Dumplin'

I just loved this book.

Willowdean is our first person narrator, telling of her high school life, as a "fat girl." She's mostly come to terms with her weight and accepted it. But when Bo, an athletic, handsome guy at work, is attracted to her, she starts developing self-doubts and self consciousness

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that she'd kept at bay most of the time.

The storyline is three-fold. Willowdean, "Will" has always had El, her best friend for life, but as the book gets going, things happen that make them drift apart, until something happens that seems to sever their friendship irreconcilably. Second, Will, who has only ever fantasized about boyfriends, suddenly finds not one, but two boys attracted to her. And three, on an impulse, she has signed up for the town's illustrious beauty pageant, against all stereotypes. And after she did, three other somewhat misfit girls follow her lead and also sign up.

All three story-lines are woven together beautifully. Willowdean is a believable character, which is to say, she is not a saint. She does things that the reader will be ticked off at her for. She is sometimes foolish, sometimes inconsiderate, and frequently selfish... just like we real people so often are. Murphy doesn't make the boyfriend dilemma easy for Will or for the reader. A weaker writer would make it obvious to the reader that only one of the two boys was acceptable, but both of Willowdean's suitors, while very different, are both nice guys, that we like. I found myself alternately rooting for Bo or Mitch depending on the moment.

My only disappointment - and it's a minor one - the whole book built up to the beauty pageant, and it felt a little rushed. I would have liked an extra 20 or 30 pages drawing out the pageant and telling more about Wil and the other girl's pageant performances.

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Read from July 26 to 28, 2015

I can't find the words I need to properly review this, but there are sassy teenagers, Dolly Parton fans & impersonators, underdogs, bullies, a little romance, friendship woes, and so much more. I can see why Disney has already optioned this to be a film -- so much

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potential here for a wonderfully fun movie. I think the challenge will be casting because not just anyone can play Willowdean -- she's not your typical Hollywood starlet and I hope they stay true to the curvy character she is.

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Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Not only does Murphy write a strong character, but a heroine for everyone to look up to.

Opening Sentence: All the best things in my life have started with a Dolly Parton song.

The Review:

When I first heard about Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, there was

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a lot of positive buzz around the book blogosphere. I’ve never read anything like Dumplin’s synopsis. It sounded amazing, and I was intrigued. Dumplin’ had all of this potential in my eyes, that it made me hesitant. Then I read Dumplin’. And wow! The hype was correct, and well deserved. Never have I connected to a story, or anyone, in such a deep manner.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy is about Willowdean Dickson, a young girl in a small town, where everyone associated her alongside her former beauty queen mom. But Willow doesn’t look like the other girls that her momma coaches for the pageants, and she’s comfortable enough that she doesn’t mind. Willow lives her life, accepting that she may not get the chances that other girls have. So when Private School Bo pays attention to her, it’s a surprise to her, and me. Doubt clouds her mind, and she becomes something that she is not – unsure of herself.

Usually, the heroine is pretty, or will embark on a journey and become the epitome of beauty. From what I’ve recently read, the heroine would have long luscious locks of hair, with mesmerizing eyes, and a fit or slender body. But Murphy’s Willow is not a part of that norm. And I love that about Dumplin’. Willow is comfortable in her own skin, and has a tenacity that makes her stand out from everyone else. She has a quick wit, a wonderful personality, and understands things that others may not.

Murphy created Willow to have a real voice. A voice that represents a larger percentage of the population than everyone realizes. Willow’s voice isn’t always strong and loud, but it’s something that needs to be heard. Everyone has a story, even females who don’t normally look like everyone else.

Willow’s upbringing may not be my own, but I connected to her so deeply. Insecurities and emotions from high school were drudged up, and originally, I wasn’t sure what was going on. Reading Murphy’s words brought me to this uncanny time warp, and I don’t think I’ve experienced that before.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy is a wonderful read, and Willowdean is a heroine for every one of all ages.

Notable Scene:

“Bo.” His voice was dry, but his lips curled into a smile. “My name’s Bo.” He took my hand and a flash of memories I’d never made jolted through my head. Us holding hands in a movie. Or walking down the street. Or in a car.

