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Dumplin'

(Dumplin' #1)

Julie Murphy (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 62,844 ratings · 9,606 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 371 pages

Published September 15th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

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Jun 22, 2015 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

This book is a hypocritical mess. There are three main things wrong with it:

1. It was boring
2. It's not body-positive for a book that's about body positivity
3. A love triangle (boo! hiss!)

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of this book? I would say it does. This book is vastly inferior to the spectacular Future Perfect, which sends the message of being comfortable in your own body in a far better way.

The main character in this book is fat. She is also an insecure, judgmental snit. Look, I get that ...more

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Apr 29, 2015 Emily May rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, young-adult, contemporary, 2015

Dumplin' might be the perfect example of why I don't tend to read light-hearted, fluffy contemporaries.

Occasionally, my foray into this sub-genre ends with surprising new favourites like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but mostly I'm left feeling a little underwhelmed. Many times, I'm thinking "yeah, that was quite a nice book" or "that had an important message" but I don't feel any emotional connection to it.

The thing about Dumplin' is that it contains a great message. Willowdean "Dumplin'" ...more

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Aug 19, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-publication, young-adult, own-dtb-tbr, hilarious, made-my-heart-hurt, to-review, harpercollins, realistic-fiction, 2015-favorites, read-2015

If this book were a movie, we'd all be at Julie Murphy's slumber party piled in front of the TV in our jammies, both screaming with laughter and clutching each other the minute someone leaned in for a kiss.

This book is: Hilarious. Quietly poignant. Provocative.

This book contains: Nuanced friendships and complex families. Romantic moments as sweet as puppy dog kisses. Lots of Dolly Parton songs. References to awesome books.

And it's so great to find a book that is fiercely positive, most ...more

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Mar 06, 2019 Maria rated it liked it

3/5 Stars

“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.”

Look, 3 stars isn't a good rating nor a bad rating. But the issues I had with this book sometimes overcame the good stuff. I can't stop comparing the book to the Netflix movie based on it I saw beforehand (yes, I have watched the movie adaptation before reading the book yet again, AND STILL YOU HAVEN'T SLAYED ME YOU BUFFOONS) and I feel the movie did some things more justice.

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.

Starting from the bad, the addition of the love triangle took many things away from the story. First of all, the first 150 pages were completely useless. They were everything about Bo and all this smooch smooch romantic shit and the important storyline of the pageant hadn't even started yet. I'm not saying the romantic part couldn't be the book... but this book wasn't about that. This book was about body positivity and family and friendship and the whole romantic thing, that was emphasized a lot, took points from the story for me. At some point, the pageant story felt like a subplot to the romantic story. I felt like the book was torn in half, one chapter was the love triangle plot and the other half the pageant plot. It was like reading two different books. Confusing af. And come on now, let's be real. Everyone and their mother knew Mitch didn't stand a chance. Come the fuck on.

The movie did an incredible job highlighting the true meaning of the story. They completely eliminated Mitch's character and Will's inner struggle of whom she was gonna pick and shit, and gave more screen time to the pageant and the characters and the friendships. It was fucking beautiful. The movie gave me feels the book didn't achieve to. And it's mostly the other way around for me.

Now... what I liked. I loved all the characters, they were all unique and quirky and themselves and they all stood out from each other, which is really hard to achieve. They all hard something to add to the table, they all meant something to Will and they all gave us an important lesson to take away. Also, gotta love the diversity. This book was so modern and yet so vintage with the Dolly Parton love and the old feeling I got from it (also the lack of technology talk), and yet so modern because of the theme and the characters. It gave a smile on my face at some parts, that's for sure.

Overall, this book would have been a five star read for me if not for the love triangle. Mostly, love triangle don't bother me much but the love triangle in this book brought it down. I want to read the next book, but I will hold myself, for now. Maybe it will become a Netflix movie and will be better than the book again, who knows. Anyway, till the next one K KYE! ...more

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Apr 10, 2015 Faye, la Patata rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary-fiction, good-heroine, realistic-fiction, finding-oneself, friendship, heart-doing-blackflips, lovely-romance-but-not-central, refreshing, fun-narration

Once upon a time, I was fat.

