You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Sweet, relatable, fun. And I just love the name Willowdean.
This book felt so authentic. It was nice to read about friendships. Some friendship went through some rough weather and some friendships just getting started. Could have done with something more elaborate at the end.
I've recently read another book [b:Future Perfect|18245617|Future Perfect|Jen Larsen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424367858s/18245617.jpg|45602559], which is also about a girl struggling with society's perception about her weight and her own feelings about herself and I'm sad to report that neither of the two books really hit the spot for me. I think that it's because I ended up feeling like the subplots of both novels pretty much overwhelmed this central theme for me and, needless to say, I didn't much fancy the subplots that the books had going on.
Dumplin' is set in a small deadbeat town, where the biggest event during the summer is a beauty pageant called the Miss Clover City beauty pageant. Willowdean Dickson is a fat girl, nicknamed Dumplin' by her other, living in this little town, where there's not much to do and not much to see. Her best friend is a beautiful, thin girl named El who has a boyfriend who adores her and who seems perfect in ways that Willowdean is absolutely not. But despite their differences, they've been best friends for a long time and Willowdean can't imagine her life without her.
But this peace only lasts until she meets Bo, a handsome jock who works in the same fastfood place at her. Bo is intense and quiet and they quickly fall into a friends with benefits situation. Willowdean is surprised by how much Bo seems to like her, or at least like her body, but when everything falls apart, her self-confidence shatters and she wonders whether her own body is lovable in the first place. Her friendship with El comes under pressure because of her full-fledged insecurities and soon, Willowdean finds herself signing up for the Miss Clover City pageant along with her town's other misfits to make a point.
Dumplin' was a bit of a mess of a novel and one of the biggest disappointments about the book was the relationship between Willowdean and Bo. Sure, their relationship together seemed to have a lot of physical heat to it but Bo never really redeemed himself in my eyes. But the book seems to want us to root for them when in reality, I felt like the other dude in this weird little love triangle was a much better fit for Willowdean.
The whole subplot about joining the pageant is also a bit of a mess because we can never quite tell what Willowdean feels about joining it. Is she there to make a message that everyone should be loved for their bodies? Or is she really there to make fun of the entire competition, as her mother accuses her of? Because if she's really there to send a message, she's really making a very half-ass attempt by not really putting in any effort at all.
The only subplot that I thought came across as nuanced and enjoyable was the subplot involving Willowdean's recently deceased Aunt and her mother. Both her mother and Willowdean are reeling from the loss and they handle it differently. Her mother seems eager to move on from the sad memories of how her sister passed whereas Willowdean is still trying to move past from her grief and loss. This is what I hoped the book would be like, rather than the focus on the hot mess relationship between Private School Bo and Willowdean.
Dumplin' is set in a small deadbeat town, where the biggest event during the summer is a beauty pageant called the Miss Clover City beauty pageant. Willowdean Dickson is a fat girl, nicknamed Dumplin' by her other, living in this little town, where there's not much to do and not much to see. Her best friend is a beautiful, thin girl named El who has a boyfriend who adores her and who seems perfect in ways that Willowdean is absolutely not. But despite their differences, they've been best friends for a long time and Willowdean can't imagine her life without her.
But this peace only lasts until she meets Bo, a handsome jock who works in the same fastfood place at her. Bo is intense and quiet and they quickly fall into a friends with benefits situation. Willowdean is surprised by how much Bo seems to like her, or at least like her body, but when everything falls apart, her self-confidence shatters and she wonders whether her own body is lovable in the first place. Her friendship with El comes under pressure because of her full-fledged insecurities and soon, Willowdean finds herself signing up for the Miss Clover City pageant along with her town's other misfits to make a point.
Dumplin' was a bit of a mess of a novel and one of the biggest disappointments about the book was the relationship between Willowdean and Bo. Sure, their relationship together seemed to have a lot of physical heat to it but Bo never really redeemed himself in my eyes.
Spoiler
So what if he has his own burdens to bear? Regardless, the way that he makes Willowdean feel (like she isn't enough for him) isn't healthy at all.The whole subplot about joining the pageant is also a bit of a mess because we can never quite tell what Willowdean feels about joining it. Is she there to make a message that everyone should be loved for their bodies? Or is she really there to make fun of the entire competition, as her mother accuses her of? Because if she's really there to send a message, she's really making a very half-ass attempt by not really putting in any effort at all.
The only subplot that I thought came across as nuanced and enjoyable was the subplot involving Willowdean's recently deceased Aunt and her mother. Both her mother and Willowdean are reeling from the loss and they handle it differently. Her mother seems eager to move on from the sad memories of how her sister passed whereas Willowdean is still trying to move past from her grief and loss. This is what I hoped the book would be like, rather than the focus on the hot mess relationship between Private School Bo and Willowdean.
What an amazing read.. I Loved the Dolly Parton feel to it!!!! Wish i could go to Texas
At first i wasn't a huge Will fan, But she grew on me as the book progressed and as she learns about herself in the process.
I watched the film right after finishing and loved that too!
Hats off to the Audio Narrator was so amazing!
At first i wasn't a huge Will fan, But she grew on me as the book progressed and as she learns about herself in the process.
I watched the film right after finishing and loved that too!
Hats off to the Audio Narrator was so amazing!
This book was overall really well written. But kind of blah. Maybe it's just me, but as a plus-size teenager I don't find these books to be confidence boosters. I would rather a book where their weight isn't a big roadblock to their goals. Because it is not. I'd rather it be mentioned but not over worked. You can be fat and be beautiful. You can be fat and have loads of friends. These types of books may seem progressive, but I think they actually hinder the body positivity movement. Now I am not saying that I went through similar challenges, but I also didn't whine about it like Willowdean did. You make life the way you want it, and I think this character was often portrayed as wanting to be a victim. So while this book seems like a progressive opinion, I don't think its the right story to tell. It seems to be a much more reductive story line. Because the type of hardships that come with being a plus-size teenager, for me at least, are more self vs. self than societal. I am not saying this is every fat girl's story/thoughts, but it's mine.
I really enjoyed this book, and kind of resent the movie. To-review later.
it was a fun book! i didn’t love it as much as pumpkin, but i have seen the movie so i already knew the story. lots of important lessons and fun characters.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated