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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
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.
I was really excited to read this book but it ended up being just average for me.
If you were expecting a sob story about my fat-to-thin change, you won't find it here. I am within a normal range for my age range and height. Of course, no tubbiness is my goal. And I do have some tub on my stomach.
But there's one thing. One thing I hate the most.
My thighs.
I know it sounds so stereotypical. Once, my thighs would touch the ends of my seat in the car. I have stretch marks. My thighs jiggle when I walk. I think I've made it worse by wearing leggings, but I don't fit any other pants otherwise.
So there. My sob story.
I know what age to blame it on. I curse you, fifth grade Wren. You didn't have to watch YouTube and eat snacks all day, but you did. Curse you!
Enough about me. More about Willowdean.
I just loved Willowdean. She was flashy and bright. She was brave and defiant. I adored her character. She was amazing. I admired her as well. I wouldn't be brave enough to enter a pageant as well known as Miss Blue Bonnet. And I'm of average everything. That takes guts. It really does.
Something that definitely resonated with me was Will's insecurities. She wasn't perfect. She didn't adore her body. She felt self-conscious when Bo touched her.
With that, I have to say that she felt real. Normal people have insecurities. They hate their eyebrows or lips or nose or whatever. It makes them human.
I felt like anyone could have her body and insecurities. As I said, she felt real.
And, on top of that, I have my own insecurities. Here's a little story to put things into perspective. I was working on some short answers in English. My teacher is the teacher who constantly barrages you with positive attitude stuff, as if telling you these would change your attitude around. When she came by my table and whispered, "Hey, Wren," I looked up. She pointed at a written sign on a legal pad that said simply 'awesome=you :)'. And it felt like the most positive thing someone said to me in a while. I know that sounds like I'm fishing for compliments. I'm not. That's just how my life has been, how it always has been. Those who love themselves more than I do might be wondering how this possible. I think the recipe involves the hope for all As, the need to get into the best programs, a lot of pressure, and a lack of praise.
The cast of characters was amazing. You had Hannah and Millie. You had Bo. Will herself. These people were diverse. The 'fat girl'. The lesbian. The tall, hunky, basketball player. You had a lot of different representation. You had the beauty queens and the drag queens. The perfect, little winners of the beauty pageants and the cheerleaders. You had everyone.
Sadly...the romance was a problem. Albeit, a minor one. I disliked the rushed, instalove part. They barely knew each other. They met. They talked. And boom! Kissing everywhere. Why did he like her? Why did she care? Why were they drawn together? Give me answers or give me death. Or you know...not death.
But I ship Bo and Will so hard that I forgive the instalove. (Somehow.) They were so cute. While Bo made Will uncomfortable at times, he truly seemed to care for her. He tried his best to make her feel loved. And that might be all you can do sometimes.
And something else I didn't like was the plot. For a majority of the plot, I was a little bored. I adored the story because of the characters. The plot was a little dull. Not much happened. Drag queen show. Momma drama. Pageant prep. Distance between you and your best friend. Sorta typical really. The characters really made this book enjoyable for me.
But there's one thing. One thing I hate the most.
My thighs.
I know it sounds so stereotypical. Once, my thighs would touch the ends of my seat in the car. I have stretch marks. My thighs jiggle when I walk. I think I've made it worse by wearing leggings, but I don't fit any other pants otherwise.
So there. My sob story.
I know what age to blame it on. I curse you, fifth grade Wren. You didn't have to watch YouTube and eat snacks all day, but you did. Curse you!
Enough about me. More about Willowdean.
I just loved Willowdean. She was flashy and bright. She was brave and defiant. I adored her character. She was amazing. I admired her as well. I wouldn't be brave enough to enter a pageant as well known as Miss Blue Bonnet. And I'm of average everything. That takes guts. It really does.
Something that definitely resonated with me was Will's insecurities. She wasn't perfect. She didn't adore her body. She felt self-conscious when Bo touched her.
With that, I have to say that she felt real. Normal people have insecurities. They hate their eyebrows or lips or nose or whatever. It makes them human.
I felt like anyone could have her body and insecurities. As I said, she felt real.
And, on top of that, I have my own insecurities. Here's a little story to put things into perspective. I was working on some short answers in English. My teacher is the teacher who constantly barrages you with positive attitude stuff, as if telling you these would change your attitude around. When she came by my table and whispered, "Hey, Wren," I looked up. She pointed at a written sign on a legal pad that said simply 'awesome=you :)'. And it felt like the most positive thing someone said to me in a while. I know that sounds like I'm fishing for compliments. I'm not. That's just how my life has been, how it always has been. Those who love themselves more than I do might be wondering how this possible. I think the recipe involves the hope for all As, the need to get into the best programs, a lot of pressure, and a lack of praise.
The cast of characters was amazing. You had Hannah and Millie. You had Bo. Will herself. These people were diverse. The 'fat girl'. The lesbian. The tall, hunky, basketball player. You had a lot of different representation. You had the beauty queens and the drag queens. The perfect, little winners of the beauty pageants and the cheerleaders. You had everyone.
Sadly...the romance was a problem. Albeit, a minor one. I disliked the rushed, instalove part. They barely knew each other. They met. They talked. And boom! Kissing everywhere. Why did he like her? Why did she care? Why were they drawn together? Give me answers or give me death. Or you know...not death.
But I ship Bo and Will so hard that I forgive the instalove. (Somehow.) They were so cute. While Bo made Will uncomfortable at times, he truly seemed to care for her. He tried his best to make her feel loved. And that might be all you can do sometimes.
And something else I didn't like was the plot. For a majority of the plot, I was a little bored. I adored the story because of the characters. The plot was a little dull. Not much happened. Drag queen show. Momma drama. Pageant prep. Distance between you and your best friend. Sorta typical really. The characters really made this book enjoyable for me.
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so much more than I expected it to be. The narrator was perfect for the story. I will be continuing to listen to the rest of the series to find out what Willowdean does next.
oh, Willowdean! loved this book. loved the main character and her boldness and vivacious attitude. loved the way the author showed us her self-doubt without her becoming self-deprecating. Loved her falling into first love and first kisses and first holding hands. loved her taking control of her life and her destiny. I just loved the whole damn thing. read it.
4.5 stars. Excellent characters and atmosphere/setting.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes