Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
This was a very cute YA book dealing with all the feelings of insecurity and body-image issues and friendships and romance. I liked Willowdean very much- she would be fun to have as a real-life friend. And I’m a sucker for a small town beauty pageant plot line.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved the character willowdean. she is someone you can relate to what ever you look like.
Je ne m'attendais pas à ça mais ça reste une jolie histoire !!
http://www.nyx-shadow.com/2017/01/miss-dumplin-julie-murphy.html
http://www.nyx-shadow.com/2017/01/miss-dumplin-julie-murphy.html
In the small Texas town of Clover City, the Miss Teen Bluebonnet Pageant is the highlight of the year and literally every single girl is dying for the opportunity to compete and win the pageant. Well every girl but Willowdean, which is ironic because her mother hosts the pageant every year and is one of its biggest supporters. The idea of entering the pageant has never crossed Willowdean’s mind as she’s a big girl, but when life is taking her on some unexpected turns, she decides to enter the pageant to prove a point.
This was such a wonderful book! It was about so many different things, like learning to love yourself and being confident, no matter how difficult it might be. It was also about love, not only romance love, but friendship love and mother daughter love as well. I can’t believe that it took me so long to read this one and I can’t wait to watch the movie on Netflix!
This was such a wonderful book! It was about so many different things, like learning to love yourself and being confident, no matter how difficult it might be. It was also about love, not only romance love, but friendship love and mother daughter love as well. I can’t believe that it took me so long to read this one and I can’t wait to watch the movie on Netflix!
existential dread of middle america high school hell comes in hot and spicy with this one!
Okay, so this was really cute. The whole cast of characters is great, the message is great, and I enjoyed listening to it. I thought it had some very poignant moments when it comes to self-acceptance and learning to love yourself. (Especially when you see Willowdean feeling mostly confident until a boy she likes tries to touch her and then she realizes that she has a ways to go with her self esteem.)
The audiobook narrator was good, and that helped my enjoyment of the book. I would say that the book was pretty close to a 4.5/5 star read except that it had my least favorite plot device ever ( ), and I do not feel as though that plot point was successful enough to justify it being there. Overall, though, it was a good read!
The audiobook narrator was good, and that helped my enjoyment of the book. I would say that the book was pretty close to a 4.5/5 star read except that it had my least favorite plot device ever (
Spoiler
a love triangle
Everything’s bigger in Texas. The hair, the homecoming mums, the beauty pageants ... yes, especially the pageants. Willowdean Dickson, AKA Dumplin’, is daughter to a former Clover City Miss Teen Blue Bonnet pageant winner, and it is her mother who has affectionately given Willowdean (Will to her friends) her nickname. While her mother may say “Dumplin’” affectionately, to Willowdean, it just brings attention to the fact that she’s not a size 2. Fortunately, dreaming about being skinny isn’t something that Willowdean give more than a passing thought to. She’s comfortable with who she is, and knows that true beauty isn’t skin deep.
Willowdean has been struggling lately over the recent death of her Aunt Lucy. Lucy was an inspiring figure in Willowdean’s life, never letting the fact that she weighed 500 lbs stop her from living her life. It is even because of Aunt Lucy that Will met her best friend Ellen Dryver during the summer before first grade. Lucy and Ellen’s mother bonded over their love for Dolly Parton, and Will and Ellen (El) became fast friends to the tune of “Dumb Blonde.” The girls are inseparable, sharing everything together, so why does Will keep her crush on Bo, the new boy at Harpy’s Dogs and Burgers where she works, a secret from El? As her crush on Bo becomes more complicated, Will begins to feel in over her head, and without her best friend to turn to (how can she let El in on her little-BIG secret now?!) Will does something drastic to regain her confidence ... she enters the Clover City Miss Teen Blue Bonnet pageant.
