Dumplin'

By: Julie Murphy

Narrated by: Eileen Stevens

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2015 Julie Murphy (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Loved it

This story really surprised me; I started it hesitantly and was taken by surprise at how invested I became. Willowdean's struggles with weight and self image are powerful; as a bigger girl myself I have felt that pain. Her strength to stand up and show beauty is there in everyone is awesome. The way she rallies the other "misfits" to join the "revolution" and in turn creating a bond was awesome. I rooted for her, I rooted for the boy, I rooted for this book. The narrator only has one voice for the male characters which was a little off-putting but other than that, I loved it.

This is a great story and wonderfully performed.

I love this story and it’s portrayal of growing up (and being) fat and learning to love yourself and let others love you. The characters aren’t one dimensional and it’s easy to find yourself thinking of people you grew up with in their stead. And there’s Dumplin’, who with all her inner dialogue and human errors, is easy to love and understand. Thank you for writing this book!

Well Written

The story was well done. You can definitely relate to all of the characters. My favorite parts were how Dumplin handled herself in the pageant going against tradition. Also how she paid homage to her Aunt Lucy who had passed away. Also how she had come to realize that there are young men who will love you no matter what size you are but know that you have a big heart. The narrator did an excellent job. Now I am not one for f bombs and other curse words.
However, as I continued reading the story I see why they were used.

Dumplin' is Something Good

The first time I listened to Dumplin', I knew there was going to be a Netflix movie. Dumplin' tells the story of a young woman named Willow Dean, whose mother was a beauty queen. Also, Dumplin' had a good message to the story: Beauty is only skin deep.

You will feel better after listening!

I recommend Dumplin' to anyone looking for a heart felt, feel good book. The book was funny and moving. I greatly enjoyed it.

Even Better than the Movie

Having already seen the movie version, I was worried that the book would be underwhelming. I could not have been more wrong. This book is an amazing little story of friendship, love, grief, and finding a place in the world. I was hooked, and I listened to it in almost one go during a long drive. For fans of the movie, the book offers so much more insight into every relationship (Bo especially), and it is absolutely worth the read.

Willowdean is an amazing, complex character with real problems, emotions, and successes. It's not often that a plus-sized woman or teen gets to be the star, and it was so refreshing to see her being the hero of her own story. The supporting cast was just as good with a huge range of personalities and stories. They made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time.

The narration was well-done, and she did a range of accents and voices well.

An absolute must-read for fans of young adult fiction.

great too good to put down. I think that you will

great too good to put down. I think that you will love it. happy time st the fashion show

Terrific

Well written. Great message for all- old or young. Funny and preformed well. Give it a try.

An excellent coming of age story

This book was our bookclub's selection when we needed a shorter book for a shorter time between meet-ups. And, I was happily surprised! It's funny, poignant, surprising - everything you might want in a YA novel. You'll come to love Willowdean!

A pleasant change of view

Dumplin' is a pleasantly refreshing story and the audiobook is narrated impeccably! What a great read.