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Dumplin' #3
Pumpkin
Return to the beloved world of Julie Murphy’s #1 New York Times bestselling Dumplin’— now a popular Netflix feature film starring Jennifer Aniston — in this fabulously joyful, final companion novel about drag, prom, and embracing your inner Queen. Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth. So when Clementine deviates from their master plan right after Waylon gets dumped, he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show, Fiercest of Them All . What he doesn’t count on is the tape getting accidentally shared with the entire school. . . . As a result, Waylon is nominated for prom queen as a joke. Clem’s girlfriend, Hannah Perez, also receives a joke nomination for prom king. Waylon and Hannah decide there’s only one thing to run—and leave high school with a bang. A very glittery bang. Along the way, Waylon discovers that there is a lot more to running for prom court than campaign posters and plastic crowns, especially when he has to spend so much time with the very cute and infuriating prom king nominee Tucker Watson. Waylon will need to learn that the best plan for tomorrow is living for today . . . especially with the help of some fellow queens. . . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2021
224 people are currently reading
15064 people want to read
About the author
Julie Murphy
41 books6,847 followersJulie Murphy lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her and her cats who tolerate her. After several wonderful years in the library world, Julie now writes full-time.
When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure.
She is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix), Puddin’, Pumpkin, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Her middle grade novels include Dear Sweat Pea and a forthcoming 2023 title. She is also Disney's If The Shoe Fits, a modern day romcom retelling of Cinderella. Her writing partner is Sierra Simone and their romance debut is A Merry Little Meet Cute.
Julie has been featured in places liek Good Morning America, The New York Times, and Teen Vogue. Dumplin' was also named one of the best young adult books of all time by Time Magazine.
When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure.
She is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix), Puddin’, Pumpkin, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Her middle grade novels include Dear Sweat Pea and a forthcoming 2023 title. She is also Disney's If The Shoe Fits, a modern day romcom retelling of Cinderella. Her writing partner is Sierra Simone and their romance debut is A Merry Little Meet Cute.
Julie has been featured in places liek Good Morning America, The New York Times, and Teen Vogue. Dumplin' was also named one of the best young adult books of all time by Time Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,348 reviews
June 6, 2021
julie murphy is releasing another book in the dumplin' universe and the protagonist is a fat queer boy. god is real.
May 9, 2023
4.5 stars!
Waylon is a fat, openly gay teen living in a small town in Texas. After getting some shocking news about his sister, Waylon makes an audition video for his favorite drag tv show. Except somehow the entire school sees the video and Waylon is nominated as a joke for Prom Queen as well as his sister’s girlfriend, Hannah who is nominated for Prom King. Waylon and Hannah decide to run with it and leave high school with a bang.
Julie Murphy is one of my favorite young adult writers of this time. Her books never fail to be relatable and clever with some feels mixed in too. I love that she writes characters who don’t look like Riverdale actors, they’re normal people. Murphy perpetuates the idea that not being typical doesn’t make you less worthy and I love that she’s writing books for young readers like this. I think there’s a lot of people who can relate to Waylon and what he’s going through in this book. And honestly this book had such a light and fluffy feel to it, I wanted to stay in this book even after I had finished reading.
Waylon is a fat, openly gay teen living in a small town in Texas. After getting some shocking news about his sister, Waylon makes an audition video for his favorite drag tv show. Except somehow the entire school sees the video and Waylon is nominated as a joke for Prom Queen as well as his sister’s girlfriend, Hannah who is nominated for Prom King. Waylon and Hannah decide to run with it and leave high school with a bang.
Julie Murphy is one of my favorite young adult writers of this time. Her books never fail to be relatable and clever with some feels mixed in too. I love that she writes characters who don’t look like Riverdale actors, they’re normal people. Murphy perpetuates the idea that not being typical doesn’t make you less worthy and I love that she’s writing books for young readers like this. I think there’s a lot of people who can relate to Waylon and what he’s going through in this book. And honestly this book had such a light and fluffy feel to it, I wanted to stay in this book even after I had finished reading.
September 10, 2021
Holy hell!
Pumpkin
, Julie Murphy's latest book, is an absolutely amazing book about living your life as unabashedly you as you can.
Waylon Brewer is a flamboyantly gay (and fat) high school senior from a small Texas town. Being gay at his high school isn’t ideal but it’s not too traumatizing; while he has to endure some taunting, having his twin sister Clementine (who is also gay) by his side makes everything more endurable.
“There are times when I feel like I can’t be me. I can’t simply exist. I have to offer something in exchange. Something that absolves me of being fat and gay and even worse—both of those things at once.”
When the audition video he made one night for his favorite TV drag show is accidentally shared with the entire school, he gains a little more notoriety and takes a few more insults. But ultimately, he is nominated for prom queen, and Hannah, Clem’s girlfriend, is nominated for prom king.
Although they were nominated as a joke or insult (or maybe a little of both), Waylon and Hannah decide they’re going to do anything they can to win. And when Waylon is paired up with Tucker, one of his nemeses, on prom court projects, he learns that sometimes first impressions of a person don’t always reveal the truth of who they are.
Pumpkin is so funny, so sensitive, so utterly squee-worthy, I can’t find enough words to express how much I loved it. I’ve been that fat gay kid too, and I didn’t handle it with even a fraction of the flair Waylon did. Every single one of these characters is so exceptional in their own way. This is definitely a book I wish existed when I was growing up.