I would have liked to use the nicer term "overweight", but who am I kidding? Almost weighing 70 kilos inmy 5 feet3 inches frame, I was fat and unhappy. I had big fucking boobs, big bulging sides, big buttcheeks, big arms, thighs that met together in at least one tangent, and the fact that my cheeks were already chubby without the added fat? Unhappiness galore. I tried to convince myself that even though I looked this way, I should still exude confidence because my Once upon a time, I was fat.

I would have liked to use the nicer term "overweight", but who am I kidding? Almost weighing 70 kilos in my 5 feet 3 inches frame, I was fat and unhappy. I had big fucking boobs, big bulging sides, big buttcheeks, big arms, thighs that met together in at least one tangent, and the fact that my cheeks were already chubby without the added fat? Unhappiness galore. I tried to convince myself that even though I looked this way, I should still exude confidence because my physical appearance didn't and shouldn't decide my worth as a person, but after countless, "Oh, dear! Look at how you've grown!" from uncles and aunts who drop by every 2 months, after having to look for pants two to three sizes larger because I gained more weight again, after having seen your friends get hit on and try out sexy-as-fuck clothes and look so effortlessly fabulous, and you were stuck with pants and loose shirts, it started getting old, and fast.

It came to that point where whenever I heard the term mataba (fat) or malaki (big), I'd get so insecure and anxious. I'd want to get out of the scene and then hide until everyone was gone. I'd start thinking how inadequate I was, how much I was missing out on just because I wasn't as sexy or as fabulous as other girls. I'd start crying to myself why the fuck I was this way. Why did my mom had to come from a family of big people? Who didn't my dad come from a family that was tall and glamorous? I struggled so hard during this phase, and it became that motivation for me to shed down the weight, because I didn't want these wordsto keep haunting me like a ghost that just won't go away. It was mentally, emotionally, and psychologically traumatizing for me.

I've lost weight then. I've become confident. I feel better now in my own skin and body.

But I do wish this book had already existed during that time of my life, because maybe I wouldn't have hated myself that much then. Willowdean is fat, and she doesn't care. I mean, she does feel insecure about herself sometimes (like everybody else does), but she is fairly confident in her own body, although she does struggle with the judging and teasing of her peers when it comes to body types that are not deemed "beautiful" by society. Willow sets out to change that, by joining a beauty pageant, and inspiring deemed "fat/queer" girls to join her as well.

I loved Will's character and attitude. She was a mix of the ME I was back then, and the ME that I wish I was back then. Her insecurities were the things that I was anxious about on a daily basis, the only difference is that Willow decided to do something about it, and to prove to others wrong that someone's being fat is not a cause for them to not do the things they want to do. That just become someone is queer doesn't mean they can't win a fucking beauty pageant. That just become someone has a buckteeth doesn't mean they can't feel and be beautiful. This was a light-hearted book that talked about heavy issues and made them inspiring, enlightening, and so, so positive.

I used to be fat, and I used to be ashamed of it. Willow made me realize just how wrong I was for feeling so, for letting people's opinions weigh me down and decide how worthy I was. Fat is just an adjective, but that doesn't make up the whole of me.

Aside from the strong messages that was in this book, I was in awe of the female friendships and family dynamics that were portrayed here, and how much Will has grown so much as a character through these unexpected bonds. There were so many complex themes that played out between each and every one of them - the relationship between a fat daughter and a mother who was still stuck in her glorious days as a beauty pageant winner; between two best friends who come from two opposite sides of the spectrum; between a girl and a boy whose worlds are far apart; among four females who were shunned as outcasts because of how they looked. I loved each and every one of them, and how positive this book made them out be. Yes, there were drama, but it wasn't the exhausting kind where you'd want to haul the book into the trash can. They were the kind that tingled and pulled your heart a little bit, then warmed you all over.

