{Audiobook Review} Empowering and Genuine - DUMPLIN' by Julie Murphy

Title: Dumplin'
Author: Julie Murphy
Narrator(s): Eileen Stevens
Series: stand-alone
Length: 9 hrs 2 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: September 15, 2015
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss, purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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 twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Books set in Texas are my jam! Books set in Texas, written by Texas authors, and featuring Dolly Parton fanatics? Even better! I mean, seriously: "Go big or go home." Julie even mentioned Clay Dooley, a Ford dealership owner, as a pageant judge and I about died laughing. Because I'm assuming she's referencing Clay COOLEY, who owns about every type of car dealership imaginable in North Texas...except Ford. :P

I kind of loved this empowering little book about accepting yourself as you are. Maybe not as much as the rest of the blogging community, but I was definitely entertained. The thing is, I try not to hold fictional characters to standards that I myself cannot achieve, but it was hard with Willowdean. I think it was the whole fact that she didn't take the beauty pageant seriously that bugged me the most. I don't really buy into the beauty pageant thing either, but Will entered for all the wrong reasons. And then she has the nerve to tell her best friend -- the one who's supported her through thick and thin (no pun intended) -- that she shouldn't enter the pageant because she might actually win. What kind of friend does that?

I also didn't love the romantic elements, especially since there were two guys involved, but I did appreciate that she valued her dignity and ended things with one when the relationship got a little toxic. But rebounding with the sweetest mama's boy ever was the wrong choice. She was stringing him along, just like she had been, and that wasn't fair to either of them. But them's the breaks at that age...you live, you learn, you probably regret a little of it, but you (hopefully) come out a better person on the other side of things.

This book is funny. Especially Willowdean's personal brand of self-deprecating humor. But she also has this voice that commands your attention. You just have to take notice of her. But it's not just her. All the girls who enter the pageant with her bring something special to the table. I just loved watching their weird little friendships grow.

I haven't listened to much narrated by Eileen Stevens, but I thought she was a pretty good choice to narrate Dumpin'. She lets a hint of Southern drawl into her narration, especially when Willowdean's mama is around, but it's not overly twangy. I promise, we don't all have that twang, though if you ever heard my sister-in-law speak, I daresay you wouldn't believe me. ;0)

What I like best about Julie Murphy's books is that she's not afraid to have her characters be human, to make mistakes, even when those same choices might make the characters unlikable. It's the same reason I really enjoyed Side Effects May Vary. Her characters resonate with me because they are real and genuine...they remind me of myself at that age. Bad judgment and all.

GIF it to me straight:

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About the author:

Julie lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cat who tolerates her. When she's not writing or trying to catch stray cats, she works at an academic library. Side Effects May Vary is Julie's debut novel.

Find Julie:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube | Tumblr

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Labels: all the feels, beautiful covers, contemporary, dumplin', favorites, harper-collins, julie murphy, must-read, reviews, tough subject, tx authors

Waiting on Wednesday: Until The Beginning & Dumplin'

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:




Title: Until the Beginning
Author: Amy Plum
Series: After the End # 2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 5th, 2015

When Juneau's clan disappeared, she lost so much more than her friends and family. She soon discovered everything she thought she knew about her life was a lie. Her people's gifts were actually secret abilities that others wanted, desperately enough to kidnap an entire village.

Juneau and her new companion Miles's cross-country journey to find her clan has led them to a game preserve in New Mexico. Now Juneau's people are finally within reach, and she will stop at nothing to save them. But she has a target on her back too, because unbeknownst to her she is the key to unlocking everything. To rescue her people - and herself - Juneau must discover what she, and her abilities, are truly capable of.

I wasn't hugely blown away with After the End. It was good... but not what I was expecting. That being said.. I am very curious to see what happens next. :)




's Pick:



Title: Dumplin'
Author: Julie Murphy
Series: n/a
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: September 15, 2015

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 twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

I absolutely loved Julie's debut last year, even though I knew some people took issue with the "unlikable" main character. I found her refreshing, though, and I think Julie's newest MC is going to be even more so. Doesn't Dumplin' just sound like a girl you'd love to be besties with? I can't wait to meet her! And that tag line -- Go big or go home. -- it's too perfect! Also, I can't help but add books to my TBR from Texas authors, set in my home state and featuring the iconic Dolly Parton. =)


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: amy plum, contemporary, dumplin, harper-collins, julie murphy, tough subject, tx authors, until the beginning, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Title: Side Effects May Vary
Author: Julie Murphy
Series: n/a
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: March 18, 2014
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

WARNING: Side Effects May Vary may cause severe emotional distress. While reading this novel, you may experience the temptation to throw the book in a fit of frustration. You may also suffer from extreme mood swings, sighing contentedly one moment while screaming your outrage the next. Please consult a physician if these symptoms persist after you turn the last page of the novel.

Julie Murphy isn't pulling any punches with her debut novel. If her intention was to make her readers feel all the things, then I say she has more than succeeded with Side Effects May Vary. Alice is diagnosed with leukemia and spends the next year wreaking havoc on the lives of those who've wronged her over the last few years as she waits for her time to run out. But miracle of miracles, she goes into remission...and then she has to answer for everything she's done over the last year: to those she's wounded but also to Harvey, the best friend who stood by her and helped her complete her bucket list of revenge.

Harvey's always been there for Alice, harboring a crush of epic proportions. She uses and abuses the poor guy, and for years, he's allowed it with little complaint, hoping that one day she might return his feelings. But when Al's diagnosed with cancer, everything changes between them. Told in alternating perspectives -- through her eyes and his -- during the year of her diagnosis and then after her remission, this story recounts the progression of Alice and Harvey's relationship and how it got to the point that it's at now. And if you're anything like me, it is going to drive you nuts, the back-and-forth between these two, but it is so worth the pain to see it through to the end.

It's not just about relationship drama, though that is a driving force in this novel. It's about having your life handed back to you -- after being told that you had an expiration date that was drawing nearer -- and the psychological toll that can have on a person. It's about revenge and making amends and taking risks. This story was as crushing as it was complicated, but it was also heartfelt and genuine. I tried to keep in mind what all Alice had been through and how that might change a person, and that helped me avoid writing her character off completely, even when she probably deserved it.

Harvey, though...Harvey was the saving grace of this novel. He started out as this lovelorn puppy dog when we first meet him, but everything that has happened to Alice has taken a toll on him, as well, and I'm glad that although he finally grew a pair and made some demands of his own, he still remained that sweet, hopeful boy. I loved the emotional impact of this novel as much as I did the romantic aspects.

I am so ecstatic to report that this book turned out even better than I'd hoped. It is rife with the feels, but don't expect a TFiOS meltdown. Many readers will find Alice completely unlikable, eliciting feelings of rage as opposed to the deep sadness that Hazel Graze evoked. But I think the unflappable Harvey will more than make up for it. And if you give Al a chance, you just might find yourself empathizing with her, too.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Julie lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cat who tolerates her. When she's not writing or trying to catch stray cats, she works at an academic library. Side Effects May Vary is Julie's debut novel.

Find Julie:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube | Tumblr

Read More

Labels: all the feels, beautiful covers, contemporary, favorites, harper-collins, julie murphy, must-read, reviews, side effects may vary, tx authors