Julie Murphy

Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.

Dumplin'

Jessica Sennebogen

“This moment. It is the truest representation of my mom I have ever seen. I guess sometimes the perfection we perceive in others is made up of a whole bunch of tiny imperfections, because some days the damn dress just won’t zip.”

‘“She was born for this. There’s a beauty queen in that cute, little fat girl.”

A slow, satisfied smile melts across my face. “No,” I say. “That cute, little fat girl is a beauty queen.”’

“…there is no higher achievement for a southern woman than the ability to eat barbecue and walk away stain free.”

“Beautiful, he says. Fat, I think. But can’t I be both at the same time?”

“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?”

“I sit down to eat and liberally spread salad dressing across my plate, because on the eighth day God created ranch dressing.”

Ellie 

“I guess sometimes the perfection we perceive in others is made up of a whole bunch of tiny imperfections, because some days the damn dress just won’t zip.”

“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 may be uncomfortable, but I refuse to be ashamed.”

““Loyalty isn’t blind.” Even when I wish it was. “Loyalty is telling someone they’re wrong when no one else will.””

““Loyalty is . . . loyalty is being there for someone. It’s selfless. It’s about standing by someone’s side even when you don’t want to.” Ellen. All I see is Ellen. “Because you love them.””

“You need approval, too. And that flaw is big enough to stop you. What’s important to remember though is that despite our signs, we still make our destiny.”

“She believes this so wholly that it’s pretty difficult for me not to buy into it, too. And I like the idea that somehow I am the way I am because it was meant to be.”

“You love big, but you hurt big, too. But you don’t always let the hurt show, because it’s a vulnerability. You’re the sun. Always there. Even when we can’t see you.”

“I wish I would’ve had friends that were going after things they weren’t supposed to have. I was so scared of myself at that age. I was so scared that all the big things I wanted would never be anything more than wants.”

“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.”

“Its this reminder that no matter who you are, there will always be someone prettier or smarter or thinner. Perfection is nothing more than a phantom shadow we’re all chasing.”

“Good friendships are durable. They’re meant to survive the gaps and the growing pains.”

“I guess that’s when I decided being good at something didn’t mean you had to do it. Just ’cause something’s easy doesn’t make it right.”

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

“How can she see something I can’t feel? And what’s the point in acting confident if I’m not? I never thought I cared about what I saw in the mirror. But Bo ruined that. It’s supposed to be easier to like yourself when someone else likes you. But that can’t be true. No matter how much I tell myself that the fat and the stretch marks don’t matter, they do. Even if Bo, for whatever reason, doesn’t care, I do. Then there are days when I really give zero flying fucks, and I am totally satisfied with this body of mine. How can I be both of those people at once?”

“I guess the magic of being someone else is lost when you can never quite shed your own skin.”

“All my life I’ve had a body worth commenting on and if living in my skin has taught me anything it’s that if it’s not your body, it’s not yours to comment on. Fat. Skinny. Short. Tall. It doesn’t matter.”

“It’s not that I don’t like new people. It’s just that, in general, I do not like new people.”

Emily Burns

I loved this book, wholeheartedly and unreservedly, before I found out the author is a librarian. Now I love it more. Willowdean's voice and dynamic understanding of her relationship with her body and identity were incredibly familiar to me, and her relationship with Ellen and Bo brought me right back to high school (in a good way - a feat in and of itself). I wish this book had existed when I was growing up.

debre

i can't put into words and explain how much this book meant to me. as a fat young woman, i saw so much of myself in will's fears and dreams and wants. and she taught me that i can want, no matter how big my body is. this is art in its purest form. thank you, julie murphy.