Plus, there's a ship that unexpectedly made me want to clutch my heart. A romance rarely does that to me.

Dumplin' is something to behold. It speaks to every one of us who have felt insecure and frustrated with ourselves - by the way we look, or the way we act, or simply because by the way we simply are, all insecurities brought about by social pressure and norms. It speaks to that side of us who looked for reasons to feel confident in ourselves. This book gives that to you and lets you realize that at the end of the day, we're not made up by the labels society imposes upon us. I am me because of the experiences, values, and things that make up me; and you are you for the same reasons, too. Fat, or short, or queer, or straight, or thin, or healthy - who the fuck cares? Let's not make these things define us. Life is so much more than that.

This book makes you want to scream, "Yeah, I used to be fat! Maybe in the future I'll get fat again! But you know what? FUCK THAT SHIT CAUSE EITHER WAY I'M BEAUTIFUL!" ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

‘all my life i have had a body worth commenting on and if living in my skin has taught me anything its that if its not your body, its not yours to comment on.’

this is a book i wish i had in high school but a story i can still appreciate today. in fact, anyone who has ever had insecurities or issues with their body (which is literally everyone) should read this.

there are such a wholesome messages in this book - how loyalty is the key to meaningful friendship, no one can love you until you love ...more

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Jul 27, 2015 Natalie Monroe rated it it was ok

Shelves: typical, watch-out-for-puddles-of-angst, could-have-been-better, protagonists-i-want-to-laser-face, hate-the-characters-hate-the-book, not-as-good-as-i-expected, girl-squad, arc, great-concept-poor-execution, sugar-spice-n-everything-nice

2.5 stars

"If you're gonna go, then go
She said to me on the phone
So tired of hearin' all your
Boy problems
If you're gonna stay then stay
He's not gonna change anyway
So tired of hearin' all your
Boy problems"

Dumplin' is about Dolly Parton and I opened with a Carly Rae Jepsen song. One, because I'm not familiar with Dolly's music. Two, Boy Problems describes Dumplin' perfectly. I'd wager half the book is angst over boys and romance instead of the promised pageant revolution.

Willowdean is fat—and ...more

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Sep 02, 2015 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-fairy, no-one-loves-it-but-me, adorkable, kindle, read-in-2016, teenie-bopper-books

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

BUUUUUUUUUMP!!!!!!!!!! Because this premieres on Netflix tonight and I'm so excited to go home, put my PJs on, cozy up in bed, turn on the boobtube and shove my face full of what I lovingly call "diabetes in a bag" like my faaaaaaaaar removed teenage self . . . .

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Most of my friends gave this one a “meh” rating, but I FREAKING LOOOOOOOOVED it . . .

They obviously all read it wrong (j/k). They also might have actually ...more

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Mar 17, 2015 Whitney Atkinson rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015, sent-from-pub

I had such high hopes for this book but it was just.... average. The characters weren't amazing, the story wasn't amazing, etc. I was really excited to read this because I love reading books about fat girls, but her size was rarely mentioned. I know the book isn't supposed to focus on her weight, but I found it a little less relatable than i'd like because it failed to give descriptions of her size. Like at one point near the end of the book, it was talking about how she pulled her knees up to ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Christy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-audios, 2016-ya-challenge

4.25 stars!

photo C26BD86C-1589-4719-9164-7242DB627E3C_zpsyp8jlntu.png

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose” -Dolly Parton

Dumplin’ was one of those books I devoured. When I listen to an audio book, I know I’m really into it when I have great books sitting on my kindle waiting for me to read, but I’m finding inconsequential tasks to do around the house just so I can listen. It took me less than 2 days to listen to this book, which is super fast for me. There are so many parts in this story that were relatable to me. I adored our heroine, Ms. Willowdean Dixon.

