Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Have y’all read Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy yet? I’m sure you’ve seen the movie on your Netflix feed, and if you haven’t watched it yet, please please PLEASE do yourself a favor and read the book first! Even if you did watch the movie first (like I did, unfortunately) you should definitely pick up the book and read it. It goes more in-depth into Willowdean’s relationship with herself, her mother, Bo, Ellen and the other secondary characters and is a surprisingly well-rounded novel.
My only critique is that there wasn’t really a climax, or a turning point at all in this novel. Sure, there’s a lot of build up to the pageant in both the book and the movie, but in the book they really didn’t give you a lot of drama or excitement at the pageant -- in fact, they cut it short and didn’t give it the time it deserved, in my opinion. The book ended before I was ready for it, but I also like the open ending. NO SPOILERS but I like that we don’t know the way it all turned out for Will. She has a choice in the matter after the story, which is kind of a nice thought to have when you finish the book.
As a plus-sized woman, I loved the character of Willowdean. She’s not perfect and sometimes she can be problematic, but she owns herself and her body image while still feeling the same insecurities we all feel at times, regardless of our shape or size. She accepts herself for who she is, despite having a mother who is flawed and who isn’t always supportive and despite not fitting into the mold of a typical Texas beauty queen. At the same time, her struggles with intimacy are relatable. I’ve been with a guy who physically, at least, was out of my league, and the way she feels with Bo is very similar to how I felt with this guy -- you’re attracted to him, you want to be with him in an intimate way, but this voice in the back of your head won’t let you fully be in the moment because what if he’s just doing this because he’s desperate? What if it’s all a joke? What if he sees me naked and runs? What if he feels the curves of my body and decides he thinks I’m disgusting? No matter how much self confidence you have, as a young girl living in a bigger body, you have these invasive thoughts at the worst times. I think now, at 22, I’m a little more comfortable with myself, but when I was Will’s age, I felt the same way. Confident, but insecure at the same time.
I liked the change in Willowdean by the end of the book, but my favorite part of the book was the character of Bo. Not so much him, but the way Julie Murphy decided to write his character. He’s handsome, undeniably so; he’s quiet, he’s sought-after, he’s somewhat popular, he has a history of dating traditionally pretty and slim girls, but he falls for Willowdean and is unashamed about that -- he isn’t afraid to show her off in front of his friends, family, coworkers; nobody. It’s such a nice departure from the trope of traditionally attractive men being attracted to fat women and being ashamed of the fact. It was a refreshing take on this type of story, and I enjoyed it.
Let me know what you thought!