I hope we get a sequel someday! I love buddy reads with my friend Louis because the discussion is always so great, and this certainly was no exception!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Waylon Brewer is a flamboyantly gay (and fat) high school senior from a small Texas town. Being gay at his high school isn’t ideal but it’s not too traumatizing; while he has to endure some taunting, having his twin sister Clementine (who is also gay) by his side makes everything more endurable.
“There are times when I feel like I can’t be me. I can’t simply exist. I have to offer something in exchange. Something that absolves me of being fat and gay and even worse—both of those things at once.”
When the audition video he made one night for his favorite TV drag show is accidentally shared with the entire school, he gains a little more notoriety and takes a few more insults. But ultimately, he is nominated for prom queen, and Hannah, Clem’s girlfriend, is nominated for prom king.
Although they were nominated as a joke or insult (or maybe a little of both), Waylon and Hannah decide they’re going to do anything they can to win. And when Waylon is paired up with Tucker, one of his nemeses, on prom court projects, he learns that sometimes first impressions of a person don’t always reveal the truth of who they are.
Pumpkin is so funny, so sensitive, so utterly squee-worthy, I can’t find enough words to express how much I loved it. I’ve been that fat gay kid too, and I didn’t handle it with even a fraction of the flair Waylon did. Every single one of these characters is so exceptional in their own way. This is definitely a book I wish existed when I was growing up.
I hope we get a sequel someday! I love buddy reads with my friend Louis because the discussion is always so great, and this certainly was no exception!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
October 13, 2020
giving this a pre-release 5 stars because someone gave it 1 star for no reason whatsoever and because of that the average rating is a 1 star and we absolutely hate to see it. will delete the rating as soon as actual ratings and reviews of the book come in 💜
May 27, 2021
“When the world isn’t selling what you’re looking to buy, you just have to take it upon yourself to cut your own pattern.”
Actual footage of me logging onto the library website Tuesday morning to check if I was first in line for this book . . . .
It’s not easy to be a fat gay boy in Clover City, Texas, but with the help of supporting parents, an excellent grammy and his twin sister Clementine, Waylan has managed to make it all the way to the end of his senior year. He’s counting down the days when he can shake the dust off from this one horse town and become “Full Waylan” in Austin. But then a video he makes of himself doing a fake audition for a Ru Paul’s Drag Race sort of show gets spread around the school and Waylan discovers he can no longer simply fade into the woodwork for the last few weeks of school – he’s also been nominated for the prom court . . . . in the QUEEN category. There’s only one thing he can do . . . .
If you are familiar with me you know I don’t usually read past the first book in a series. I’m so glad I made an exception to my own rule this go around. This was the perfect send off to a group of kids who I have grown to love over the past several years and fans of the series will love “seeing” all of the familiar faces from the past one last time. And of course no visit to Clover City could be complete without a trip to the Hideaway . . . .
At this point I think it’s fairly safe to say Julie Murphy is YA royalty. She just gets it. It helps that she looks like she’s about 15 herself (ha-ha), but she’s also the bees knees when it comes to writing books about inclusivity that are just matter-of-fact and without some superbadawful things having to happen to the characters. In a year where still so many high school seniors were denied the right of passage which is prom due to ongoing Covid restrictions, she has provided the next best thing in this fictionalized version.
All the Stars.
Actual footage of me logging onto the library website Tuesday morning to check if I was first in line for this book . . . .
It’s not easy to be a fat gay boy in Clover City, Texas, but with the help of supporting parents, an excellent grammy and his twin sister Clementine, Waylan has managed to make it all the way to the end of his senior year. He’s counting down the days when he can shake the dust off from this one horse town and become “Full Waylan” in Austin. But then a video he makes of himself doing a fake audition for a Ru Paul’s Drag Race sort of show gets spread around the school and Waylan discovers he can no longer simply fade into the woodwork for the last few weeks of school – he’s also been nominated for the prom court . . . . in the QUEEN category. There’s only one thing he can do . . . .
If you are familiar with me you know I don’t usually read past the first book in a series. I’m so glad I made an exception to my own rule this go around. This was the perfect send off to a group of kids who I have grown to love over the past several years and fans of the series will love “seeing” all of the familiar faces from the past one last time. And of course no visit to Clover City could be complete without a trip to the Hideaway . . . .
At this point I think it’s fairly safe to say Julie Murphy is YA royalty. She just gets it. It helps that she looks like she’s about 15 herself (ha-ha), but she’s also the bees knees when it comes to writing books about inclusivity that are just matter-of-fact and without some superbadawful things having to happen to the characters. In a year where still so many high school seniors were denied the right of passage which is prom due to ongoing Covid restrictions, she has provided the next best thing in this fictionalized version.
All the Stars.
July 6, 2021
4 stars
Pumpkin' is the third book in Julie Murphy's 'Dumplin' series and I enjoyed it so much! It was such a fun read.
Pumpkin', also known as high school senior Waylon is nominated for Prom Queen, along with his sister's girlfriend Hannah who is up for King. These two are told they can drop out, but they decide to go along with it and campaign. I loved the journey Waylon went on while doing this. He learned so much about himself and let people in, which is something he rarely did before this.
The romance was adorable, I only wish there was more of it. Julie Murphy writes amazing YA books and this world is such a fun place to be in. This was fantastic and I hope she continues with these books!
Pumpkin' is the third book in Julie Murphy's 'Dumplin' series and I enjoyed it so much! It was such a fun read.
