kpeerman1's review against another edition
4.0
I think the book was wonderful!
The characters and dialogue were real. The author captured the precarious high school psyche perfectly and not just for the main character but for all of them. I know there are a lot of people who are upset that this book wasn't as "body positive" as they were expecting but it was reality. I'm not saying it's good that people feel the need to navigate through life with a stigma about their body... but it is unrealistic (in today's world) to expect a fat girl in high school to not have body issues.
I think if Willowdean would have been totally comfortable with her body throughout the whole book, her character wouldn't have been as easy to relate with. We all, no matter what our body-type is, have suffered through periods of time when there is something about our body we aren't happy with. We all have made snide comments to ourselves (or sometimes out loud) about another person's flaws because it made us feel better about our situation.
The body-issues Willowdean had were the real struggle in this book. Feeling like she should settle with a person she had no connection with because he "matched" her better was the struggle. Feeling repulsed by Bo touching her back and her waist was the struggle. This book was body-negative... but it allowed the reader to appreciate the body-positive ending to the story.
I guess the author could have created a "sprinkles and cupcakes" story where everyone was treated with respect and thought their body was awesome. Then she could have added in some wizards and unicorns and called it a great fantasy novel. I like the direction the author took.
The characters and dialogue were real. The author captured the precarious high school psyche perfectly and not just for the main character but for all of them. I know there are a lot of people who are upset that this book wasn't as "body positive" as they were expecting but it was reality. I'm not saying it's good that people feel the need to navigate through life with a stigma about their body... but it is unrealistic (in today's world) to expect a fat girl in high school to not have body issues.
I think if Willowdean would have been totally comfortable with her body throughout the whole book, her character wouldn't have been as easy to relate with. We all, no matter what our body-type is, have suffered through periods of time when there is something about our body we aren't happy with. We all have made snide comments to ourselves (or sometimes out loud) about another person's flaws because it made us feel better about our situation.
The body-issues Willowdean had were the real struggle in this book. Feeling like she should settle with a person she had no connection with because he "matched" her better was the struggle. Feeling repulsed by Bo touching her back and her waist was the struggle. This book was body-negative... but it allowed the reader to appreciate the body-positive ending to the story.
I guess the author could have created a "sprinkles and cupcakes" story where everyone was treated with respect and thought their body was awesome. Then she could have added in some wizards and unicorns and called it a great fantasy novel. I like the direction the author took.
act_10's review against another edition
4.0
Read my review here!
http://areadersrapture.blogspot.ca/2016/05/dumplin.html
http://areadersrapture.blogspot.ca/2016/05/dumplin.html
kgbinks's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't put it down. It was fun and sassy. Relatable and very possibly a new favorite I can see myself rereading when ever I need a confidence boost.
annieb123's review against another edition
5.0
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.
Yes. More, please. Thank you.
juliterario's review against another edition
4.0
- SIN SPOILERS -
¡Y terminé Dumplin! Le tenía muchas ganas a este libro pero la verdad es que no pensé que me fuera a gustar tanto.
Al principio iba a dalr 3/5 estrellas, pero me pareció muy poco para este libro porque, por más de que no sea una obra maestra con descripciones deslumbrantes o una trama atrapante, es un libro con poder. Así que le di a Dumplin' 4/5 estrellas porque se lo merece y, sobre todo, no sabría como darle una puntuación más baja sin sentirme culpable. Los personajes están muy bien construidos cuando nos basamos en el tema del que trata la historia y poder sumergirme de ese modo en la mente de nuestra protagonista fue increíble. Porque eso es lo que necesitamos. Y este libro es revolucionario para la sociedad de etiquetas en la que vivimos.
Un must-read sin duda.
Para todos.
¡Y terminé Dumplin! Le tenía muchas ganas a este libro pero la verdad es que no pensé que me fuera a gustar tanto.
Al principio iba a dalr 3/5 estrellas, pero me pareció muy poco para este libro porque, por más de que no sea una obra maestra con descripciones deslumbrantes o una trama atrapante, es un libro con poder. Así que le di a Dumplin' 4/5 estrellas porque se lo merece y, sobre todo, no sabría como darle una puntuación más baja sin sentirme culpable. Los personajes están muy bien construidos cuando nos basamos en el tema del que trata la historia y poder sumergirme de ese modo en la mente de nuestra protagonista fue increíble. Porque eso es lo que necesitamos. Y este libro es revolucionario para la sociedad de etiquetas en la que vivimos.
Un must-read sin duda.
Para todos.
kendramb's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sorman0110's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes cheesy and often predictable YA novel that deals with common teen angst problems; acceptance, bullying, body image issues, friendship, first love, family dynamics, etc. However, I loved this author's writing style, and often times she made me laugh out loud at the antics of her main character, Willowdean, aka Dumplin.'
Willowdean is an overweight teen, whose mom is a former beauty queen. Each year their small town in Texas holds the annual Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant, and Willowdean decides to sign up and participate, which leads to some misunderstandings between her and her best friend Ellen, and also sparks a movement among some of the high school's misfit girls who also decide to enter the pageant as well. Quick and easy read that I found highly enjoyable!
Willowdean is an overweight teen, whose mom is a former beauty queen. Each year their small town in Texas holds the annual Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant, and Willowdean decides to sign up and participate, which leads to some misunderstandings between her and her best friend Ellen, and also sparks a movement among some of the high school's misfit girls who also decide to enter the pageant as well. Quick and easy read that I found highly enjoyable!
rebbemcc's review against another edition
4.0
Pleasantly surprised. The characters felt appropriately complex -- insightful and stupid, lovely and maddening -- just as teenagers really are. Handled the body positivity and sexual positivity messages fairly well. Wished there was more of the mother-daughter relationship; I thought there was more to dive into there. A solid read.