Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

A Texan contemporary YA with more than just a southern twang - My first review after a long hiatus.

Rating: 4 Stars

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When I think of Texas I think Matthew McConaughey saying “alright, alright, alright”

Full disclosure though, I don’t even know what movie that’s from or whether he’s even playing a character from Texas in the movie. Other things that pop into my mind when I think of Texas are the Southern belles, baked goods, rodeos and cowboys – I know, I know, I have a very refined and realistic picture of Texas. But I digress. While there is no Matthew McConaughey to be seen or any rodeos to be ridin’ (I know that doesn’t make sense, but I like the way it sounds) in this delightful book by Julie Murphy, there is a lot of hairspray, chilli (like the dish, not chillies that grow from chilli plants) and confidence with a good dash of teenage angst. Dumplin’ tells the story of plus-sized girl and Dolly Parton stan, Willowdean Dickson, who decides to enter the Miss Clover City beauty pageant.

When I started reading this book, I thought Will would be a girl who was completely confident and comfortable in her own skin, but that was not the case. I don’t know why I had such an expectation considering the blurb literally says: “Will starts to doubt herself”. At first, I felt cheated, but then I remembered that she’s only 16! At 16, it’s normal and completely understandable to be uncomfortable with your own skin. I’m not completely comfortable with my own skin and I’m nearly 21. This story is as much about Will trying to move on from the death of her dear Aunt Lucy as it is about Will trying to accept and embrace herself. Will makes a few mistakes along the way, but I excused most of them because, as I said before, she is only 16 and I like to see characters that are flawed because that is what makes them real.

As for the other characters, Bo was a sweetheart as was Mitch. They were both loveable in their own way and completely different from other male characters I’ve read in most YA novels. Will’s best friend, Ellen, didn’t really make as much of an impression on me simply because we didn’t get to spend much time with her. Other side characters, including Millie, Amanda and Hannah, were each unique and really well developed. So the character development in this book gets a solid A from me!

The one thing that annoyed me was that Ellen, her best friend, becomes different and goes off with the popular kids (i.e. Callie). Callie is rude to Will and didn't have any redeeming qualities. This is a storyline I’ve seen in three other books this year, which is three too many.

Overall, Dumplin' is nicely paced, has a great arc to it and ends in a way that may not tie all the loose ends but still leaves your heart singing. Pick it up if you want to be entertained and see some realistic character growth. Not to mention, the Netflix movie comes out this Friday the 7th (look out for my review on that!).

Most Memorable Quote

“Life is not a river...we're not all headin' in the same direction."

Love,

#Dumplin #Texas #AlrightAlrightAlright #Reviews