Then he let go.

That night when I replayed our introductions over and over in my head, I realized that he didn’t flinch when I called myself fat.

And I liked that.

The word fat makes people uncomfortable. But when you see me, the first thing you notice is my body. And my body is fat. It’s like how I notice some girls have big boobs or shiny hair or knobby knees. Those things are okay to say. But the word fat, the one that best describes me, makes lips frown and cheeks lose their color.

But that’s me. I’m fat. It’s not a cuss word. It’s not an insult. At least it’s not when I say it. So I always figure why not get it out of the way?

FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Dumplin’. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

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So I really don't remember how this book ended up home with me; it's nowhere near my wheelhouse being a YA chick barely lit book. But I think this is the book that draws the line in the sand as to how far afield I am willing to read when it comes to romantic-with-a-message YA novels. This story

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about the semi-confident body conscious overweight teen and her romantic interludes while trying to find herself with a Dolly Parton soundtrack playing in the background was mostly okay. The writing was well done; a little more realistic then the smarter than most adults John Green novels. But if this was some kind of be-free-to-be-yourself-by-using-your-inner-strength kind of book, I thought it missed the mark. Essentially it seems that the protagonist, Willowdean, seems to pull her strength from others (boyfriends, girlfriends, etc.) rather than it coming from her own belief in herself. It seemed to be a free-to-be-you-and-me message that totally relied on the validation of others and isn't that the opposite of the message you are trying to send? This is a teen book that I think does not reach beyond that readership. Okay, but not much more than that.

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The Good Stuff
•A book that has Dolly Parton and drag queens, how can you not love it
•A beautiful and real coming of age story
•Will has sass and such inner strength that you love her from the very first line.
•Fat girl doesn't have to diet to get the man - its about fucking time people!

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•As a former fat girl (and lets face it, I will always be a fat girl) I applaud the authors understanding that we are just as beautiful as anyone else
•The last couple of chapters were utterly beautiful and funny and just plain perfection
•The varied characters are all so wonderfully flawed and real and the relationships so shockingly honest.
•Delightfully awkward situations and hilarious dialogue
•Did I mention the girl doesn't try to change to make herself more socially acceptable - aka lose weight
•May this book leap into the lap of any girl who has felt insecure about her outer self.

The Not So Good Stuff
•A tad too angsty at times for this old momma (so intended teen audiences, please ignore this)
•Um, yeah, I have been speaking with a bit of a Texan accent this week, and well, people are staring y'all
•Brought back some painful memories of being the fat girl & I wish I had had the strength of character that Will has. I just did stupid ass dieting and hurt my body. Man I was a silly girl

Favorite Quotes/Passages

“There’s something about swimsuits that make you think you’ve got to earn the right to wear them. And that’s wrong. Really, the criteria is simple. Do you have a body? Put a swimsuit on it.”

“I think maybe it’s the things we don’t want to talk about that are the things people most want to hear.”

“I hate seeing fat girls on TV or in movies, because the only way the world seems to be okay with putting a fat person on camera is if they’re miserable with themselves or if they’re the jolly best friend. Well, I’m neither of those things.”

4 Dewey's

No one asked me to review, just wanna share.

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Willowdean is nobody's idea of a beauty queen, but her mother runs the pageants in her small town. She develops a relationship with a boy at work, but her body issues get in her way until she and her friends take a bold step.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

DUMPLIN' is _so_ much more than a book about weight and body image. Will is a complex, flawed character - sometimes kind and insightful, sometimes selfish and cruel - but it is that dichotomy that makes her human and so relatable. Her fears and doubts will be

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recognizable to anyone who has entered into a new relationship (sucking it in is universal!) and her grief over Lucy’s death is beautifully articulated.

I’m rethinking my aversion to swimwear.

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Willowdean’s mother has a pet name for her: Dumplin’. Although it’s a term of endearment, when a girl is overweight, it’s also a constant reminder of her body. Luckily, she only uses the term Dumplin in the house. Knowing that her mother once won and now organizes the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet

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pageant only makes Willow more cognizant of the way she looks and adds to her concern that she is not living up to her mother’s standards.