Melissa Palmer

Book #113 Read in 2015
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (YA)

Willowdean (called Dumplin' by her mother) is an overweight teen, living in Texas. Will doesn't shy away from her size; she calls herself fat and tries not to obsess over her weight. She is a well-adjusted, intelligent and confident girl. Or at least she is until she has a fight with her best friend and has a handsome boy tell her that he likes her. Then she begins to doubt her self-worth. Will Willowdean be able to bounce back to her old self? This book is full of sarcastic humor and great characters. There is some teenage romance in it but it is low-key. Dumplin' is a great protagonist and her story will inspire readers. I think high school girls will love this book. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Susan 

*Slight spoiler not enough to ruin the book though*

I didn't even realize the end was the end! I had to flip through the end to verify that it was. 

Now, I had seen the movie before reading this book. I watched it when it was released and if it wasn't for the movie, I never would have read this book. I enjoyed the book just as much as the movie. 

One thing I was shocked to find out was there was another love interest besides Bo! Mitch was a sweetheart and he deserved more.

Alexa M

Cindy McKee

This book was, start to finish, delightful. The characters felt true and the situation was perfectly Texas. High School, best friends, finding your path in life, mothers/daughters, body image, first love, all surrounding a beauty pageant and our muse, Willowdean. Ya'll hail the queen, indeed.

Jeannette Ordas

A very sweet and very Southern story about a self-proclaimed fat girl has a crisis of confidence when the cute boy has a thing for her. There's also a beauty pagent, lots of Dolly Parton, and a drag show. Fun!

Julia Lotz

3,5 stars

WARUM WOLLTE ICH ES LESEN? Dumplin' hat bereits im amerikanischen Raum sehr, sehr hohen Wellen geschlagen und so war ich sowieso unendlich gespannt. Dazu kommt, dass sich der Roman unter anderem mit dem Thema Body Positivity auseinandersetzt. Absolut wichtig und lesenswert!

HAT ES MEINE ERWARTUNGEN ERFÜLLT? Zu großen Teilen ja!

WAS HAT MIR GUT GEFALLEN? Der Roman ist eigentlich ein typischer Jugendroman, der sich mit den Dingen auseinandersetzt, die in dem Alter von Relevanz sind. Dazu eben das Thema Body Positivity, das ich sehr toll umgesetzt fand. Auch ganz abgesehen davon ist der Roman absolut lebensbejahend und toll geschrieben. Nebenbei gab es einige tolle Charaktere - besonders waren es Nebencharaktere - die ich sehr ins Herz geschlossen habe.

WAS HAT MICH GESTÖRT? Mir war die Vielzahl an Themen etwas too much, weshalb für mich das Thema Body Positivity nicht genügend in den Vordergrund gerückt wurde, was mich dann doch sehr gestört hat, da ich das Buch eben nicht wegen der Xten Freundschaftsproblematik gelesen habe. Auch muss ich zugeben, dass mir die Protagonistin auch nicht immer ganz sympathisch erschien.

FAZIT. Dumplin' ist ein Buch mit einer wahnsinnig tollen Thematik und einer lebensbejahenden Geschichte, die es so viel häufiger geben müsste. Besonders das Thema Body Positivity fand ich toll und doch rückte es für meinen Geschmack zu sehr in den Hintergrund. | ★★★(★)☆

Gisela Ayala 

Dumplin' has me feeling every feeling ever! Willowdean goes down in my history as one of the bravest and bad ass ladies in literature. 

I couldn't wait to get home or have a break at work to sit down and just read this book. It was absolutely enjoyable. I could literally hear the southern accents of the characters, could picture their facial expressions, and understand what they were feeling. Julie Murphy's writing was able to accomplish all of that and more. All the characters in Dumplin' were so believably human, so much so that I felt I was reading a memoir or even something that happened in real life. I feel like it was me. Willowdean can be all of us - confident and self-conscious all at the same time. The best way I can describe is with Willowdean's own words:

 "It makes me feel gross and incredibly human."

She said that during the beauty pageant, which is incredibly honest because that is something we all think! We don't always 100% of the time want the best for others. Sometimes we have our moments of darkness. We don't always have banging confidence to strut around in a swimsuit, sometimes we just want to hide in our rooms and not take a shower for a few days. We all have fights with our friends and sometimes we make up and sometimes we don't. 

