Dumplin' (Dumplin', #1)

by Julie Murphy

Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

For fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell comes this powerful novel with the most fearless heroine-self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson-from Julie Murphy, the acclaimed author of Side Effects May Vary. With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine-Dumplin' is guaranteed to steal your heart. 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.

• ISBN10: 0062421425
• ISBN13: 9780062421425
• Publish Date: 15 September 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Storytide
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 9 hours and 2 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[mrs_mander_reads]

My 15 and 16-year-old self needed this book 15 years ago. Sometimes my almost 30-year-old self still needs it. This book is definitely a power read for any female who has ever felt different or victimized by what society says is beautiful.

[liz089]

I really loved this novel.. The writing was very addictive and I could relate very well with the MC. LOVED it.

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

4.5★ Audiobook⎮It’s the kind of iconic song that is bigger than geography or languages or religion. It’s “Jolene.”

Dumplin’ was such a kick. It oozed southern sass from the first sentence on. On the surface, this was a super fun, uplifting, and culturally rich story. The culture I’m referring to is that of the Texas beauty pageant circuit. Some aspects of it are almost stereotypical, but always entertaining.

But more than that, it felt so damn authentic that I was going “Yes, girl!” after every few passages. I related to Willowdean hard. Willowdean’s internal turmoil is something I think everyone can relate to in some form or another. I loved her approach to body positivity. It wasn’t just “Be comfortable in your own skin”, but also “It’s okay to struggle with being comfortable in your own skin”.

Willowdean's struggle was on center stage throughout the story. Her struggle wasn’t with her body, but with the way others viewed her body. Willowdean was confident and insecure at the same time. That made her relatable and one of the most authentic characters I can recall, because humans aren’t just one thing. They are multitudes of things and sometimes those things clash with each other within the same person. Such complexity is what made Willowdean come alive. The minor characters also stood out as being multidimensional. Julie Murphy has a knack for creating incredibly lifelike characters.

Although I originally found Willowdean to be somewhat unendearing, I was eventually able to better understand her. Her personal insecurities translated into an abrasiveness that caused her to push most people away, including the reader. Her jealousy and pettiness kept me at an emotional distance for the first half of the story. I had absolutely no interest in the friendship drama between Willowdean and Ellen. The whole situation cast Willowdean in an unflattering light, which may have been the point. But honestly, I could have done without that subplot.

The real negative in my experience with Dumplin’ was the pacing of the story. It didn’t feel balanced. I was half way through the audiobook before the plot had a structure. I appreciate the buildup, but Murphy dragged things on a little too long before even teasing a plot direction. The writing was still excellent, so I wasn’t bored during the first half, just frustrated. After the first half, the plot started to take shape and I zoomed through to the ending, almost without putting it down. The character and atmospheric development were definitely highlighted, but maybe “milked” a little too much.

However, now that I know this is just the first installment in the Dumplin’ series, the initially underemphasized plot seems more fitting for a long term deal. If I had known that this was part of a series, my perspective during this listening experience may have been slightly altered. With that said, I’m ecstatic that there will be more Dumplin’ in my future! I’m really looking forward to witnessing more of Willodean’s personal growth.

Narration review: Literally, from the first sentence of this audiobook, I was a fan of Eileen Stevens. She gave one of the best performances I’ve heard in a long time. Her narration added so much to Dumplin’ that I can’t imagine having read this instead of heard it. Stevens nailed every single character with impeccable distinction. Not only did she enhance the development of individual characters, but also that of the overall atmospheric sense. Her southern accent was rich and sweet, just the way sweet tea should be. Dumplin’ was magnificent to experience in audio format. If you’re considering reading Dumplin’, listen to the audio sample first. Eileen Stevens breathes life into these characters and I can’t rave about her narration enough. ♣︎

[nitzan_schwarz]

I really enjoyed this one. I got sometimes frustrated with Will, especially when it comes to (show spoiler)[Ellen and why u letting something get between your fab friendship, Willow and her mom (I mean, you could try to understand each other more, and not be a dick over money issues) and Willow and Mitch. Because Mitch is such a nice guy and even she knows she's leading him on and that's not okay.] (hide spoiler) . But what made this a good read despite this is that... I got it. I got why Willowdean was doing it. I got where she came from, and I understood she had to make these mistakes and act petty. We've all been at the place in our lives, to some degree and variation.

Also, I ship it - both friendship it and romantic relationship it. Ellen and Will are goals and Bo is such a cutie. I wish we got to see (show spoiler)[them actually coming out, now that it's implied that Willowdean is going to give them a chance despite their insecurities, because Bo deserves it] (hide spoiler)

I also really enjoyed how this book is about Willow actually coming to believe all that she's pretended to be about all her lives - that fat girls deserve love, and to be queens, and to be accepted, and fuck you if you can't do that.

[Sam@WLABB]

I enjoyed getting to go on this coming of age journey with Willowdean. She was such a captivating MC. She struggled with a lot of things most teenagers struggle with, and Murphy set up the perfect storm for "Dumplin" to do some serious soul searching. There are so many really sweet and cute moments. There are also many moments that show how much Willowdean had grown up over the course of this story. Dumplin' is also filled with fabulous supporting characters, who I grew to care about. My only complaint was the very end, I am an epilogue girl, there just was not enough after for me. BUT, I just saw there is going to be an after book. Something for me to look forward to.

