Dumplin'

Willowdean Dickson aka Dumplin’ is fat. She’s ok with that though - at least she would be if her pageant-obsessed mom would ease up about it, anyway. She’s got more confidence and swagger than most high school girls I’ve known who were half her size and isn’t afraid to love herself, no matter what the rest of the world might think. 

Then she meets Bo, the hottie from work. Their secret-for-no-real-reason romance makes Will feel overwhelmingly self-conscious for the first time. In an effort to reclaim her self-love and get her mojo back, Will enters the Miss Teen Bluebonnet Pageant along with a few misfit friends. 

I loved this book for its honest look at how overweight women are looked at in today’s society. Is Willowdean a flawless character? No. She’s sometimes petty, sometimes selfish and sometimes mean. But she’s also relatable, no matter what you weigh. 

I absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend this one for anyone who’s ever had their confidence shaken or felt like an outsider. Julie Murphy is going on my list of authors to watch.