Margin notes: Dumplin'


Dumplin' 


by Julie Murphy

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.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this sweet book! The main character is a sweetheart who's going through something tricky in her life (her aunt passed away). She's a smart girl going through puberty and confronting her insecurities about weight, the in-crowd, boys, the social implications of her friendships and relationships, and about her relationship with her mother. She makes mistakes, confronts issues, makes friends, and learns a lot about accepting herself, being a good friends, and bucking norms in order to be happy. She doesn't always make the right decision, but she's imperfect which just makes her more real. Recommended for young YA readers.

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