Pumpkin', also known as high school senior Waylon is nominated for Prom Queen, along with his sister's girlfriend Hannah who is up for King. These two are told they can drop out, but they decide to go along with it and campaign. I loved the journey Waylon went on while doing this. He learned so much about himself and let people in, which is something he rarely did before this.
The romance was adorable, I only wish there was more of it. Julie Murphy writes amazing YA books and this world is such a fun place to be in. This was fantastic and I hope she continues with these books!
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Chad Burris
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary YA
Length: 7h 20m
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April 18, 2021
This was delightful. In a particularly horrific week, this was both a comfort and also something I wanted to avoid because I did not want to deal with something so happy, hopefully and optimistic.
Very enjoyable, although I wanted moahr.
Full RTC.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
Very enjoyable, although I wanted moahr.
Full RTC.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
December 8, 2021
TOTAL READING TIME: 3 hours, 27 minutes.
Okay, I'm not sure why this has the highest average rating for a book set in the Dumplin' universe but I was a bit underwhelmed with the plot itself. The characters and their dynamics were great and I loved them but I found the story to be lacking and a bit boring. I thought this would have a big focus on the drag side of things but I found that it mostly focused on boring prom court stuff and Waylon moping about Clem going to college in Georgia. IDK, maybe after giving Puddin' 5 stars (truly an excellent, excellent book) I had high expectations for whatever came next that sadly it didn't quite meet.
I'm a lenient rater though, so this still garnered 4 stars from me. I just didn't love it like I expected I would.
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THERE'S GOING TO BE A THIRD BOOK I'M HAVING HEART PALPITATIONS
Okay, I'm not sure why this has the highest average rating for a book set in the Dumplin' universe but I was a bit underwhelmed with the plot itself. The characters and their dynamics were great and I loved them but I found the story to be lacking and a bit boring. I thought this would have a big focus on the drag side of things but I found that it mostly focused on boring prom court stuff and Waylon moping about Clem going to college in Georgia. IDK, maybe after giving Puddin' 5 stars (truly an excellent, excellent book) I had high expectations for whatever came next that sadly it didn't quite meet.
I'm a lenient rater though, so this still garnered 4 stars from me. I just didn't love it like I expected I would.
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THERE'S GOING TO BE A THIRD BOOK I'M HAVING HEART PALPITATIONS
June 4, 2021
Omg so good! Loved it!
September 12, 2021
Do you ever get the urge to hug a book when you finish reading it because you loved it so much? This one is such a terrific coming of age story and my favorite book in the Dumplin' book series. The main character, Waylon Brewer, aka Pumpkin, just captured my heart.
Waylon is a high school senior and lives in small town in West Texas. He's overweight and openly gay and he is no stranger to getting picked on. Waylon is looking forward to moving to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, after they graduate in a few months. But then Waylon gets dumped and he also finds out his sister has other plans. Feeling pretty down, on a whim he decides to make an audition tape for a popular tv drag competition show. Somehow the whole school ends up seeing the tape and that leads to Waylon being nominated for prom queen as a joke. But rather than decline the nomination, Waylon is going to shake things up and try to win. He'll be teaming up with prom king nominee Tucker Watson for a few prom court service projects.
Maybe it's because I'm old enough to be the character's mother, but I felt a sense of pride with Waylon. I loved his ability to just go out there and live his best life, on his own terms. Waylon was an inspiring character and I can't help but feel sad that this type of book wasn't around when I was growing up. No matter what your age, it's always good to be reminded that we are all worthy.
This story has humor, and a lot of heart. There's some romance but to me that was more of a secondary plot. Waylon is a character worth knowing and I can't recommend this book enough. It's the third book in this YA series but can be read as a standalone novel.
Waylon is a high school senior and lives in small town in West Texas. He's overweight and openly gay and he is no stranger to getting picked on. Waylon is looking forward to moving to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, after they graduate in a few months. But then Waylon gets dumped and he also finds out his sister has other plans. Feeling pretty down, on a whim he decides to make an audition tape for a popular tv drag competition show. Somehow the whole school ends up seeing the tape and that leads to Waylon being nominated for prom queen as a joke. But rather than decline the nomination, Waylon is going to shake things up and try to win. He'll be teaming up with prom king nominee Tucker Watson for a few prom court service projects.
Maybe it's because I'm old enough to be the character's mother, but I felt a sense of pride with Waylon. I loved his ability to just go out there and live his best life, on his own terms. Waylon was an inspiring character and I can't help but feel sad that this type of book wasn't around when I was growing up. No matter what your age, it's always good to be reminded that we are all worthy.
This story has humor, and a lot of heart. There's some romance but to me that was more of a secondary plot. Waylon is a character worth knowing and I can't recommend this book enough. It's the third book in this YA series but can be read as a standalone novel.
February 20, 2021
yess I was stoked to get an ARC of this! I love Julie Murphy's funny, warmhearted, fat-positive books. I love that this opens with Waylon's love of a clear analogue of RuPaul's Drag Race and a clear call-out of RuPaul's ongoing fatphobia (among other issues). That show is popular with a lot of teens (LGBTQ+ and otherwise) who I think will love reading about it and relate to Waylon's feelings about it. I also love that it shows teen ambivalence toward college and acknowledges that that doesn't need to be the path for everyone. It just rang true to a lot of Big Feelings that high school seniors particularly face, but plus also cute prom romance and elder drag queens mentoring queer youth.
Just an overall delightful spot of joy in my reading week!
Just an overall delightful spot of joy in my reading week!
