First Book of the New Year...

Over break I read a fun, easy read book.

Dumplin'

by Julie Murphy

 

From Amazon:

Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean 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 Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

I really enjoyed this book and Willowdean, the main character. I just feel in love with her and her normal view of the world.  I love how she is fine with her curvy body and states that she isn't going to get skinny anytime soon. Unfortunately,  as soon as someone, Bo from Holy Cross Prep School, shows an interest in her Willowdean starts to doubt herself. Why give others more ammunition to make fun of her by asking, "Why would HE want to be with YOU? What does he see in HER?" Those are questions that she starts to ask herself before anyone even knows about Bo and Willowdean. I am such a sucker for a fun love story, but this book is so much more than a love story. It's about liking and accepting yourself, making new friends, losing a loved one, Dolly Parton and drag queens! 

What more could you want from a book!?