Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Dumplin’ gives out a good message about body positivity and self-acceptance. But I wish it did a better job at it. The story is about Willowdean, a fat girl who decides to enter a beauty pageant to make a statement about body image issues. And this is clear right from looking at the cover. I don’t like to know pretty much the entire story from the cover of a book. Giving away the story is not a cover’s job.
Now, keeping the cover aside, the story doesn’t really touch. As I said, the main message is nice and important, but Willowdean is difficult to sympathize with not only because she is an extremely confused teenager, but also because the girl is insensitive and hypocritical. Her defense mechanisms are up to a level of super-annoying. And then there is one completely unnecessary forced love triangle. There were a lot of scopes where this book could have been amazing, but it missed to hit all those marks.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Now, keeping the cover aside, the story doesn’t really touch. As I said, the main message is nice and important, but Willowdean is difficult to sympathize with not only because she is an extremely confused teenager, but also because the girl is insensitive and hypocritical. Her defense mechanisms are up to a level of super-annoying. And then there is one completely unnecessary forced love triangle. There were a lot of scopes where this book could have been amazing, but it missed to hit all those marks.
2.5 stars rounded up.