February 2, 2023
welcome to 202-Queer 🌈✨, the year where i only read queer books and finally have fun 🌈✨
50 in February: 3/50
i didn't go into this with high hopes and i was neither disappointed nor pleasantly surprised.
it's an alright book that has some fun parts but i will never think about it ever again.
50 in February: 3/50
i didn't go into this with high hopes and i was neither disappointed nor pleasantly surprised.
it's an alright book that has some fun parts but i will never think about it ever again.
April 24, 2021
It’s like all of the complaints I had from the previous two books were listened to and implemented in the most heavy handed yet bland way.
I can only describe this reading experience as entering a fugue state.
I laughed once, making it necessarily better than Puddin', so it gets two stars.
One thing that made me very uncomfortable was that race (and gender and sexuality) is mentioned constantly. Waylon is always telling us, and reminding us, what race someone is. All. The. Time. Nonstop throughout this book. I like knowing, but I do not like how forced it was into the book and how forced it is onto the reader. It's not natural, at all. Nor, for that matter, is the sheer bulk of queer characters and the intense diversity of their queerness. I've lived in San Francisco my whole life and I've never been in a room as diverse as the rural Texan high school described in this book.
In addition to this hamfisted, shallow injection of diversity to cater to a 2021 audience, this book is clearly not written for teenagers. Specifically, it is not written for queer male or masc teenagers. It is written for a middle aged, ciswoman, predominantly white audience. The references may not be as dated as in the previous two books (we're up to the 2010s!), but the author still demonstrates no clear understanding of what teenagers are interested in, or act like. The characters are an indistinguishable set of paper doll caricatures. Waylon could have been swapped with any of the other characters and the story, a series of meaningless and boring events connected by Waylon's presence, would have been exactly the same.
I can't even say this adds value in growing the library of queer teen lit. It doesn't. Plenty of white, middle aged women have written boy's love (for lack of a better term). Plenty of female mangaka have written it. There are thousands of works in this genre, thousands of works done better.
If you know or are a teenager struggling with your identity, or coming out, or just living in this world period I would suggest instead
Felix Ever After
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
If I Was Your Girl
I Wish You All the Best
These are own voices book. Elements of these stories reminded me of things that I and people I know have gone through.
I can only describe this reading experience as entering a fugue state.
I laughed once, making it necessarily better than Puddin', so it gets two stars.
One thing that made me very uncomfortable was that race (and gender and sexuality) is mentioned constantly. Waylon is always telling us, and reminding us, what race someone is. All. The. Time. Nonstop throughout this book. I like knowing, but I do not like how forced it was into the book and how forced it is onto the reader. It's not natural, at all. Nor, for that matter, is the sheer bulk of queer characters and the intense diversity of their queerness. I've lived in San Francisco my whole life and I've never been in a room as diverse as the rural Texan high school described in this book.
In addition to this hamfisted, shallow injection of diversity to cater to a 2021 audience, this book is clearly not written for teenagers. Specifically, it is not written for queer male or masc teenagers. It is written for a middle aged, ciswoman, predominantly white audience. The references may not be as dated as in the previous two books (we're up to the 2010s!), but the author still demonstrates no clear understanding of what teenagers are interested in, or act like. The characters are an indistinguishable set of paper doll caricatures. Waylon could have been swapped with any of the other characters and the story, a series of meaningless and boring events connected by Waylon's presence, would have been exactly the same.
I can't even say this adds value in growing the library of queer teen lit. It doesn't. Plenty of white, middle aged women have written boy's love (for lack of a better term). Plenty of female mangaka have written it. There are thousands of works in this genre, thousands of works done better.
If you know or are a teenager struggling with your identity, or coming out, or just living in this world period I would suggest instead
Felix Ever After
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
If I Was Your Girl
I Wish You All the Best
These are own voices book. Elements of these stories reminded me of things that I and people I know have gone through.
May 19, 2021
Five big, fat, fabulous stars for the YA novel with the hero of my dreams.
Julie Murphy, author of the bestseller Dumplin’ (yes, the basis of THAT Netflix film) brings us back to Clover City, Texas for one last hurrah in PUMPKIN. It’s the story of Waylon Brewer: a fat, openly gay boy who is ready to live his truth. He’s a senior in high school, and he’s ready to leave this town behind and ride away with his twin sister. But when his plans go awry, a late-night decision inspires him to instead audition for his favorite drag TV program. And when Waylon’s audition tape ends up in the wrong hands, it results in a round of mockery punctuated by a joke nomination for Prom Queen. Only, what the bullies could never see coming is that Waylon is going to run – and he’s going to run his way. Even if it irks the frontrunner for Prom King – the infuriatingly handsome Tucker Watson.
Y’all. Get ready to fall head over glittery reinforced heels for Waylon, his friends, his kickass grandma, and his plans to rule the world. PUMPKIN had me cheering from my bed, holding back tears, and hollering along as we watch this resilient young man take on his high school bullies. It’s a Young Adult novel for the youth in all of us – and it’s told with Murphy’s signature wit and charm. Pumpkin can serve as a standalone story, but fans of the Dumplin’ series will be super grateful for this final installment (oh, hi, Willowdean!) And, with drag culture the most popular its ever been, even the most casual fans of RuPaul will enjoy what’s being served here.
Above all else, this book reminds me of the importance of representation in literature – especially at the YA level. 30-year old me would've traded many things away for the chance to read this book at a time when he was ready to shed who he was and become who he now is. Waylon is fighting back against criticism of his queerness and his fatness, and this book expertly illustrates the struggles that those two things can have when they collide together.
