The Donut Prince of New York

As Eugene “Pudge” Gutterman starts his junior year of high school, he is hoping just to get through life. His father has abandoned the family, his mother nags him about his size—and about going to med school—and Eugene would like to just hide out through the year, and maybe write a play.

But his plan doesn’t work when he accidentally tackles the star of the high school football team in gym class, and Eugene gets recruited to play the team. Him, Eugene, a football star? Suddenly popular, Eugene has access to the world he’s dreamed about. The life of “The Pops”, the secret world of athletes, parties, and dating. To Gutterman, it’s like a school within the school he’s known.

But it’s not all it seems from the outside—the cool kids have a lot of pressure on them, too, and Eugene has to find out if he has the guts to break out on his own, and finally be seen for who he really is, in plus size clothing and all.

Mandy Graul