Our leading lady has an ex-beauty queen mother, her best friend Ellen, and an addiction to all things Dolly Parton. She’s in high school and has just recently started working at Harpy’s, a local fast food joint. It’s there that she meets Bo. Bo used to be a jock and is someone Will is attracted to. She’s shocked when she finds out he likes her too. This story has an element of romance, which I loved, but that’s not what the story was about. It was, more than anything, a story of acceptance and self discovery.

Willowdean doesn’t have the same body most of her friends do. I wouldn’t say she’s fine or happy with it, she has insecurities just like everyone else, but slowly she embraces who she is. She realizes that no one has the right to comment on anyones body but their own.

“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.”

Will decides, to prove a point, she will enter the beauty pageant her mother once won and helps run every year. Along with a fun group of misfit girls from her high school, she makes a stand. I grew to love this group of girls and the effect they had on Willowdean. There was so much I loved about this book. I could feel all of Will’s insecurities as if they were my own. I loved watching her grown and triumph. It was a pretty perfect story. If only the ending wasn’t so rushed. I feel as a romance reader, I’m pretty spoiled when it comes to epic HEA’s and fantastic epilogues. And I liked the way it ended, I did… but I wanted more! Either way, this was a great read. Probably one of the best YA’s I’ve read this year. If it wasn’t for the ending not giving me as much as I wanted, it would have been a 5.

photo 8BDE4BDE-8260-4EA7-BE2F-E37307FF6C86_zpshmdl9gby.png

...more

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Nov 01, 2015 Maureen rated it really liked it

THAT'S HOW IT ENDS???? I NEED MORE.

I really REALLY liked this book. The message is SUPER SOLID and fantastic, and we need more books like this.
Will is an incredible character, and all the supporting characters are so great as well. I really loved Millie and her ability to shine so bright no matter what anyone else thought. The relationships in this book were super solid, even through the ups and downs, and it was so great to see so much female friendship.
My main reasons that it's not a 5 star ...more

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Feb 03, 2019 ☆High Lady of The Night Court☆ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-read

Before I get into my review, I haven’t watched the movie yet, so if you have any thoughts on the movie, or the movie in relation to the book, leave your thoughts in the comments because I have to make up my mind about whether to watch the movie or not, and I would love to talk to you guys about it.

"I’m Dumplin’. And Will and Willowdean. I’m fat. I’m happy. I’m insecure. I’m bold."

This is a book about confidence, friendship, and being comfortable in your own skin. It’s a book about teenage, Before I get into my review, I haven’t watched the movie yet, so if you have any thoughts on the movie, or the movie in relation to the book, leave your thoughts in the comments because I have to make up my mind about whether to watch the movie or not, and I would love to talk to you guys about it.

"I’m Dumplin’. And Will and Willowdean. I’m fat. I’m happy. I’m insecure. I’m bold."

This is a book about confidence, friendship, and being comfortable in your own skin. It’s a book about teenage, growing up, and growing apart.

Dumplin’ was a very impulsive read for me. I hadn’t planned to start reading it anytime soon, in fact the list of books I have planned to read is growing exponentially by the moment. I opened the book fearing the worst, that it would be an overly emotional story about a girl depressed about herself and everything she goes through, because I did not remember the blurb from when I read it last year, which I must say is becoming quite typical of me. In all honesty, this book was an amazing reading. I started it and finished it very quickly, the story moves at a great pace, and the protagonist is great while not being unrealistic.

I can’t get over how beautifully realistic this book is. The high school background, the characters, the situations they’re placed in, and Willowdean herself are extremely naturalistic. Willowdean is an amazing character with a personality to trump all else. While being aware of her weight, Willowdean is never weighed down by her appearance and focuses on being the best possible version of herself. Of course, she is also susceptible to the woes of being in high school, and her mom’s endless efforts to make her lose weight. But through it all she stays true to herself and everything she believes in. She is a determined young woman with the power accomplish whatever she wishes, and I loved that Julie Murphy took the time to show us Willowdean at her most vulnerable to convey that no one, no matter how strong we are, can go through life without feeling the ups and downs.