I absolutely goshdarn loved this one. And I really think you will too. Read books like Pumpkin. Trust me.
The biggest thank you to Balzer + Bray for my advance copy!
Julie Murphy, author of the bestseller Dumplin’ (yes, the basis of THAT Netflix film) brings us back to Clover City, Texas for one last hurrah in PUMPKIN. It’s the story of Waylon Brewer: a fat, openly gay boy who is ready to live his truth. He’s a senior in high school, and he’s ready to leave this town behind and ride away with his twin sister. But when his plans go awry, a late-night decision inspires him to instead audition for his favorite drag TV program. And when Waylon’s audition tape ends up in the wrong hands, it results in a round of mockery punctuated by a joke nomination for Prom Queen. Only, what the bullies could never see coming is that Waylon is going to run – and he’s going to run his way. Even if it irks the frontrunner for Prom King – the infuriatingly handsome Tucker Watson.
Y’all. Get ready to fall head over glittery reinforced heels for Waylon, his friends, his kickass grandma, and his plans to rule the world. PUMPKIN had me cheering from my bed, holding back tears, and hollering along as we watch this resilient young man take on his high school bullies. It’s a Young Adult novel for the youth in all of us – and it’s told with Murphy’s signature wit and charm. Pumpkin can serve as a standalone story, but fans of the Dumplin’ series will be super grateful for this final installment (oh, hi, Willowdean!) And, with drag culture the most popular its ever been, even the most casual fans of RuPaul will enjoy what’s being served here.
Above all else, this book reminds me of the importance of representation in literature – especially at the YA level. 30-year old me would've traded many things away for the chance to read this book at a time when he was ready to shed who he was and become who he now is. Waylon is fighting back against criticism of his queerness and his fatness, and this book expertly illustrates the struggles that those two things can have when they collide together.
I absolutely goshdarn loved this one. And I really think you will too. Read books like Pumpkin. Trust me.
The biggest thank you to Balzer + Bray for my advance copy!
February 14, 2025
This is the last of the Dumplin' series. Willowdean, at least and at last shows up in this one too as a very minor character, and it's good to see how she's matured since the first time we met her in Dumplin'. Not really sure what happened with this one, but the magic of the other three was a bit lackluster in this one, which is surprising, given we have front row seats to drag!!
Maybe it's because I love how Murphy writes her girl characters, and this time, we had a boy - he was a bright and beautifully self-actualizing boy, but a boy nonetheless. Maybe I would've liked it better if the main character had been his twin sister Clementine. Not sure. But whatever the case. it just did not fully connect with me, even though it had the same charm as the others.
Nonetheless, I think it's great to get as many positive LGBTQ+ books out there, especially for younger children. Growing up, I thought there were only boys and girls and that they were supposed to marry each other. I'm so glad I grew out of these notions, but I was already a middle-aged woman by the time I figured it out. The LGBTQ+ language we have today did not exist in my childhood, so many of us growing up in the 80s and before then had no clue we had a range of identities to call ourselves or that we didn't have to marry any particular gender or anyone at all. So while I'm not trying to make our children "gay" (sorry MAGA, but that's more your agenda than mine with your extreme homophobia - ever hear of reverse psychology or that the more you resist something, the more it will persist???), I am trying to let kids know that whoever they are and however they are, it's all normal and all perfectly them. Bravo to Murphy for writing this book with this kind of message.
Rounding up to four for that reason.
Maybe it's because I love how Murphy writes her girl characters, and this time, we had a boy - he was a bright and beautifully self-actualizing boy, but a boy nonetheless. Maybe I would've liked it better if the main character had been his twin sister Clementine. Not sure. But whatever the case. it just did not fully connect with me, even though it had the same charm as the others.
Nonetheless, I think it's great to get as many positive LGBTQ+ books out there, especially for younger children. Growing up, I thought there were only boys and girls and that they were supposed to marry each other. I'm so glad I grew out of these notions, but I was already a middle-aged woman by the time I figured it out. The LGBTQ+ language we have today did not exist in my childhood, so many of us growing up in the 80s and before then had no clue we had a range of identities to call ourselves or that we didn't have to marry any particular gender or anyone at all. So while I'm not trying to make our children "gay" (sorry MAGA, but that's more your agenda than mine with your extreme homophobia - ever hear of reverse psychology or that the more you resist something, the more it will persist???), I am trying to let kids know that whoever they are and however they are, it's all normal and all perfectly them. Bravo to Murphy for writing this book with this kind of message.
Rounding up to four for that reason.
July 27, 2021
I'm about to be petty in this damn review because I just read through some reviews and the audacity that people have It's making me angry.
Someone else in the review literally said that there was too much diversity here. That there was too many queer identities and it was unrealistic. You know what? Fuck that bullshit. I am so exhausted of cis gay older men complaining about different labels and gender identity and having to confront racism and transphobia in aphobia within the queer community. Having fat diverse queer rep is not an injustice to you. Get off your freaking high horse and let someone else have the goddamn spotlight.
Now that I have had a moment to bitch, we can take a moment to appreciate how glorious this book is. There is not enough fat queer rep in the world. And when I say fat I mean fat. Not someone who is straight-sized or someone who can put on some shapewear and look thin. I mean someone who is fat and will always look fat no matter what they're wearing. While we are getting more fat girl rep, fat gay boy rep is less common but deserves just as much attention. Fat queer people are beautiful and wonderful and I love them all. We are magnificent. Being fat and queer is an intersection of identities that is entirely unique. I think it was handled super well in this book and I loved Waylon so much.