In the summer between sophomore and junior year Willowdean is working at the fast food store, Harpy’s. Working in the kitchen is the gorgeous Bo Larsen who all the girls lust after. When he starts paying attention to her, she gets nervous. Why would a gorgeous guy like him take an interest in her…that’s what everyone would say, she thinks.

It has been six months since her Aunt Lucy passed away. Lucy, obese at 500 lbs., died as a result of a heart attack. While going through her night table, Willowdean finds a blank application to enter the 1994 Miss Teen Blue Bonnet pageant. The rules do not require entrants to be pencil thin with long straight blond hair, etc. The only thing it requires is parental consent. Thinking that Lucy let her dreams pass her by, Willowdean vows not to let the same thing happen to her and she enters the pageant (after guilting her mother into consenting), which convinces several of the other high school outcasts to enter as well. However, it also prompts her best friend, Ellen, to enter which defeats the whole purpose. Ellen could actually win. Before she can stop herself, Willowdean tries to get El to withdraw, which she will not do and which causes a rift in their friendship.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy is the story of ‘misfits’ who are comfortable with themselves for the most part. Willowdean’s friends (Millie, Amanda and Hannah) all have something a school bully (i.e. Patrick Thomas) would love to pick on and he does. Yet they they pay him no heed and do what they need/want to do.

The message I got from Dumplin’ is that it’s time to change the norm and it is starting very slowly. France is the most recent entry into the small (what I’ll call elite) group of countries banning ultra thin models, joining Israel, Spain and Italy. Why does someone need to look undernourished to be considered beautiful? Why can’t someone with a limp be beautiful or have teeth that haven’t been capped or orthodontured?

Julie Murphy makes her point in a fun book. The ending is believable. The feelings of Mille, Amanda and Hannah also ring true. While it might be a light-hearted look at a serious issue, it is sensitive and realistic. A great book!

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I love this book soo much I wish I could eat it up. Literally. Where was this book when I was a fat socially awkward teenager? As an adult, I related to this book, I can only imagine how much I would have related to this book as a teenager. Willowdean is fat. Not that fat is a bad thing, she just

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knows what she is and there is no hiding from it. She's confident and loud and she has her best friend Ellen by her side. She is unstoppable. That is until boys get into the mix. Suddenly she becomes self conscious. And it's not like her best friend will understand, she's skinny and perfect, she doesn't have rolls. To honor her recently deceased aunt (another self-professed fat girl) and to prove her peers that fat doesn't have to be ugly she enters the annual Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant and inspires some other "ugly" girls to try out as well. They're going to start a revolution on beauty standards and self-confidence! Willowdean's mother is horrified, she runs the competition and is convinced that her fat daughter is entering as a joke. Her best friend Ellen sticks by her side until Willowdean tells her that she doesn't want her to enter the pageant because she's already beautiful. A huge rift occurs, what's a fat girl to do? Inspiring, laugh out loud funny. A must read for anyone who has ever dealt less than perfect in their own skin.

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I liked this book. The friendship between the characters was heart-warming and helped to offset the sometimes toxic atmosphere of high school. Dumplin' was an emotional and uplifting read about accepting who you are and discovering the inner strength you've had all along.

Southern drawls, Dolly Parton, and a beauty pageant, make up the fabric of this charmin' story about WillowDean Dixon and her quest to accept her body. She was always fine in her big skin until a summer fling with Bo at the fast food restaurant where she works. She decides in honor of her dead aunt

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Lucy, who didn't do things at times because of her size, to throw her hat into the ring in the beauty pageant which has helped defined her mother's life.
She soon becomes the unwilling ring leader for an unlikely group of pageant contestants. Estranged from her best friend, Ellen for much of the book, Will has to navigate romance (unsuccesfully) and problems with her mom. The Texas drawl in the audiobook added to my enjoyment of the story, I think.

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I loved the characters and the plot, though I find miscommunication to be a weak plot point. The relationship with the mother really resonated with me.

