Publisher's Synopsis
Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean 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 Teen Blue Bonnet 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.
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 Teen Blue Bonnet 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.
Our Reviews
Willowdean is a big girl and she knows it and initially doesn’t seem to care about it. But the interest of a cute boy and the annual town beauty pageant bring to life all the insecurities she has ever had. The pageants have always been a presence in her life, and in the town, and seem to be her mother's greatest accomplishment. Her mother figure, her aunt, died a year ago but the pain is still very much real for her. What I liked about this character was that she felt real and while the ending felt a bit rushed it didn’t wrap up every tiny detail. It wasn't like she instantly felt good about herself or lost the weight or solved all her problems. I can see so many people relating to her. The supporting characters are wonderful and really help build the story. This book speaks to anyone who has ever felt like they don’t fit in or has felt insecure about their appearance or being accepted. One of my favorite quotes from the book, “I think you gotta be who you want to be until you feel like you are whoever it is you're trying to become. Sometimes half of doing something is pretending that you can.” ― Julie Murphy, Dumplin’. 4.5 stars ~M. Vannoni
In Dumplin, we meet the main character, a 10th grade girl named Will, short for Willowdean. Her best friends are Ellen and Ellen's boyfriend, Tim. The setting is in Clover City, Texas Home to one of the oldest beauty pageants in Texas: The Miss Teen Bluebonnet Pageant. Her mother a former Miss Teen Bluebonnet and the coordinator of the pageant every year.. Will works at the local fast food joint Harpy’s Burgers and Dogs where she has a massive crush on her coworker, Bo. We see a kindness in Will when she protects an overweight classmate, Millie, from a run-in with some cool boys in the parking lot. We also learned that Will is also overweight and very comfortable in calling her own body and herself fat, until her relationship with Bo begins to develop and she considers entering the beauty pageant. Along her journey, Will makes some new friends where we learn all teenagers are just trying to fit in and gain acceptance among their peers - and from their families.
In my opinion, I feel parts of the book are overwritten and not related to the overall plot of the book, and I would have liked to have seen other parts of the book developed more. I enjoyed reading this book, but at times it struggled to keep my attention. The characters are likeable and the book is not too emotional. 4 stars Michelle Labuski
In my opinion, I feel parts of the book are overwritten and not related to the overall plot of the book, and I would have liked to have seen other parts of the book developed more. I enjoyed reading this book, but at times it struggled to keep my attention. The characters are likeable and the book is not too emotional. 4 stars Michelle Labuski
Dumplin’ is a story centered around Willowdean, a teenager who is generally quite comfortable in her own skin. However, many people around her are less comfortable about her weight. Through some challenging teenage situations, Willowdean finds herself in a position to enlighten those who focus too much on what the norm may call “beauty.” Willowdean has a best friend who is somewhat more sexually provocative teenager who doesn’t always understand Willowdean’s opinions. While working, Willowdean meets a boy that seemingly accepts her for who she is. Not only is this a book about stereotypes, but it touches on “first loves,” the self-deprecating thoughts that often run through teenagers’ minds, and the relationships between teenagers and their families. 4 stars Aija Haynes