Now a popular Netflix feature film, starring Jennifer Aniston, Danielle Macdonald, and Dove Cameron, as well as a soundtrack from Dolly Parton!
The #1 New York Times bestseller and feel-good YA of the year--about Willowdean Dixon, the fearless, funny, and totally unforgettable heroine who takes on her small town's beauty pageant.
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed "Dumplin'" by her former beauty queen mom) 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 Clover City beauty pageant--along with several other unlikely candidates--to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does.
Along the way, she'll shock the hell out of Clover City--and maybe herself most of all.
About the Author :
Julie Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isn't writing, she can be found watching movies so bad they're good, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, or planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of the middle grade novels Dear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novels Ramona Blue, Side Effects May Vary, the Faith series, Pumpkin, Puddin', and Dumplin' (now a Netflix original film).
Eileen Stevens is a voice-over actress whose voice can be heard on cartoons, promos, programs for English-language learners, and audiobooks. An Earphones Award-winning narrator, she is also an audiobook director and producer.
Review :
"Dumplin' should be required reading for anyone who has ever felt even slightly uncomfortable in his or her skin."
-- "John Corey Whaley, award-winning author of Noggin"
"A treat. Willowdean is a truly wonderful protagonist. She's real, she's witty and you'll want to hug her as she navigates the difficult task of growing up a plus-sized girl in a beauty queen-obsessed town. Murphy nails small-town life, longing, grief, and finding one's way--no matter your age."
-- "RT Book Reviews (41/2 stars, Top Pick!)"
"Eileen Stevens' multifaceted voice gives Willowdean prodigious range--sweet and snarky, fearless and funny, determined and doleful, too. With Will firmly center stage, Stevens smoothly transitions from beauty queen to drag queen, mean girl to wannabe, bully to buddy."
-- "School Library Journal (starred audio review)"
"Genuine, romantic, and with a dash of Texan charm, this is a novel that celebrates being who you are while also acknowledging that it's incredibly difficult to do."
-- "Horn Book"
"Murphy successfully makes every piece of the story...count, weaving them together to create a harmonious, humorous, and thought-provoking whole."
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
"Narrator Eileen Stevens provides an appealing look into the workings of Will's mind...Her attitude is upbeat and positive, but she's not saccharine sweet. Stevens gives her appropriate teenaged snarkiness, and each deep sigh speaks volumes..Listeners won't want to miss meeting this funny, original heroine."
-- "AudioFile"
"Portrays and challenges sterotypes about beauty pageants, size issues, and women's concerns...Powerful."
-- "VOYA"
"Richly enjoyable...a clever and funny book to please lovers of thoughtful romance and secret pageant fans."
-- "Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"
"The text refreshingly asserts that thinness is no requirement for doing and deserving good things...Bits of humor and a jubilant pageant takeover by beauty rebels...crown this unusual book."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Wickedly funny, heartbreakingly real, full of characters to love and cheer for. Dumplin' is such a star."
-- "Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author"
"Will's singular voice compels readers to think about all that goes into building--and destroying--self-esteem."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