[Bianca]

I’m not naive. I know I won’t win. I don’t even want to. But I want to go up there and prove that there’s no reason I can’t do this or shouldn’t be able to.

— Huh. For a book about body positivity, it sure wasn't body-positive.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I've heard a number of people raving about Dumplin' by Julie Murphy since last year. Cait of Paper Fury's review stood out for me. If Cait liked this book, I knew I would. And I was so super excited when I heard it was being published here in the UK! Dumplin' is amazing!

Willowdean is a fat girl. She knows it, and she owns it. That is until Bo, the guy she works with at a fast food joint, kisses her. Will really likes Bo, and kissing him is incredible... but she can't help feeling anxious about what he thinks when his hands are on her hips or her back fat. Their summer fling is electric, but causes Will to think negatively about herself. As the summer draws to a close, Will discovers Bo has been hiding things from her, and that along with her negative body image and being his secret lead her to end things. She's hurt by him keeping things from her, and just doesn't see how they could work, how he could really want her.
On top of this, she's still grieving for her aunt Lucy, who died the previous year. Lucy was like a second mum to Will, and also a larger lady. When Will finds an old, unused registration form for the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant, Will realises, for as wonderful as she was, that Lucy's weight stopped her from doing the things she wanted. In honour of her aunt, and in order to help her get her body confidence back, Will signs up for the pageant, to show that big can also be beautiful. The pressure mounts when she realises exactly what she's let herself in for, but knows she can't back out because Millie, Amanda and Hannah, three other girls who also get bullied for how they look, have followed her lead and registered. Together, these girls are going to show Clover City you don't have to be slim, blonde and beautiful to also be worthy.

Oh my god, I cannot even begin to express how much I love this book! Dumplin' is not just a book that deals with body image, but also society's idealistic view of what a woman should look like. It's incredibly feminist, and I just loved every second of it!

Willowdean starts off by calling herself fat. It's not  a way of putting herself down, it's what she is. "Fat" is a descriptor, not an insult. She's a larger lady, and she owns it. She's happy with her body, and doesn't really care what anybody thinks. Except, well, maybe her thighs, which she isn't the biggest fan of, and is sure no-one else wants to see, so will rush from a swimming pool to her towel to cover herself up. Otherwise, she's completely a-ok with her body. Until Bo makes it clear that he fancies her. He's such a great guy, mostly. But Will cannot help the direction her thoughts go in when his hands are on her body. Instead of just falling into her kisses with Bo, she's super conscious of where his hands are; she freezes, she sucks her stomach in, and is constantly worrying about what he might think. So when things go south for them, she really starts to question her feelings about her body.

Her mother doesn't help. Former winner of the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet, she now runs the pageant. She has strong opinions on what a lady should look like and how a lady should behave. Every year for the pageant, she will slip into the dress she wore when she won the crown - so every year leading up to it, she goes on some crazy fad diet. And if she's on this diet, so is Will, because she's not doing anything else. And she's sure Will would be much happier if she would only lose some weight. Throughout the book, she always has something to say about how Will looks, especially when she registers for the pageant. She gets a dress for Will, and adjusts it to fit her, but when it's a little too snug for liking, she says she only adjusted it so much because she thought Will would take the pageant seriously, and lose some weight. The whole way through the book you get the distinct feeling that her mum doesn't think Will is beautiful, and is in actual fact ashamed of her size. And it's so upsetting to read.

But despite some of her negative thoughts, Will is not going to change. Not for a boy, not for her mum, and not for some beauty pageant. There isn't anything in the rules that says you have to look a certain way, and she's entering as is. Inspired by her strength and bravery, Millie, a girl at Will's school who is also fat, signs up for the pageant. She has always, always wanted to take part in the pageant, but never felt like she could. But if Will can do it, so can she. And she's convinced her best friend Amanda, who has one leg shorter than the other and has to wear corrective shoes, and Hannah, a surly girl because of all the crap she gets for having big, crooked teeth, to sign up with her. These girls are brilliant. Millie is the sweetest, nicest girl you will ever come across. She's so cheerful and positive, and she takes the pageant seriously; she sets up planning meetings for the four girls to get together and work out what they're going to do to get through the pageant, watching over video from old pageants and taking notes. Amanda is hilarious. When people are bullied, from my experience, they tend to be kind of quiet and shy, even a little mousy (mostly talking about myself here), but, although Amanda doesn't draw attention to herself, she has this dry wit, and comes out with the most hilarious things. She always refers to Bo as "peachbutt", which made me grin every time! Hannah responds to her bullying, through anger. She's not the nicest of people, and she says mean things at time, but it's her armour against and the result of people comparing her to a horse. Together, these girls make an unlikely quartet, and although at first Will hangs out with them through a feeling of obligation, she grows to like these girls, and I think they're amazing. I love that they're standing together and saying, "We may not be traditionally beautiful, but we're just as deserving of being here and being seen."

