Teen Book Review: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Good Reads Summary
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.
Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.
With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.
Teen Review
When I started this book, I was skeptical. It's based in
Texas and is about beauty pageants which aren't really my thing, but then I
picked it up. Reading this story helped changed my point of view and way of
thinking about some things and that's why I love it so much. This book is
about relationships between a boy and a girl, best friends, mother and daughter
and the protagonist and herself. It showed how you can love your own skin and
hate it, be sure of yourself and unsure of yourself, all at the same time. The
way she refused to change who she was, no matter what anyone else said but
still managed to develop as a character was remarkable. All of the characters
are wonderful and make you wish you lived in that little town in Texas. I
would recommend this book to anyone who's ever felt uncomfortable in their
skin, who's ever had passion for something and for anyone who's ever loved
before. I wouldn't give this five stars completely, just because the book can
move a little slowly at times, so I'd have to give it a solid 4/5.
Teen Reviewer Ella
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
