Kody Keplinger was born and raised in a small Kentucky town. She wrote her first novel, The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) when she was only 17.

Kody is the cofounder of Disability in Kidlit, a website devoted to the representation of disabilities in children's literature.

Currently, Kody lives in New York City, where she teaches writing workshops and continues to write books for kids and teens. Kody's website is kodykeplinger.com

'I always felt like the "ugly girl" in high school - my best friends are insanely gorgeous - so when I was introduced to the word during my senior year, I knew I was the Duff. The idea of writing a book with "Duff" in the title started as a joke, but when I realized that my friends felt like Duffs, too, I knew I had to write this story.'

The DUFF is now a major motion picture starring Bella Thorne, Mae Whitman and Alison Janney.