I also really appreciated that this is the first book in this series where the title is not based on a derogatory term. Both Dumplin and Puddin were terms that were given to the MC's that they didn't really like. Will eventually kind of embraces Dumplin but it is used as a derogatory term towards her at points in that book. As for Puddin, Millie is giving the name at fat camp of all places and that's just a lot to expect from someone. But finally in Pumpkin, we get a term that is an endearment that the MC actually likes and enjoys and embraces. Waylon is not offended by the term Pumpkin and he embraces it for his drag persona. The term Pumpkin was given to him by his grandma which is adorable and is mostly because of his hair. I didn't have anything to do with body size or food or anything fat phobic.
As much as I loved Waylon, I also loved Clementine and was so thrilled to see Hannah get a little bit more of the spotlight and a character arc versus just being a secondary POC lesbian character.
This is my favorite of the series probably for the reason that it's so much more than just a romantic subplot. This book is about relationships and love but a variety of those things. It's about sibling and parental relationships, about both platonic and self-love in addition to romantic love. It's about embracing who you are in the body that you have and knowing that you deserve to take up space. But also didn't hurt that we finally see Patrick get his ass handed to him in this book. We do not stan a bully and he deserves so much worse for all of the habit that he reached throughout these books.
Anyway, it was super precious seeing Waylon try and experiment drag for the first time and especially his little impromptu drag lesson from a fellow drag queen. I thought that the way that prom was handled in this was engaging without being over the top and we'd love to see queer kids challenging stupid heteronormative gender binary expectations of high school prom.
I do wish there was a little bit more development between Waylon and Tucker, but they have their own little moments and I liked that it was not the main premise of this book. The romance was a side plot.
Truthfully I am super tired and have reached a point where I am just talking into my phone hoping that my voice to text picks up everything and all of my rambling about these last couple books I read. I probably should apologize for how long and messy these reviews are, but I'm not going to because this is what my brain is like. Deal with it. Maybe one day I will make detailed structured reviews, but today is not that day.
Rep: fat gay white MC, white lesbian secondary, afro-dominican lesbian secondary, secondary fat characters, secondary queer characters
Someone else in the review literally said that there was too much diversity here. That there was too many queer identities and it was unrealistic. You know what? Fuck that bullshit. I am so exhausted of cis gay older men complaining about different labels and gender identity and having to confront racism and transphobia in aphobia within the queer community. Having fat diverse queer rep is not an injustice to you. Get off your freaking high horse and let someone else have the goddamn spotlight.
Now that I have had a moment to bitch, we can take a moment to appreciate how glorious this book is. There is not enough fat queer rep in the world. And when I say fat I mean fat. Not someone who is straight-sized or someone who can put on some shapewear and look thin. I mean someone who is fat and will always look fat no matter what they're wearing. While we are getting more fat girl rep, fat gay boy rep is less common but deserves just as much attention. Fat queer people are beautiful and wonderful and I love them all. We are magnificent. Being fat and queer is an intersection of identities that is entirely unique. I think it was handled super well in this book and I loved Waylon so much.
I also really appreciated that this is the first book in this series where the title is not based on a derogatory term. Both Dumplin and Puddin were terms that were given to the MC's that they didn't really like. Will eventually kind of embraces Dumplin but it is used as a derogatory term towards her at points in that book. As for Puddin, Millie is giving the name at fat camp of all places and that's just a lot to expect from someone. But finally in Pumpkin, we get a term that is an endearment that the MC actually likes and enjoys and embraces. Waylon is not offended by the term Pumpkin and he embraces it for his drag persona. The term Pumpkin was given to him by his grandma which is adorable and is mostly because of his hair. I didn't have anything to do with body size or food or anything fat phobic.
As much as I loved Waylon, I also loved Clementine and was so thrilled to see Hannah get a little bit more of the spotlight and a character arc versus just being a secondary POC lesbian character.
This is my favorite of the series probably for the reason that it's so much more than just a romantic subplot. This book is about relationships and love but a variety of those things. It's about sibling and parental relationships, about both platonic and self-love in addition to romantic love. It's about embracing who you are in the body that you have and knowing that you deserve to take up space. But also didn't hurt that we finally see Patrick get his ass handed to him in this book. We do not stan a bully and he deserves so much worse for all of the habit that he reached throughout these books.
Anyway, it was super precious seeing Waylon try and experiment drag for the first time and especially his little impromptu drag lesson from a fellow drag queen. I thought that the way that prom was handled in this was engaging without being over the top and we'd love to see queer kids challenging stupid heteronormative gender binary expectations of high school prom.
I do wish there was a little bit more development between Waylon and Tucker, but they have their own little moments and I liked that it was not the main premise of this book. The romance was a side plot.
Truthfully I am super tired and have reached a point where I am just talking into my phone hoping that my voice to text picks up everything and all of my rambling about these last couple books I read. I probably should apologize for how long and messy these reviews are, but I'm not going to because this is what my brain is like. Deal with it. Maybe one day I will make detailed structured reviews, but today is not that day.
Rep: fat gay white MC, white lesbian secondary, afro-dominican lesbian secondary, secondary fat characters, secondary queer characters
February 27, 2021
WAYLON BREWER NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS - HE IS THE CINNAMONEST OF CINNAMON ROLLS
January 9, 2022
I have a big fondness for Dumplin', mostly because of the Netflix movie though I also remember really liking the book. I don't really remember much of the companion book Puddin', but I also remember liking that. This book fits right in, it was a fun feel-good story with a good message. I really liked Waylon as the main character. I liked the side characters too and enjoyed it whenever characters from the previous books showed up.
