Lynnie 
contemporary fiction, young adult
Julie Murphy's Dumplin' got a lot of great publicity when it was released and it's been on my to-read list for a while. I'm always eager to read a story about body-positivity, especially when it's geared toward young people.
It's a cute book, but it certainly has it's issues. Dumplin' (whose real name is Willowdean- one of my favorite fictional names in a while!) is a self-described fat girl. Unfortunately though, she's miserable and self-conscious about it, which is understandable but exhausting to read over and over and over (& frankly, contradicts that whole "body-positivity" I mentioned about). That said, there is a wonderful thread throughout this novel about friendship and acceptance that I really enjoyed. Willow develops a friendship of convenience with some other girls who also see themselves as misfits in one way or another and eventually it blossoms into a real friendship, which is just fantastic as it unfolds. I wish there had been more focus on this group because that's when the book was at its most enjoyable. The story itself is 100% predictable, but it would be a good book for a day at the beach when you need some easy reading.
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