Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist
Genre: YA, Real Life
Suggested Age: Tweens, Teens
What is the book about?: Willowdean Dickson is a fat girl and she’s totally cool with that. She feels no reason to apologize for or be ashamed of her size. The summer between sophomore and junior years of high school are going great. She works with her crush (who maybe likes her back). She and her best friend have endless days at the pool ahead of them. But life has a way of getting in the way, and as Willow goes into her junior year, her crush has gotten complicated, her best friend is drifting away, and she is still feeling the loss of her aunt who died several months ago. She’s also had about enough of other people commenting on her weight, or Amanda’s uneven legs, or Hannah’s buck teeth, or anyone else who is “different.” So she does what most girls in her small Texas town do – she joins the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant.
My Review: This book was delightful. Mild spoiler here – Willowdean does not get skinny for the pageant. She also doesn’t get skinny for any love interest. She doesn’t get skinny at all, as that’s not the point of this book. Willowdean joins the pageant to prove that different is good. I like the fact that this is a book about a girl who is both fat and confident. I like that she still has some flaws and some doubts about herself – most teenage girls do. I really like that this book had drag queens. I do wish that the book had focused more on than pageant and Willowdean’s friendships, and less on her boy drama. But overall, this was a sweet, feel-good read.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Feminine, Unapologetic, Realistic
Give This a Try if You Like… Judy Blume, Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!