The story was sweet and optimistic. I enjoyed it a lot. I really think these are good books for teens to read, as Julie Murphy tells important stories in a fun way.
The story was sweet and optimistic. I enjoyed it a lot. I really think these are good books for teens to read, as Julie Murphy tells important stories in a fun way.
November 14, 2020
The Dumplin' universe is one of my absolute favorites. Reading this was like stepping into a warm hug.
June 25, 2024
2024:
Ein überfälliger Re-read. Ich liebe die Figuren und vor allem die tolle Repräsentation. Julie Murphy muss dringend wieder damit anfangen, solche Jugendbücher zu schreiben. I need it!!!!
2021:
So viel Liebe für dieses Buch! Nachdem ich "Dumplin'" und "Puddin'" schon geliebt habe, hat Julie Murphy mit "Pumpkin" noch einen draufgesetzt! Dieses Buch war wie für mich geschrieben: Ein fetter, schwuler Junge mit losem Mundwerk, der Abschlussballkönigin werden möchte. Großartig.
Viele der Charaktere kannte ich natürlich schon aus den vorherigen Büchern und es war einfach wie nach Hause kommen.
TW: Homophobie, Body Shaming, Mobbing
Ein überfälliger Re-read. Ich liebe die Figuren und vor allem die tolle Repräsentation. Julie Murphy muss dringend wieder damit anfangen, solche Jugendbücher zu schreiben. I need it!!!!
2021:
So viel Liebe für dieses Buch! Nachdem ich "Dumplin'" und "Puddin'" schon geliebt habe, hat Julie Murphy mit "Pumpkin" noch einen draufgesetzt! Dieses Buch war wie für mich geschrieben: Ein fetter, schwuler Junge mit losem Mundwerk, der Abschlussballkönigin werden möchte. Großartig.
Viele der Charaktere kannte ich natürlich schon aus den vorherigen Büchern und es war einfach wie nach Hause kommen.
TW: Homophobie, Body Shaming, Mobbing
September 14, 2021
even though i’ve never lived in the south, there is something about julie murphy’s clover city books that feel like home. as soon as you open the cover and read a few pages, you feel as if you already know the main characters, have known them your whole life instead of merely just having been introduced to them. and with the protagonist being a fat, gay kid who dabbles in drag? what more could a reader possibly ask for?
each of the characters are bursting with life and personality. even when their desires diverge, you just want them to do what will make them happy and fulfilled. even the side characters have spark, especially because pumpkin featured cameos from some well-loved characters in the dumplin universe, including millie, willowdean (and bo!) and hannah. i also want to point out my appreciation that our lgbtq+ representation was balanced - in addition to our gay lead, we also had his sister and her lesbian relationship (!!) as well as a nonbinary character in the school’s prism club. (casually nonbinary characters are becoming a more common find in the books that i’m reading, and that sends happy thrills up my spine.) waylon and the people he interacts with also find such opportunities to learn, grow, and flourish, in a way that is natural and lasting throughout the book. how can you not leave it loving them?
a main part of the plot is waylon dipping his toe into the world of drag after his favorite contestant on fairest of them all doesn’t win the crown - because, he’s guessing, she’s fat. i have heard of drag before, both in my life experiences and in books, but never through a main character who was trying it. i left this book understanding and appreciating the art form much more than i did before. i have a feeling that, no matter what waylon does with his life, he just might end up becoming the fairest of them all himself (or should i say, miss pumpkin patch will?)
julie murphy’s books are always a joy. if you’re looking for a novel that will make you squeal with happiness, then i definitely recommend this one.
each of the characters are bursting with life and personality. even when their desires diverge, you just want them to do what will make them happy and fulfilled. even the side characters have spark, especially because pumpkin featured cameos from some well-loved characters in the dumplin universe, including millie, willowdean (and bo!) and hannah. i also want to point out my appreciation that our lgbtq+ representation was balanced - in addition to our gay lead, we also had his sister and her lesbian relationship (!!) as well as a nonbinary character in the school’s prism club. (casually nonbinary characters are becoming a more common find in the books that i’m reading, and that sends happy thrills up my spine.) waylon and the people he interacts with also find such opportunities to learn, grow, and flourish, in a way that is natural and lasting throughout the book. how can you not leave it loving them?
a main part of the plot is waylon dipping his toe into the world of drag after his favorite contestant on fairest of them all doesn’t win the crown - because, he’s guessing, she’s fat. i have heard of drag before, both in my life experiences and in books, but never through a main character who was trying it. i left this book understanding and appreciating the art form much more than i did before. i have a feeling that, no matter what waylon does with his life, he just might end up becoming the fairest of them all himself (or should i say, miss pumpkin patch will?)
julie murphy’s books are always a joy. if you’re looking for a novel that will make you squeal with happiness, then i definitely recommend this one.
December 18, 2020
Third time's the charm! This book is Dumplin' #3 and is the best one of all. Our story follows Waylon, a tall, bigger boy who is red-headed. And gay. He laments that it's hard enough to be the tall fat kid, but to be gay and feminine in a small Texas town is the icing on the cake, Oh, and then there's his twin sister, Clementine. Waylon's grandma calls him Pumpkin and being a big guy with orange hair just kind of fits with that nickname. When the story opens, we see Waylon getting excited for the season finale of a reality show about drag queens, Fiercest of Them All. Adorable story, and like I said, I'm pretty sure this is the best of the three books in this series (and it's a plus that we get to see Willowdean and Millie again).