I think I loved her relationship with her mother and aunt most of all. Let me explain before people crucify me, because don't get me wrong... her mother was pretty horrible most of the time to Willowdean. She pointed out her fatness plenty of times and made her feel so low and like she had to lose weight. But the reason I loved their relationships because of that same fact. Her mother was real and that is something that many guys and girls go through. Sometimes we forget that now all parents are perfect and although they may love us, they come with flaws and don't know HOW to love us. 

I love Willowdean's relationship with her aunt for that same reason. Although her aunt passed away before the events of this book, I could feel her lovely presence throughout. The guiding presence that always encouraged Willowdean to be the best she could ever be. 

Bottom line this book was amazing. The God-fearing church crowd reminded me a lot of my childhood and bizarreness of the pageant had me cringing the whole time in the best way and if I could only have one takeaway from this book it would be this: 

Like Willowdean said... she doesn't want what she does to be considered brave. She wants it to be considered normal. I couldn't agree more, but I personally think she was meant for greatness and we should all aspire to be a little like her.

Willowdean Dickson (Dumplin', to her mum) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Really, the criteria is simple. Do you have a body? Put a swimsuit on it. But life as Willlow knows it is about to change, and when this happens she suffers an unaccustomed, and unwelcome, attack of self-doubt. In an effort to take back her confidence, she enters into the local Miss Teen Blue Bonner beauty pageant. With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs and a wildly unforgettable heroine - Dumplin' is guaranteed to steal your heart. And send you out to buy that bikini!

Ashley Wendt

I had been wanting to read this before I watched the movie on Netflix. I finally got around to it! I had such high hopes for this book based on the movie preview. Parts of this book just didn’t sit well with me. I’m not one who is normally bothered by love triangles, but the one in the book just annoyed me, and felt a bit forced. The main character, Willowdean was such a mess of a character. She was a roller coaster of emotions for me. I think this book had a lot of potential. I did, however, like the movie so much more. I do think they did a great job of realigning the message to fit theme of what I think the book was supposed to be about.

Olivia Maclennan

jess

This book was a relief to read. I've noticed in YA, whenever a character complains about their body shape, it's always too skinny. So it was nice to see a fat character as a main character owning it. Willowdean was written very well. She's a normal teenage girl, with insecurities, and she makes mistakes sometimes, and yes, her body is some of it, but not all of it, which was a relief. 

The characters that stood out to me most, though, were Amanda, Millie, and Hannah. I love that all of them were confident; I loved Millie. She was just so happy and sunny throughout the entire book. It makes me wish I could have her attitude. This is a very positive, be-yourself book, and I loved that. 

A few things that irritated me: love triangle. The miscommunication between Will and Ellen. But those are YA tropes that I tend to dislike on principle, and nothing specific to this book.

Charlotte 

Sonja H

Lang bin ich um dieses Buch herumgeschlichen. Nicht noch so eine Geschichte „dickes Mädchen wird schlank und findet ihren Traumprinzen“ oder „dickes Mädchen gewinnt trotz Gewicht einen Schönheitswettbewerb“. Ich befürchtete ein wenig ein Fiasko nach dem Motto „gut gemeint, aber nicht gut gemacht“.

Die Story beginnt ein wenig zäh, aber nicht uninteressant. Wir lernen Willowdean sehr schnell als ein aufgewecktes Mädel kennen, der ihr Umfang völlig egal ist und für die ihre Freundschaften mit Ellen an erster Stelle steht.

Dann kommt – wie erwartet – ein gutaussehender Kerl ins Spiel. Das fand ich schon ein wenig enttäuschend. Er wirkte neben ihr so perfekt und begehrt, aber natürlich wie jeder Schwarm sehr sensibel und mit keiner einfachen Familiengeschichte. Gnaaaa.