"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."

The setting of the book is pretty typical, in Clover City, Willowdean goes to your typical high school with its typically assorted student bodies. Willowdean’s mother is generally the host of the Miss Clover City beauty pageant, which she won when she was in high school. And every year when Pageant week starts her mother goes all in with the preparations choosing to escape from the reality of what her life has become. In this book, Willowdean’s aunt Lucy is said to have died a while ago and while Willowdean still mourns her aunt’s death her mother seems very emotionally detached from the whole situation.

Willowdean and Ellen have been best friends for pretty much their whole lives, it all started when Ellen’s mother and Willowdean’s aunt had once bonded over their love for Dolly Parton, who was a famous singer, and now both Willowdean and Ellen are also big fans. We see Willowdean and Ellen grow slightly apart in this book when the differences in their life become a bit too hard to handle. The bond between friends being a major part of this story, Willowdean and Ellen’s friendship plays a huge role in leading to character growth.

We see new friendships formed in this book when Willowdean makes the decision to join the pageant. She inspire the outcasts or unnoticed or the most frequently picked on people in the school to join too. While doing this, her long time crush Bo seems to return her feelings, but their relationship is nothing but eventful.

This book was a sweet book about friendship and family and if you haven’t read it yet you should check it out, it might surprise you. ...more

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Apr 17, 2017 may ❀ rated it did not like it

Shelves: hilarious, library, incomplete, 300-pgs, bye, why-is-this-a-book, clichéd-to-death, duology, contemporary, meh

DNF @ 65%

What started off as beautiful body positive book. . .

description

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?

and

I know that fat girls are supposed to be allergic to pools or whatever, but I love swimming… I know people stare, but they can’t blame me for wanting to cool off…What about having huge, bumpy thighs means that I need to apologize?

Slowly turned into…constant judgement ???!!??

I’m fat, but ...more

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Jun 26, 2015 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015

YAS! Here's my video review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Yu0...

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May 03, 2015 C.G. Drews rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, 4-star, read-2015

Well, WOW, that was a breath of fresh air. I was freakishly worried about this book because I loathed Side Effects May Vary. But you know what? Dumplin' was INCREDIBLE. There were a few things I was pretty squinty about (basically the romance) but it was so realistic and down-to-earth and refreshing and SOUTHERN Y'ALL. (Warning: I am Australia. I don't even know what Southern is. The ya'll's just amuse me.) Oh! Oh! OH! And the best part? It's about a beauty pagent so do you know what comes next? ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 Katie B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018, young-adult, romance, texas, fiction

This was a nice surprise! I really wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. I was kinda iffy on whether or not I was going to like the beauty pageant parts of the story but thankfully there were some good moments with that and also the other things going on in the main character's life.

What I loved most about the book was Willowdean wasn't perfect. She could be shallow, cruel, and hypocritical among other things. I found it refreshing to have a protagonist who could act like a jerk. This was a nice surprise! I really wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. I was kinda iffy on whether or not I was going to like the beauty pageant parts of the story but thankfully there were some good moments with that and also the other things going on in the main character's life.

What I loved most about the book was Willowdean wasn't perfect. She could be shallow, cruel, and hypocritical among other things. I found it refreshing to have a protagonist who could act like a jerk. This to me is much more realistic than the usual way YA fiction authors write their main characters. It's like they think if the character is overweight than they can't have any flaws and they become these weird caricatures that don't really resemble anyone I know. It was refreshing to have a main character who lacked self-awareness at times. I look back on growing up and even though I like to think of myself as a good person there were definitely times when I acted in a way that didn't paint me in the best light. For most of us, being a teenager was not always a good time because you are this giant mess of insecurity, raging hormones, and a mind that's not fully developed. And even though you know might know better, you still act like an ass. And big surprise, just because you are overweight doesn't make you immune from being an ass from time to time. So kudos to the author for having a main character with flaws!