As well as Bo, Lucy, the pageant, and the girls to contend with, Will is having to deal with changes in her friendship with her best mate Ellen. As they get older, their lives are going in different directions; El is overtaking Will when it comes to boys, and she's becoming interested in things Will couldn't care less about. When things start happening with Bo, Will keeps them to herself, wanting to have something that's just hers, but also not wanted to feel like an innocent when she gets excited about kissing Bo, when El is in a sexual relationship. Will struggles more and more with their friendship as the story goes on, and things come to ahead when she realises El has also registered for the pageant. Will signs up to make a point, but El could probably win, and, she believes, will overshadow everything she's trying to do. It's really interesting to see a book deal with a friendship that has lasted for years, but that is starting to change, and having to deal with what that change means for them. I think it's something everyone who has had a long, important friendship in their teens can relate to. It was really beautifully done!

Dumplin' isn't a romance, or a friendship novel, or a story of a beauty pageant, or a book about self-esteem, body image, and loving who you are - it's all of these things in equal measure. It's so wonderful, and so uplifting. Despite Will being fat and I being thin, the things she talks about had me thinking about how I view myself, and I finished this book with even more love for my body than I did before. Dumplin' is an incredibly empowering novel, and one that will stick with me for a very long time.

Thank you to Harper 360 for the review copy.

[Leah]

So I'm giving this book three stars. It was a fine read, and I loved that Willowdean was fat, and didn't just magically get skinny, but also? Willowdean didn't love herself and that's where the book fell down for me. I wanted Willowdean to ROCK being fat, to love herself, to not care what people say or think because she was comfortable in her own skin, and she wasn't. I mean I get that. I'm bigger than I would like to be, and I'm doing something about that, but I thought this book was about loving yourself no matter what, and Willowdean never did that, or maybe that's just my perspective on it?

Willowdean was also quite mean to the girls who eventually become her friends, or something similar. Hannah, Amanda and Millie. They were LOVELY, and Willowdean was actually quite harsh about all three, which seems counterproductive since she herself KNOWS what it's like to be fat-shamed. So why would you do it? I get that we're all like that sometimes, but really? I just think that you can't expect people to be nice to you, if you're not nice about other people.

I also really wanted Willow's mom to just stop her own body-shaming of Willow because it made me cringe, and she never apologised or anything.

The book had it's okay parts and if you don't shine your light too brightly on it, it's a cute read, but it wasn't what I wanted or expected.

[annieb123]

It's difficult for me to write a coherent review for this book. I would've said that I'm NOT the target audience, except i think this book is relevant to everyone. The voice is clear and really resonated with me (I do have teenaged kids so maybe that's part of it). It was just so -real-. There are literally a handful of books in my life which have sucked me in so thoroughly that I forgot where i was. This one made me miss my bus stop. :)

Yes. More, please. Thank you.

[jeannamichel]

Fantastic message and heartwarming ending. Totally recommend.

Self-proclaimed fat girl, Willowdean, has everything in order. She knows who she is and what she likes. However, when her attractive coworker, Bo, sets his sights on her, Will is not sure what to do about it. She thought she knew how the world worked and boys like Bo weren’t supposed to fall for girls like her. It confused her, to say the least. Determined to change the wallowing doubt in her mind of not being good enough, she joins a teen beauty pageant with the mindset of “go big or go home.” Dumplin’ is an empowering, sassy novel that will leave you in fits of laughter.

The sass level is high with this one. Willowdean’s attitude coupled with Julie Murphy’s voice made the perfect recipe for a hilarious book. Not only would Dumplin’ have readers double over in laughter but Murphy is highly quotable. If you’re looking for some awesome quotes about being yourself, being confident and just being awesome, Murphy has loads for you.

When I started Dumplin’, I expected it to be about this confident girl who was going to change the world. It definitely started off going in that direction. However, the more readers got to know Willowdean, the more they find that her confidence hides her insecurities. Some parts were so raw and real that it is hard to believe it’s fiction.

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger reminds me a bit of Dumplin’. The sass of both protagonists are very similar. As much as I’d love to say this is the first of its kind, Dumplin’ is not—following in cliché footsteps with the message: people of all sizes can do anything they dream of. That is to say that the message doesn’t still need to be heard. Dumplin’ is an inspiring novel, empowering readers to challenge themselves and go for their dreams.

Will was constantly unfocused, changing her mind at every turn. Murphy’s message still remained but the protagonist was too confused to stay on one path. It made for a realistic character. It didn’t really seem to me that she joined the pageant to make any sort of statement. She joined because of her aunt. Only when she became an inspiration, afterwards, did she begin to see it as a message. However, her heart was never in the pageant. She kept doing everything last minute and Willowdean’s character never really was an inspiration to me—Murphy’s message and the statement that Will was unintentionally advertising was what made Dumplin’ so empowering.

Dumplin’ is the portrayal of a girl outside of her comfort zone, of a girl who is still trying to figure out the world. It’s a wild page-tuner, hilarious until the very end.