Aber nun gut, unserer Protagonistin kommen erste Zweifel an ihrem Äußeren und hier nimmt die Geschichte richtig Fahrt auf.
Willowdean ringt mit ihren widersprüchlichen Gefühlen und Einstellungen zu sich selbst und ihrem Körper. Sie sucht Halt bei ihrer Mutter, aber diese ehemalige Schönheitskönigin mäkelt mehr an ihr herum, als dass sie ihr eine Hilfe ist.
Ihrer besten Freundin Ellen stößt sie unbedacht vor den Kopf und sieht sich mit ihrem ersten richtigen Streit konfrontiert.

Anfangs dachte ich „ok, ich bin über 40, ich werde mich wohl kaum mit dieser pubertierenden Teenagerin identifizieren können“. Doch je weiter ich las, umso mehr Erinnerungen wurden wach – ähnliche Situationen, ähnliche Gedanken.

Willowdean ist die Heldin, die ich mir immer gewünscht habe. Sie verändert nicht ihren Körper, stattdessen will sie allen – in Erinnerung an ihre verstorbene und stark übergewichtige Tante – zeigen, dass alle Spaß haben und stolz auf sich sein können.
Sie rebelliert, handelt entgegen aller Erwartungen.

Fällt es ihr leicht? Nein. Hat sie Zweifel? Und ob! Aber sie zieht ihr Ding durch und wird zum Vorbild für andere Mädels, die immer wieder Spott ausgesetzt sind.
Sie kämpft bis zum bitteren Ende mit sich, mit anderen und verstößt gegen viele unausgesprochene und konkrete Regeln.
Sie wird nicht in die Gesellschaft der dünnen und strahlenden Schönheiten aufgenommen, aber sie gewinnt ihre beste Freundin zurück und lernt, dass Freundschaften und Vertrauen in andere wichtiger sind als schmale Hüften.

Es gibt für sie kein Happy End, wie ich es ursprünglich vermutet hatte. Der Junge, der sie mochte, mag sie weiterhin, dünn wird sie nicht und auch alles andere bleibt eigentlich wie gehabt. Aber ihre Beziehungen sind gewachsen – sie versteht ihr Umfeld besser, sie sagt, wie sie behandelt werden möchte, sie stellt eigene Vorurteile infrage und sie merkt, dass Erwachsenwerden verwirrend, schmerzhaft, aber auch sehr spaßig und positiv sein kann.

Ein wenig schade ist, dass keines der schlanken Mädchen – außer Ellen – wirklich eine Stimme in der Story bekommt und die Jungs sich eher farblos und ein wenig klischeehaft verhalten.

Dennoch ist „Dumplin'“ ein ehrliches, erfrischendes und – wie ich finde – wichtiges Buch, das man neben „Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls“ jedem Mädchen spätestens ab 14 Jahren in die Hand drücken sollte.

„Dumplin'“ gehört zu meinen bisherigen Jahreshighlights und ich freu mich auf die Fortsetzung „Puddin'“, die auf Englisch am 8. Mai 2018 erscheinen soll.

Debbi

This is my first book review on Goodreads. 

This is also the very first book I've completed in less than a week. I finished it in three days and as a slow reader, it is a pretty big deal. (;

If you're a fan of My Mad Fat Diary, then I can assure you that you will love this book just as much as I do. Willowdean Dickson reminds me so much of Rae Earl (I actually typed Rae Nelson before realising what I've just done) because she is proud but at the same time, insecure about her body. Most people would argue that the storyline is cliche. Willowdean has a crush on her handsome co-worker, Bo AKA Peachbutt. She likes him obviously but is shocked to know that he's interested her too. In between the story, there's the other guy, Mitch who is big. The kind of boy society deems to be perfect for someone wide like Willowdean. The only downside to this book is that I actually think Willowdean might have led Mitch on. She has a crush on Bo, but still hangs out with Mitch? I wouldn't say she craves attention. Sometimes, curvy girls ponder if they deserve the same kind of attention as other girls do. Besides Bo and Mitch, there are other problems with her best friend, Ellen who is tall, blonde, and thin. Problems like how as time passes, we realize we might outgrow some of our friends, even those we label "best friends 5ever". I won't spoil it too much for you, the magic is yours to discover.