I absolutely loved how Mitch factored into the story. I found myself reflecting back to crazy high school love life drama and remember exactly how it felt to be not just in Mitch's shoes but Willowdean's as well. It's not fun on either side of the equation.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read but maybe it's not for everyone. I guess it just depends on how you view the main character. Some of the characteristics of her personality that I found endearing, could be annoying for another reader. Not every book or character works for everyone, but for me this was a good fit. I look forward to watching the Netflix movie and also reading the followup to this novel which features some of the side characters in this book. ...more

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Oct 31, 2018 Tucker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, coming-of-age, pretty-cover, disappointing, family, library-read, made-me-laugh, mental-health, young-adult, literary-fiction

I JUST FINISHED THE MOVIE AND IT WAS AMAZING!! It was just as beautiful as the book and, okay, I admit it.... It made me cry
*****
I'm so happy with Young Adult literature today. Even though it all ranges from space to the forests, but it usually has the same over arching message:

And it's true. Everyone is beautiful. It doesn't matter if you black or white; gay or straight; Christian or Muslim; Big or small. It's about what's in your heart. As long as you fight against the evil and unkind, you ...more

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Nov 09, 2015 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned

Overall a really cute and fun story with a great moral!
Video review soon (once school slows down a bit)

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Jul 29, 2015 Inge rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

2.5 stars

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Mar 17, 2016 Lauren rated it it was amazing

Dumplin’ is the story of Willowdean Dickson, a fat girl from a small town that hosts the oldest beauty pageant in Texas. After the sudden death of her beloved aunt, Will decides to honor her memory by signing up for the pageant. She wants to try something that her aunt had always denied herself because of her own insecurities about her weight. Now Will suddenly finds herself contending with becoming a beauty queen, her crazy pageant mother, an angry best friend, two cute boys… and maybe a small ...more

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Jun 23, 2015 Caroline rated it it was ok

Shelves: disappointing

SO this rating is probably closer to 2.5 stars but I decided to round it down because, even though I enjoyed this book, it has too many flaws to be worth a three star rating.

My main problem with this was that it was heralded as a book about body positivity and acceptance but it felt far from it. I found Willowdean to be quite a hypocritical character in general. Her internal monologue was filled with her judging other people; Millie, for example, who Willow points out as 'the type of fat that SO this rating is probably closer to 2.5 stars but I decided to round it down because, even though I enjoyed this book, it has too many flaws to be worth a three star rating.

My main problem with this was that it was heralded as a book about body positivity and acceptance but it felt far from it. I found Willowdean to be quite a hypocritical character in general. Her internal monologue was filled with her judging other people; Millie, for example, who Willow points out as 'the type of fat that requires elastic waist pants because they don't make pants with buttons and zippers in her size'. I was even more frustrated that Willow was annoyed and indignant when another student was made fun of. I honestly saw Willow as no better than the other students- the only difference was that Willow didn't bully them to their face. I don't think that saying she was ashamed to admit something makes it even slightly better. She judges other people to make herself feel better. Rather than eliciting sympathy from me, I was appalled by Willow for being such a judgement butt-head.

Furthermore, Willowdean bragged about being confident in her own skin (yaasss you go gurl!) but resorted to shaming other people and their bodies. As I mentioned before, she makes fun of Millie on page three (!!!!) to make herself feel better for not being 'that kind of fat'. What? She also shames skinny people, referring to one as a 'twiggy bitch'. Having read this book, I now understand the comparison drawn between it and that annoying 'All About That Bass' song. The basic message seemed to be that being curvy is okay, and being confident is even better, but fuck skinny girls. I just couldn't get past the hypocrisy of it.

(I should point out that I don't think Willow is a bad character because she is insecure or flawed. I am insecure so I understand that facet of her. I found it frustrating that she was so judgmental of other people's insecurities. It was a really unlikable trait for her character to have.)