“Dumplin’” is an engaging, inspiring, funny read about young women navigating the confusing world of friends, boys, and self-esteem. Willowdean is a strong role model for both young girls and women alike, reminding us that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. She accepts herself for who she is, she stands up for herself, and she inspires others to do the same ... many of us probably wish we could have been as confident and decisive when we were in high school. As a plus, “Dumplin’” is well-written in an easy-to-follow, engaging style. Fans will be happy to know that a movie is in the works, and is set to be released in 2018. Additionally, a sequel to “Dumplin’” called “Puddin’” comes out in May 2018.
NOVELIST APPEALS
GENRE: Books for Reluctant Readers; Realistic Fiction
CHARACTER: Relatable; Spirited
STORYLINE: Character-Driven
TONE: Amusing; Thought-Provoking; Upbeat
Willowdean has been struggling lately over the recent death of her Aunt Lucy. Lucy was an inspiring figure in Willowdean’s life, never letting the fact that she weighed 500 lbs stop her from living her life. It is even because of Aunt Lucy that Will met her best friend Ellen Dryver during the summer before first grade. Lucy and Ellen’s mother bonded over their love for Dolly Parton, and Will and Ellen (El) became fast friends to the tune of “Dumb Blonde.” The girls are inseparable, sharing everything together, so why does Will keep her crush on Bo, the new boy at Harpy’s Dogs and Burgers where she works, a secret from El? As her crush on Bo becomes more complicated, Will begins to feel in over her head, and without her best friend to turn to (how can she let El in on her little-BIG secret now?!) Will does something drastic to regain her confidence ... she enters the Clover City Miss Teen Blue Bonnet pageant.
“Dumplin’” is an engaging, inspiring, funny read about young women navigating the confusing world of friends, boys, and self-esteem. Willowdean is a strong role model for both young girls and women alike, reminding us that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. She accepts herself for who she is, she stands up for herself, and she inspires others to do the same ... many of us probably wish we could have been as confident and decisive when we were in high school. As a plus, “Dumplin’” is well-written in an easy-to-follow, engaging style. Fans will be happy to know that a movie is in the works, and is set to be released in 2018. Additionally, a sequel to “Dumplin’” called “Puddin’” comes out in May 2018.
NOVELIST APPEALS
GENRE: Books for Reluctant Readers; Realistic Fiction
CHARACTER: Relatable; Spirited
STORYLINE: Character-Driven
TONE: Amusing; Thought-Provoking; Upbeat
I read fat books -- especially ones that purport to be fat-positive -- with a jaundiced eye these days. I'm hopeful? But skeptical.
That said, what really struck me about Dumplin' was how very ambitious it was in terms of fat positivity. Willowdean's growth as a character -- from internally shaming/scorning her dorky fat classmate to recognizing that same classmate's powerful selfhood without weight loss or an image shift -- is a huge undertaking, especially because it skirts but never slides into inspiration porn. Similarly, the way the author handled Willowdean's relationship with Lucy, and what we learn about Lucy as a character over time? There was a lot of delicate character-building work there.
It would have been really easy to slide into good fat/bad fat with this storyline... a Health at Every Size, Body-Positivity 101 style YA. And that wouldn't have been terrible necessarily, but it wouldn't have been all that exciting either. The fact that Julie Murphy managed to create this as a Fat 201 instead of a 101 is incredibly impressive. It makes me hopeful.
IMO the most well-done YA with fat characters (characterS!!) I've read. Kudos.
That said, what really struck me about Dumplin' was how very ambitious it was in terms of fat positivity. Willowdean's growth as a character -- from internally shaming/scorning her dorky fat classmate to recognizing that same classmate's powerful selfhood without weight loss or an image shift -- is a huge undertaking, especially because it skirts but never slides into inspiration porn. Similarly, the way the author handled Willowdean's relationship with Lucy, and what we learn about Lucy as a character over time? There was a lot of delicate character-building work there.
It would have been really easy to slide into good fat/bad fat with this storyline... a Health at Every Size, Body-Positivity 101 style YA. And that wouldn't have been terrible necessarily, but it wouldn't have been all that exciting either. The fact that Julie Murphy managed to create this as a Fat 201 instead of a 101 is incredibly impressive. It makes me hopeful.
IMO the most well-done YA with fat characters (characterS!!) I've read. Kudos.