So, take my advice and read this book. You might like it. You might not. While you are at it, read and watch My Mad Fat Diary too.

Grace Elizabeth

This book follows a girl named Willowdean Dickson who is comfortable in her own skin, despite being the “fat girl.” However, things change when she gets comfy with her co-worker, the handsome and cool Bo Larson. Suddenly, Will feels insecure about her body, especially when she is with Bo. This book follows her on a journey to security and self-love, despite the cruelty and judgment she receives for her body.
This book had the potential to be so good in my opinion. We have a protagonist representing plus-sized women who often don’t get represented in books (although that’s changing, and I am here for it!). We also look into the toxic and competitive nature of beauty pageants, a part of the entertainment industry that is often left unexplored. However, this book really fell flat for me.
I went into this book expecting Will to be this positive and lighthearted character who has always been at home in her own skin (as the inner flap of the book suggests). In my opinion, she was kind of negative about herself from the very start and wasn’t the most inspiring role model. She often shows herself to be selfish and negative with the people around her. I almost liked the supporting characters better than the protagonist herself.
The writing in the book fell flat for me as well. It felt pretty basic. Nothing super outstanding about it. And the pacing of the book also was just not great. It felt a bit slow and then the whole beauty pageant was over so quickly with no sense of closure afterward. I guess we were supposed to make it up for ourselves.
This book wasn’t bad by any means. But it also wasn’t outstanding or hugely inspiring which I expected when starting this book. Maybe that’s more of a problem with me and my too high expectations but this book was mediocre in my opinion.

Flavia Louise

Kendra Negron

I really loved this. The inner monologue was so realistic as some who’s struggled with being a fat person my whole life. The negative reviewers here don’t resonate with willow dean because they were never like her. The self sabotage and constant imposter syndrome that kicks in whenever something happens that you deem yourself “unworthy” of. And the age old “why would someone love me when I look like this?” If you don’t get it then congratulations.

Palak

** spoiler alert **
           There are a million different things I can say about this book so I'm just going to make a pro-con list. 
 
PRO:
1. Overall good message. The point the author was trying to get across came through. 
2. Realistic relationships based on the personalities of the characters
3. Honest voice
 - Very realistic writing
 - Dialogues sounded natural 
4. I liked the way her relationship with her best friend was shown throughout the whole book. She is not overshadowed by the plot or the guy 
5. All the characters were consistent and furthered the plot. No pointless characters. 

CON: 
1. The main character kept portraying her body type as negative and the ending only had her sort of accepting herself after she got the guy which seems a little backwards. The guy accepted her more than she accepted herself
2. Many stereotypes were used in the plot 
3. THE LOVE TRIANGLE HOLY WHAT EVEN...
4. Main guy character was way too perfect. He was completely unrealistic and idealized and it was all this perfect guy who loved the unperfect girl cliche thing

Caroline Lewicki

I couldn't find a bad thing to say about Dumplin' if I tried. This is the best YA fiction I've read this year. It made me laugh so hard, cry at times, and I was engrossed in Willowdean's life. I highly, highly recommend this and can't wait to watch the movie!!

Elena

4/5 stars

- this was such a cute book it was heartwarming, funny and had body positivity in it
- I usually don't like books about pagents because its a common theme and no one really does it correctly but the main character, Willowdean, did not try to change herself for the pagent and she learned not to care what other people thought throughout the whole book

Kayla

I have no words. I finished this book in my English class this morning, and by the end of it, I was holding back tears. I have a habit -not a bad one by any means, but my friends think it's weird-of reading the author's Acknowledgements at the end of a book, because the author wouldn't have written it if they didn't want it to be read, and you can find some true gems there. This book had the best Acknowledgements I've read besides those found in John Green and David Levithan's "Will Grayson, Will Grayson." (There's just something about the Wills, I guess.)