It also frustrated me to no end how when Ellen decides to be supportive and enter the pageant with her, Willow gets all shitty and tells her to drop out. Your friend is trying to support you and you tell her that her support isn't wanted. WHAT?! As Ellen says "You can’t pick and choose who joins the revolution.” I would have thought that standing strong and united with your best friend would be ideal, but apparently not.

I did enjoy the last portion of the book. I enjoyed the pageant and the drama surrounding it. As a whole, this book was entertaining. I liked parts of it but found Willow annoying like 80% of the time. I found the love triangle to be kind of unnecessary; her friendship with Mitch was great and I liked it but I don't think complicating it with romance achieved anything. This book was meant to be about Willow overcoming the judgement to be her most confident self, not picking which boy she liked more. Some of the parts about grief and growing up were touching and lovely. Favourite character award is a tie between Millie and Ellen because they were awesome. I don't know if I'd recommend this book to people, but I won't warn them away from it either. ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy is a book and movie I kept hearing about. I am not one to follow the book trends, I like to read books off the beaten path because I find a lot of hidden gems that way but this book intrigued me.
The story is about a beauty pageant but the overall theme, ironically, is not to judge others, and to be yourself, love yourself, just the way you are!
The characters are great and the plot was predictable but good. I watched the movie after the book. I think the book is geared ...more

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Sep 27, 2017 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it

Shelves: easy-read, reality-bites, lol, physically-owned-books, contemporary, young-adult

“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.”

This is one completely adorable, funny, heartwarming and inspiring contemporary YA. I regret that I hadn’t read it sooner. I love the main purpose that the book wants to put across. People spend too much time thinking they’re too fat or too thin, eyes too far apart or too close together, teeth too big or ...more

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Aug 27, 2015 Fafa's Book Corner rated it liked it

Shelves: badass-broads

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Beware spoilers ahead!

Updated thoughts:

Dumplin' was read for The Dream Thieves: Badass Broads.

I'm going to be frank I literally only reread this because of the movie. If it hadn't been for the movie, I wouldn't have bothered with this book. Over the last three years I've forgotten so much. To the point where I confused character names and their personalities.

Upon my reread I'm actually surprised that I was even able to finish this! ...more

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Dec 14, 2018 AMEERA rated it really liked it

Such a Beautiful Book ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 ♛Tash rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"I’m fat. It’s not a cuss word. It’s not an insult. At least it’s not when I say it."

I love this charming book about courage, set in South Texas with a Dolly Parton soundtrack. I was gonna say body image, but truth is, body image is not the central theme of this book. It figures some of course, but it’s more about the courage to retain your shape when the world dictates you to be another.

Willowdean Dickson,Dumplin' to her former beauty queen Mom, is completely fine being fat (not a pejorative ...more

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Jun 18, 2018 enqi ☁️✨ kell maresh lovesite rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: on-my-kindle, 2018, standalones

with all the hype surrounding Dumplin' , i'm really sorry to say this book didn't appeal to me at all. i did find the premise interesting and promising at first... but by the time i reached the 60% mark, i was mostly bored and skimming the pages. i have many things to say about it, so let me just make a list of the reasons i ~~hated~~ disliked this book:

- this book was such a fucking hypocritical mess.

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

what started out as with all the hype surrounding Dumplin' , i'm really sorry to say this book didn't appeal to me at all. i did find the premise interesting and promising at first... but by the time i reached the 60% mark, i was mostly bored and skimming the pages. i have many things to say about it, so let me just make a list of the reasons i ~~hated~~ disliked this book:

- this book was such a fucking hypocritical mess.

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

what started out as a beautiful book about body positivity soon became the main character, willowdean, imposing her judgements on others and insulting them. it started around 5% (that was quick!) and continued for the rest of the book.

- willowdean was so annoying. like, i-constantly-wanted-to-bash-her-face-in kind of annoying. i am not belittling or reducing her insecurities. in fact, i completely understood her insecurities and related to them, but i expected her to have some character development by the end of the book. but all i got at the end was a love triangle and angst instead of the promised pageant revolution.

