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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
2023 PopSugar reading challenge-A romance with a fat lead
I thought this was a great discovery story. Willowdean Dickson really didn’t know who she was, what she stood for, and lacked self esteem. Through the loss of her dear Aunt Lucy, some new friends, and a miss teen bonnet pageant Willowdean gained the confidence she desired and truly began to love herself. She got a chance to grow something special with her mother. I would recommend this book for middle to high school students due to the nature of some of the relationships. I gave it four stars just because it didn’t wow me but it was still a fantastic book!
Read this book! I give it four stars!
Read this book! I give it four stars!
*3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this story. I definitely related to it and the main character, and main plot line was charming and fun to follow.
However, the pacing was just SO off. I felt like it took forever to get through every scene, every dialogue, every plot development. The story just kept going and going and going and even though the story was progressing, I never felt that good ebb and flow of a dynamic narrative. Like I said, I did have a good time consuming this story, and the ending was even good, which is sometimes hard to do, but I still feel like the main chunk of this book was a little too monotone.
Still liked it and would recommend just for the message and the cute story!
I really enjoyed this story. I definitely related to it and the main character, and main plot line was charming and fun to follow.
However, the pacing was just SO off. I felt like it took forever to get through every scene, every dialogue, every plot development. The story just kept going and going and going and even though the story was progressing, I never felt that good ebb and flow of a dynamic narrative. Like I said, I did have a good time consuming this story, and the ending was even good, which is sometimes hard to do, but I still feel like the main chunk of this book was a little too monotone.
Still liked it and would recommend just for the message and the cute story!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
A cute book that I stayed up late to read in one sitting it was so good!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
I have several problems with this book, but I can't seem to decide if it's because of the character, or the author. Here's the thing: This book was marketed as a body-positive book. In the synopsis, it even says: "Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body." But... that's not true. Willowdean, having endured the nickname "Dumplin'", has been put on so many fad diets by her mother that she's probably never going to take health seriously again, and has such a hard time with the skinny people store that her best friend works at that she can't even VISIT the store without hiding in the dressing room. She knows all about being made fun of for her weight, all about not wanting to be seen in her bathing suit at the pool (which specifically goes against the synopsis!), and all about all the other shitty things that happen when you're fat. True, it's not until Bo kisses her that she thinks about him touching her fat rolls, but... no, she is NOT at home in her body! NOT AT ALL! She literally went from complaining about having to wear a uniform skirt because the pants don't come in her size, to being wooed by this guy. Okay, maybe she kinda gets her confidence back in the end of the book, but finding your confidence is not the same thing has having pre-existing confidence shaken.
Here's the other thing. Willowdean gets involved with, and then hurt by, Bo, but when she gets back to school, another boy instantly takes a shine to her and they start dating. He's super nice, has known her since they were kids, is popular, and REALLY likes her. He's an incredibly sweet guy, and yet Willowdean breaks his heart and sneaks around behind his back so she can start dating Bo, a guy who is the new-to-school instant-heartthrob, who dumped a popular girl for her, and who ADMITS that he "can really be a dick sometimes." Sure, chemistry and all that, but... WTF? Dump the sweetheart so you can date an ass who is going to hurt you in the end? Trust a guy who "didn't exactly" break up with the girl he's been seeing before asking you out?
I so badly wanted to like this book, but the amount of self-hatred that Willowdean has for her body almost triggered me to having more problems with my own. (And there's already plenty of that going around.)
OH! And? She's not the self-hating type that only hates herself - she's also incredibly judgmental of EVERYBODY. She may be fat, but Millie is like, SO FAT. One of the pageant girls does baton twirling ('because THAT'S a talent?"). Okay, Willowdean, can you PLEASE stop being such a bitch?
Here's the other thing. Willowdean gets involved with, and then hurt by, Bo, but when she gets back to school, another boy instantly takes a shine to her and they start dating. He's super nice, has known her since they were kids, is popular, and REALLY likes her. He's an incredibly sweet guy, and yet Willowdean breaks his heart and sneaks around behind his back so she can start dating Bo, a guy who is the new-to-school instant-heartthrob, who dumped a popular girl for her, and who ADMITS that he "can really be a dick sometimes." Sure, chemistry and all that, but... WTF? Dump the sweetheart so you can date an ass who is going to hurt you in the end? Trust a guy who "didn't exactly" break up with the girl he's been seeing before asking you out?
I so badly wanted to like this book, but the amount of self-hatred that Willowdean has for her body almost triggered me to having more problems with my own. (And there's already plenty of that going around.)
OH! And? She's not the self-hating type that only hates herself - she's also incredibly judgmental of EVERYBODY. She may be fat, but Millie is like, SO FAT. One of the pageant girls does baton twirling ('because THAT'S a talent?"). Okay, Willowdean, can you PLEASE stop being such a bitch?
funny
hopeful
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