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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I love WillowDean. She's my favorite. She's good people trying to figure out being good people.
This is definitely benefitting from the fact that it distracted me from the sadness that is Columbine because the more I think about it, the less sure I am that I really liked it as much as I think. But again, it's lightness helped to balance the heavy, so it gets an extra star.
Willowdean is fat. And she is okay with that, but most people around her, including her mother, are not. Until she meets Bo during her summer job. And all of a sudden, she starts becoming more conscious of what people think of her. Still struggling with the death of her aunt, she decides to take a chance and enter the pageant that her mother runs. Willowdean struggles to deal with relationships with boys and her best friend and her mother and definitely does not always make the best decisions.
I think that this book actually fails a little bit in its message of body positivity. Mostly because Will isn't always that up on herself. Which is definitely realistic, don't get me wrong. She doesn't always seem all that comfortable in her body. But again, that is pretty realistic for a 16 year old. I also wish that the message of "healthy at every size" was portrayed in a more positive way. Will's mom is probably petrified of losing Will the way she lost Lucy, but losing weight is almost always couched in terms of being skinnier, rather than being healthy. However, I think this book positively shone in the aspects of sex-positivity and good portrayals of LGBT people. The way that sex between Ellen and Tim is presented is awesome.
I honestly wasn't a huge fan of Willowdean; she seemed a bit hypocritical. She didn't want to be judged for her weight, but judged others for it. She straight up told Ellen that she was going to make the pageant about her and that Ellen couldn't enter. But so many of her feelings and thoughts feel very much like a 16 year old girl. So maybe I was just annoyed by the teenage-ness?
Overall, I liked it. It was sweet and realistic and kept me from dreaming sad and awful things.
Willowdean is fat. And she is okay with that, but most people around her, including her mother, are not. Until she meets Bo during her summer job. And all of a sudden, she starts becoming more conscious of what people think of her. Still struggling with the death of her aunt, she decides to take a chance and enter the pageant that her mother runs. Willowdean struggles to deal with relationships with boys and her best friend and her mother and definitely does not always make the best decisions.
I think that this book actually fails a little bit in its message of body positivity. Mostly because Will isn't always that up on herself. Which is definitely realistic, don't get me wrong. She doesn't always seem all that comfortable in her body. But again, that is pretty realistic for a 16 year old. I also wish that the message of "healthy at every size" was portrayed in a more positive way. Will's mom is probably petrified of losing Will the way she lost Lucy, but losing weight is almost always couched in terms of being skinnier, rather than being healthy. However, I think this book positively shone in the aspects of sex-positivity and good portrayals of LGBT people. The way that sex between Ellen and Tim is presented is awesome.
I honestly wasn't a huge fan of Willowdean; she seemed a bit hypocritical. She didn't want to be judged for her weight, but judged others for it. She straight up told Ellen that she was going to make the pageant about her and that Ellen couldn't enter. But so many of her feelings and thoughts feel very much like a 16 year old girl. So maybe I was just annoyed by the teenage-ness?
Overall, I liked it. It was sweet and realistic and kept me from dreaming sad and awful things.
I really enjoyed this one! I'd been wanting to read it for quite awhile, and I'm glad I finally did.
Willowdean (aka Dumplin') is fat. Even though her mom is a former beauty queen, Willowdean has never let her size affect her and has always been confident. Then she meets Bo at work, a handsome jock, and develops a major crush. To her surprise, he likes her too. For the first time ever, she begins to feel self-conscious about her body and who she is. This is when she decides to compete in the local beauty pageant, along with a few other unlikely ladies.
I liked the messages in this story of empowerment, body positivity, and acceptance. It reminded me that it's okay to be ME. As someone who has always struggled with weight, I related a lot to Willowdean, and enjoyed seeing a plus size girl in a book. It's nice to see yourself in a character sometimes.
Aside from the weight issues, this book tackles love, romance, friendship, and jealousy... basically all the things we wish we could forget from our school days. Willowdean could be frustrating and not always likeable, but she learned a lot through all of her mishaps, trials, and tribulations. She grows a lot throughout the story.
All in all, I'd recommend this one. It's nice to root for the underdog, and it's even nicer to see people who are okay with their size at ANY size.
Willowdean (aka Dumplin') is fat. Even though her mom is a former beauty queen, Willowdean has never let her size affect her and has always been confident. Then she meets Bo at work, a handsome jock, and develops a major crush. To her surprise, he likes her too. For the first time ever, she begins to feel self-conscious about her body and who she is. This is when she decides to compete in the local beauty pageant, along with a few other unlikely ladies.
I liked the messages in this story of empowerment, body positivity, and acceptance. It reminded me that it's okay to be ME. As someone who has always struggled with weight, I related a lot to Willowdean, and enjoyed seeing a plus size girl in a book. It's nice to see yourself in a character sometimes.
Aside from the weight issues, this book tackles love, romance, friendship, and jealousy... basically all the things we wish we could forget from our school days. Willowdean could be frustrating and not always likeable, but she learned a lot through all of her mishaps, trials, and tribulations. She grows a lot throughout the story.
All in all, I'd recommend this one. It's nice to root for the underdog, and it's even nicer to see people who are okay with their size at ANY size.
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Oh Dumplin' you had me at Dolly Parton. It isn't often that you will come across a YA book that offers characters who are not only believable, but lovable. More often than not the protagonist is either a ridiculous train wreck, or so completely perfect that it becomes annoying. Not Willowdean. She is sassy, curvy, and genuine. She has the same fears and doubts that most do. She worries about how she looks, who to love, and her place in the world. Normally when authors tackle issues of body image, relationships, and the challenges of growing up it can come off as preachy or shallow, but Julie Murphy gives us a heroine we can rally behind. I appreciated her honest and realistic approach to these issues, and absolutely loved how witty and funny Willowdean is. I loved Dumplin' and I highly recommend it.
*I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
*I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
After watching the Netflix movie, this was a fun book to read. It contained more than the movie (like always) but The movie did justice to the book. I sure you would get a different message from this book at a different age, I wish I would have had this book when I was Willowdean’s age. Be yourself, be confident in your skin, you deserve all good things that come to you.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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