#julie murphy
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
Waylon, aka Pumpkin, is a loud, proud, overweight, and gay teen living in the small town of Clover City, Texas and he is ready to get out! He has his heart set on moving away to college with his twin sister Clementine after graduation. But when Clementine’s plans change, Waylon is upset. He blows off steam by making an audition tape for Fiercest of Them All, a TV drag show. But, when the video gets leaked online, Waylon finds himself nominated for prom queen. Clementine’s girlfriend, Hannah, is also nominated, but for prom king. Hannah convinces Waylon to stay in the competition and leave high school on his own terms. Waylon is all in! Full of humor, love, self-acceptance, and a whole lot of heart, will Waylon end up winning the prom queen throne?
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★★★★★
First of all, I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!
Ramona Blue is one of the best books I have listened to in a long time. Sometimes you read a book that just hits so close to home that it is unreal, and this was one of those books. This book is for any teenager who has ever felt like they were stuck in their hometown, who is afraid to hope for something more, and who feels the weight of the world on their shoulders. I don’t feel like there was much in the way of traditional plot, but it was realistic in the sense that it follows a young girl trying to figure out life after she thought she had everything figured out. So many things are addressed in this book—poverty, natural disasters, questioning sexuality (without the bisexual erasure that is so typically found in YA books), heartbreak, absent parents, and learning to live for yourself. I saw myself in Ramona, and I know many other teens will be able to see parts of themselves reflected throughout this novel.
Julie Murphy’s DUMPLIN’ is a $1.99 Kindle daily deal today only, 4/25/16 (not for Nook or iBooks, sorry!).
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.
There’s so much to love about this book, and one thing I think about a lot is how perfect the setting is. Murphy really knows Texas and it’s clear here (mums!). This is a smart and funny and emotional story of loving yourself and stepping outside your comfort zone when there’s nothing you’d rather do less.
I loved Dumplin’ with all my heart, and I hope you will, too.
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