Love this book!!! Add to your tbr

The circumstances of people’s lives are often peppered with ironies. Ironies so starling that they leave us scratching our heads in wonder. Hello Willowdean Dickson. Willowdean has what some might dub a “weight problem” but she is comfortable with her body (mostly). Her mother is a former

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Miss Teen Blue Bonnet and current chair of the pageant. Commence head scratching.
Willowdean’s emotional touchstone has always been her Aunt Lucy whom she has recently lost due to complications of obesity. The two were more mother and daughter than aunt and niece. Willowdean’s grief is deep and intense unfortunately, she is unable to share it with her mother. The two grieve in very different ways. Lucy’s death will either bring them closer or completely break an already fractured relationship.
Meanwhile, Willowdean’s lifelong best friend, Elle who is one of the prettiest girls in school, begins spending time with the would-be beauty queen set, the very girls that she and Willowdean have always privately mocked. Willowdean makes an effort with these girls, albeit not a very strong one, and is immediately met with mean-girl passive aggressive remarks and behaviors. She retreats from the group and her friend causing her to suffer another significant loss.
Romance proves just as fraught with tension as her other relationships. At her less than glamorous fast food job, Willowdean meets the very handsome Bo. The two are attracted to each other and before long something of a romance develops. Despite Willowdean’s self-confidence and her ability to stand up to bullies she keeps Bo a secret which nearly ends their relationship. He is anxious to come out as a couple but she is reticent to do so. As she explains; “He wants to put this label on us,” I tell her. “And you know we won’t even make it one day at school without being ridiculed. He doesn’t get that.”
Julie Murphy masterfully resolves the conflicts in a refreshing way – one that doesn’t require Willowdean to lose weight! Many times characters problems are resolved when they conform to outside influences but in this wonderful story the character of Willowdean evolves and grows but doesn’t conform.

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What a fun book! Had me laughing out loud more than once. Can't wait to read more by Julie Murphy!

What a great story; a young woman fighting to overcome a small town's prejudice while inspiring a group of other "out-casts" via a small town pageant & friendship.

Willowdean's mother, former Blue Bonnet pageant queen (current pageant chairwoman) still calls Wiilowdean "Dumplin'" and makes no bones

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about Dumplin's weight.

Willowdean's best friend, Ellen, is the total opposite of Willowdean, but they compliment each other perfectly.

Willowdean is working out issues of friendship, loyalty, love, & overcoming body issues all at one time.

Willowdean, much to her mother's dismay, has entered the Miss Blue Bonnet Pageant along with Ellen & three other friends. Millie is heavier than Willowdean; Hannah, a Dominican lesbian has a bad overbite: and Amanda w/ a short leg & a limp... Together & on their own they prove they have what it takes to the town.

The one thing I did not like/understand, was when the school jackass bully called Willowdean a name, she confronted him & kneed him in the groin. Willowdean got suspended for standing-up to him, but the punk got off scott-free.

Anyway, there's more to the book and I liked it. I will be reading the newest book by this author: "Puddin'"

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East to read, feel good book. Definitely something you want to read. Willowdean's story of overcoming body issues is one that sticks with you, even after you have finished it.

Listened to the audio version. Voice actor was a terrific Willowdean. She did an OK job with the male character voices--they didn't sound female, but they weren't totally believable. Still, the characters were so true to life, the writing so smart and honest, and it made me smile. I loved it! Going

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to order a second copy for my library.

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Murphy creates a complete and completely believable world in which she explore themes of self-acceptance and social expectations. Willowdean is an overweight teenager being raised by a single mother who peaked when she won a small-town Texas beauty contest to which she remains a devoted organizer.

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Will is mourning the recent death of her obese aunt, who was her champion, and butts heads with her mother at every turn. Will wants to be seen as acceptable as she is, but of course, her mother and the beauty queens don't get it; and interestingly neither does Will when confronted with a boy who actually finds her attractive. When Will decides to enter the beauty contest, and brings a small cadre of other misfits with her, there is LOTS to explore about what it means to be a friend, to be attractive, and to be acceptable in a culture that is hyper-focused on what young women look like.