- pointless plot. listen, after skimming the blurb any reader would expect our dear willow to win the pageant right? it would be the most fitting end to the story and the most satisfying one, too. "fat" girl defies all stereotypes by winning a beauty pageant, traditional territory of skinny girls with model figures. said plus-sized girl grows into herself and learns to love and accept her body. i was expecting all of that... but then our main girl literally gets herself DQ-ed from the competition. she actually gets disqualified. the worst part is she doesn't even have some grand epiphany to show for it. so what was the whole point of making a plot about a talent pageant and being determined to enter it in order to prove something, if you have nothing to show for it at the end?

- at first i thought her mom was being a bitch by saying she didn't care about entering the pageant and was just doing it for fun, but by the end i was wholeheartedly agreeing with her mom. the pageant featured only when there needed to be some conflict or realisation in the plot. i thought willow had something to prove and she'd work for it, but she didn't even bother doing a talent, or costume, or anything you'd expect of someone who wanted to prove her point. halfway through she even quit on her friends, and then decided to do it again in the end.... honestly enough with the drama.

- love triangle angst. yikes. our girl literally leads the star of the football team on AND yet still manages to snare her hot crush. she has no thought for the other guy's feelings, apparently. next.

- zero plot arc if i haven't said this before. nothing is resolved in the end, everything was rushed to be tied up almost like the author gave up on her own book. willowdean's life doesn't change from when the book started, she doesn't have any visible takeaways from the pageant. when her crush bo asked her to be exclusive, she refused to be because she saw herself as ugly and didn't want to be gossiped about... and at the end of the book she didn't even say yes to him. i expected something. i wanted something to show that she had character development. and there was nothing.

oh well. BUT, there are some gems in this book though, and i've highlighted them and made the highlights visible to save you the trouble of reading this book and going through what i did. have a good week ahead everyone! ...more

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Jul 03, 2015 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it liked it

Shelves: books-ive-reread, fat-girl-gang

Re-read 5/26/18: I DID IT. I re-read Dumplin’. And I have to say, while I still think Willowdean is honestly the worst, I didn’t hate her with the fire of a thousand suns like I used to. She sucked, but the rest of the book was pretty dang cute and I really liked everyone BUT Willowdean lol. 3.5 stars! Also check out 2015 Chelsea down below trying not to be mean. I hated the book but refused to say so lmao how times change!

Original read 9/22/15: I liked this, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Rachel Reads Ravenously rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paperback, ya-contemporary-romance, young-adult

4.5 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. A fun and fast read, it had some great body positive messages in it. I wish this book had been around when I was in high school.

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Dec 08, 2018 ✩ Ashley ✩ marked it as to-read

Shelves: contemporary, summer, young-adult

I cheated.

I watched it.

I LOVED IT!

Netflix’s Dumplin’ is SO GOOD! I’m definitely reading the book so I can live it over and slowly savor it :):):)

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...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
discussion	1	1	Oct 28, 2019 01:16PM
Goodreads Librari...: Can't add quotes for Dumplin	3	13	Oct 26, 2019 09:41AM
Do you think that Rosie did the right thing by disqualifying Willowdean from the pageant?	3	17	Oct 22, 2019 05:07PM
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy	2	5	Oct 02, 2019 02:30PM

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About Julie Murphy

Julie Murphy

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Julie lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cat who tolerates her. When she's not writing or trying to catch stray cats, she works at an academic library. Side Effects May Vary is Julie's debut novel.

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Quotes from Dumplin'

“I think maybe it’s the things we don’t want to talk about that are the things people most want to hear.” — 121 likes

“I've wasted a lot of time in my life. I've thought too much about what people will say or what they're gonna think. And sometimes it's over silly things like going to the grocery store or going to the post office. But there have been times when I really stopped myself from doing something special. All because I was scared someone might look at me and decide I wasn't good enough. But you don't have to bother with that nonsense. I wasted all that time so you don't have to.” — 117 likes

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