Photo By Annelies Geneyn
I am so excited to share this book with you guys. I found the absolute PERFECT novel to pick up during the school year! Here is a short summary of Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy—
“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 is not 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 will shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.”
Highlights
I actually picked this up as the Books-a-Million Teen Book Club book of the month, so you already know people all across the nation have picked up this novel this month! Our story even semi-begins into the start of a new school year for all of you back-to-schoolers. The novel is all from the perspective of our narrator, Willowdean aka Dumplin’. It is from this perspective that makes the novel so unique. We get a first hand look into a girl’s insecurities, happiness, first-love, friendships and boldness. I know the novel is about a fat girl, but I honestly recommend this book to all body types. Even our narrator is at first pretty judgmental of skinny girls and vise versa. It is not about weight, it is more about acceptance of every girl and female empowerment. I am obsessed with the humor, heartbreak, thrill and real characters this book brings to the table. I mean it when I say this book is powerful.
Fair Warnings
This book is honestly for grades 9+ due to conversations in the novel about weight, sex, death and partying. It is nothing ever explicit, but it does make mention to those themes very often. However, you must think that this novel is meant to be real and like it or not, this is what teens are talking about.
Thumbs Up or Down?
You all should know I am giving this novel two thumbs up! I promise this will leave you speechless from great of a piece of literature this is. There is no wonder why it is a #1 New York Times Bestseller! Girls, you will leave this novel empowered and ready to embrace that inner confidence and beauty. I hope you all have a wonderful school year and a wonderful time reading this bestseller!