & Hadley.
In addition to her fiction career, Keplinger co-founded Disability in KidLit, a platform dedicated to analyzing and promoting disability representation in children's and young adult literature. Born with Leber congenital amaurosis, Keplinger is legally blind and advocates for authentic representation of disabled characters in publishing. Based in New York City, she teaches creative writing courses at Gotham Writers Workshop, plays Dungeons & Dragons, and engages with readers online through discussions on fashion, body positivity, television, and personal updates.
Writing Style & Themes
Keplinger's writing features realistic teenage dialogue, humor, and sensitive treatments of complex emotional topics. Her young adult novels frequently explore high school social structures, self-image, mental health, grief, and interpersonal loyalty without oversimplifying adolescent experiences. In her middle-grade fiction, such as The Swift Boys & Me and Lila & Hadley, she focuses on themes of family disruption, friendship, and human-animal connections. Her storytelling also encompasses comic scripts, including the young adult graphic novel Poison Ivy: Thorns, illustrated by Sara Kipin for DC Comics.
Major Works
- The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend — Written during Keplinger's senior year of high school, this breakout young adult novel became a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, earned YALSA recognition, and was adapted into a 2015 feature film.
- The Swift Boys & Me — A middle-grade novel that explores childhood friendship, family upheaval, and emotional growth following sudden life changes in a neighborhood.
- That's Not What Happened — A young adult novel focusing on grief, media narrative, trauma, and memory in the aftermath of a high school tragedy.
- Lila & Hadley — A middle-grade story about a visually impaired girl adjusting to a new living situation who forms a transformative bond with a shelter dog.
- Poison Ivy: Thorns — A gothic young adult graphic novel co-created with illustrator Sara Kipin that reimagines the origin story of DC antihero Pamela Isley.
§All Books
The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
Kody Keplinger, 2010
131 ratings