This book is so REAL. Even though I, personally, have never entered a beauty pageant or taken makeup tips from a Dolly Parton-worshipping drag queen, I feel like someone, somewhere, has. Will is me on so many levels. I can relate to her and her problems and all of her thoughts. Yes, I was sometimes angry with her, but that's okay, because she later gets mad at herself for them as well. 

I do have to say, though, that my only negative complaints that I have are linked to the fact that I read Sarah Dessen's "Saint Anything" just before reading "Dumplin'." Both books featured a handy young man who falls for the main character -which is normal except for the fact that both of said boys wear a pendant around his neck of the SAME PATRON SAINT. What? But seriously that's my only complaint, and it's really not even about the book.

I highly recommend this book. It is an inspiring, trailblazing, realistic book about a problem that the vast majority of young people struggle with: self image. I simultaneously want more of this book and I am completely happy with the ending. One thing is bothering me, though, and if you read the book, you'll know what it is when you finish it

Ella Zegarra

Original de: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Tuve un conflicto tremendo para empezar Dumplin'. Toda mi vida he sido muy delgada. Ahora dirás "Ella deja de presumir" o "ya, pobre-pobre tú". La cosa es esta; nunca entendí porque mi delgadez supuestamente era algo bueno y de lo que debería estar "agradecida". Y lo mismo pensaba porque si no eras delgada o gorda, ahí, lo dije, no es una mala palabra, algo que me enseñó este libro, estaba mal. Es difícil sentirse bien con tu cuerpo cuando recibes comentarios pasivos agresivos todo el tiempo, te hacen sentir culpable, sobre todo si por una cosa médica el que seas de cierta manera. 

POR ESO, UNO DE MIS MÁS GRANDES MIEDOS ERA ENCONTRARME CON SKINNY SHAMING ENTRE SUS PÁGINAS

Pero, no.

Una de las cosas que más me gustó del libro que no solo es sobre sobre si eres flaco o gordo; sino sobre todas las inseguridades que podamos tener, esos defectos que nos hagan sentir culpables de vernos de cierta manera.

Dumplin' es muy importante sobre todo porque nos dice de una vez por todas que la palabra gorda no es un insulto, es lo que uno es. Ser gordo, ser flaco, ser alto, ser bajo, tener ojos grises, ser blanco, ser negro, ser asiático, son solo una pequeña parte de quienes somos, pero sobre todo, ninguna de estas palabras debería ser usado como algo negativo o insulto. Lo mejor de todo es que Julie Murphy nos trae todo esto sin la necesidad de menospreciar a los demás, cosa para mí sumamente importante.

Luego de terminar Dumplin' me di cuenta de que a pesar de que sé que esas cosas que menciono no son algo malo, aún tengo reserva de decirlas en voz alta, algo me gustaría completamente sacar de mí. Dumplin' definitivamente me hizo pensar un montón.

GO BIG OR GO HOME

En julio, cuando Disney compró los derechos para una futura película, la idea que tenía sobre el libro era que Will entraba al concurso de belleza por un chico y sería una historia un poco rosa. 

Más equivocada no pude estar.

Ok, sí, una parte tiene que ver Bo, y es entendible, pero no en un 100% como pensé. Es mucho, mucho más. Y el hecho de que ni siquiera esté mencionado en la sinopsis, tan solo me confirma que es algo que el lector debe descubrir y que el cariño por esta historia comience. O sea, que no, no te voy a decir.

¿ESTA HISTORIA RESULTARÁ PARA DISNEY? A las dos páginas del libro, grité un ¡sí! Pero luego, no estoy tan segura. Dumplin' es una historia que abarca muchas cosas, no solo aceptación de tu físico, sino también homosexualidad, discapacidad aunque en una manera muy superficial, y son esas cosas que hicieron este libro lo que es, cosas que Disney es bastante probable quitaría. Será cuestión de esperar. 

¿es un libro que recomiendo? Sí y bastante. DEMASIADO.


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