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3 stars? 3.5 stars? I need to think on it.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine -- "Dumplin" is guaranteed to steal your heart.
-- from the book jacket

So, I purposely didn't copy the blurb from the back cover for the beginning of my review. The back cover implies that the main

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character, "Willowdean", is proud of her body and not self-conscious at all. This is not true, but also not realistic. She has a lot of issues, but don't we all...

No matter how old we are, I think most of us have something about our bodies that we hate. For me, it's my belly. No matter how skinny I was growing up, I was always afraid to wear a bikini because of my belly. Of course, I look back now and laugh at myself. I should have taken advantage of my bikini-worthy body while I could. I look at old pictures and I have to laugh at myself. I was skinny and I don't look like I had a belly at all. Then again, our self-image and what other people see tends to be quite different.

Willowdean has issues with her body, and she is heavy. But she still enters herself in the beauty pageant that her mother once won. Her mother is heavily invested in the pageant and participates in the celebration every year. Her mother is also always trying to get Willow to go on one diet or another. The interesting thing about Willowdean is that when a boy shows real interest in her, she only sees the bad. She worries what he will think about her body and sees only the fact that he is "too good looking" for her. And she worries a lot about what other people would think.

This was a fun book to read and I think gave a realistic look at how teenage girls see themselves. I liked most of the characters and enjoyed watching their development.

Recommended to:
Teenage readers, especially girls. This is a YA book, but I think readers of many ages would enjoy it.

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I'm not really sure if this is a full three stars for me. Maybe a 2.75? There were some things about this book that were amazing but at the same time, it dragged in parts. I mean really dragged. It says it's book one, so I'm guessing there will be others. If there are, I may read the next one at

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least just to see what's going on with Willowdean and company, but I hope it doesn't drag like this one did in so many parts.

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Dumplin'
by Julie Murphy
Audio narrated by Eileen Stevens
3-1/2*

YA novel surrounding Willowdean Dickson, a young woman who has struggled with her weight her whole life. Part of it seems to be hereditary, as she has recently lost an aunt due to morbid obesity, and her mother also struggled when she was

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younger. Despite her mother's concerns for Willowdean's health and happiness, which unfortunately morphs into judgment and criticism, and a lifelong stream of funny looks, comments, presumptions and bullying from many people around her, Willowdean is actually self confident and unconcerned about what others think of her. She just lives her life.

Her confidence, however, starts to wane when the preparations for a beauty pageant, which is a very big deal in her little Texas town, starts to ramp up. Will's mother, a former beauty queen herself, is in charge of this pageant. Without meaning to hurt her own daughter, she encourages Willowdean's best friend, Ellen, to participate in the pageant, but never mentions the same to her. This, despite--and subsequently because of--the newfound attentions from a handsome and popular boy she works with, Bo, and also the attention of star football player, Mitch, makes Will start to doubt herself and her worth. Although she is flattered by these nice boys and is caught a bit in a love triangle, her body image rears its head and makes her afraid to take things further. She realizes that she is going to end up like her deceased aunt (by giving up opportunities) if she doesn't find her own happiness now.

Although Willowdean realizes her life would be much easier if she could just conform with society's views of beauty by losing weight and by doing so make others more comfortable, instead, she decides to shake things up a bit by entering the beauty pageant just the way she is, trying to make others see that they need to get used to the idea that there are all kinds of people in the world and that they are the ones who need to change and learn to accept it. By doing so, she inspires a group of other girls who are considered outsiders to do the same, and they start to find their own confidence to be themselves as well.

Although this didn't necessarily have a Will Grayson, Will Grayson ending, it was full of life lessons and lessons in friendship and left readers on a hopeful note. I think younger readers would really like this, especially teens who aren't considered "golden children" who have an easy life dished out to them on a platter.

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I loved willowdean's strong voice, it was funny to listen to in the car. It kept reminding me of Eleanor and Park int terms of the authenticity and integrity of its characters. However, the boyfriend voices were cringeworthy. The southern vocal frye made my skin crawl, but other than that, I

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enjoyed the characters!

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