June 28, 2021
This is the third book set in this universe and so far I’ve loved them all. This one was a little bit of a slower start for me, but it made up for that in the second half when I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I love this optimistic fictional town of Clover city where those who are weird find more acceptance and success than hate. This volume centers around a fabulous senior named Waylon who is a fat, gay, teen with aspirations of getting into drag. When Waylon and his twin sister’s girlfriend Hannah are nominated for prom queen and king respectively he surprises everyone including himself when he accepts the challenge and truly campaigns.
June 23, 2021
I was honestly not expecting to love this one as much as I did!! I loved how Julie Murphy upends the traditional dynamic of the prom - arguably the most iconic heteronormative milestone of high school - by having two out gay teens get nominated for prom court in a role reversal as a joke. Rather than being ashamed though, Weylon, a plus-sized gay boy who was just trying to keep his head down until graduation, ends up embracing his prom queen nomination and becoming an inspiration for the other queer students. The nomination also helps give him the courage to explore his inner drag queen persona, Pumpkin, performing at parties and a local drag bar. This book is just fun and full of body positive, hopeful messaging for queer teens stuck in a small town. I really loved that Weylon wasn't just gay but fat too, and the author does a great job illustrating how much more difficult that is when so much of the gay culture prizes hot, fit, bodies. Highly recommend this one, especially for fans of The black flamingo, Jay's gay agenda or any of the other Dumplin' series books.
Favorite quotes:
"Being fat is hard enough without adding gay guy to the equation. The only gay guys anyone fawns over online are ripped with like twelve pack abs or whatever. I know it's plenty difficult for other people too but when you're straight and big everyone is fine with you...but when you're gay if you want to be the object of anyone's desire you better have washboard abs and a phone full of thirst traps."
"Maybe prom queen doesn't have to always be the same thin, pretty and popular girl. Maybe the queen doesn't have to be a girl at all."
"Drag is more than makeup and gowns and bodysuits and tucking and sequins and wigs. Drag is about what you exude. Drag is a choice and in this moment, in front of almost the entire senior class, my choice is to fully embrace Pumpkin."
"I think one day it will be easy to look back on this time and see that I was this gay kid trapped in a small town. And yeah sometimes I feel like that. But sometimes I'm with all of you and I see that we all feel trapped and the only thing stopping us from feeling free is our fear of what others will think."
Favorite quotes:
"Being fat is hard enough without adding gay guy to the equation. The only gay guys anyone fawns over online are ripped with like twelve pack abs or whatever. I know it's plenty difficult for other people too but when you're straight and big everyone is fine with you...but when you're gay if you want to be the object of anyone's desire you better have washboard abs and a phone full of thirst traps."
"Maybe prom queen doesn't have to always be the same thin, pretty and popular girl. Maybe the queen doesn't have to be a girl at all."
"Drag is more than makeup and gowns and bodysuits and tucking and sequins and wigs. Drag is about what you exude. Drag is a choice and in this moment, in front of almost the entire senior class, my choice is to fully embrace Pumpkin."
"I think one day it will be easy to look back on this time and see that I was this gay kid trapped in a small town. And yeah sometimes I feel like that. But sometimes I'm with all of you and I see that we all feel trapped and the only thing stopping us from feeling free is our fear of what others will think."
August 26, 2021
I wanted to love this story and when I first started it I really thought that I would, but Waylon is a petty, self centered, mean spirited person. I get it, he's a teenager. He's a femme gay teenager and that makes his life hard, but goddamn, he had no room in his woe is me thoughts to care about anyone else.
He's constantly throwing his twin's decision to go somewhere without him back in her face despite having 'hashed it out', he enjoys seeing Tucker struggle with his alcoholic father because *HE* Waylon gets to experience a new side of Tucker, and he's so damn nosey about Bo/Willowdean's relationship because DRAMA.
Like, damn, dude, it really doesn't surprise me that you didn't have any real friends before this story.
And don't even get me started over his prejudice of Kyle losing weight and no longer being fat just like him. Heaven forbid Kyle did what he wanted to make himself happy. Sure, Kyle had some underlying issues he needed to address but obviously Waylon has his own insecurities to deal with if he's always demonizing Kyle for losing weight. Not everything is about you, Waylon.
The only enjoyable parts of this story was the friends/side characters and Tucker. Waylon was far too petty for me to enjoy, especially because he has no growth. He gathered the courage to openly be his true self and live his truth, but being a gay femme boy doesn't excuse your shitty judgemental, self centered behavior.
Needless to say, this is my least liked of the Dumplin' series so far.
He's constantly throwing his twin's decision to go somewhere without him back in her face despite having 'hashed it out', he enjoys seeing Tucker struggle with his alcoholic father because *HE* Waylon gets to experience a new side of Tucker, and he's so damn nosey about Bo/Willowdean's relationship because DRAMA.
Like, damn, dude, it really doesn't surprise me that you didn't have any real friends before this story.
And don't even get me started over his prejudice of Kyle losing weight and no longer being fat just like him. Heaven forbid Kyle did what he wanted to make himself happy. Sure, Kyle had some underlying issues he needed to address but obviously Waylon has his own insecurities to deal with if he's always demonizing Kyle for losing weight. Not everything is about you, Waylon.
The only enjoyable parts of this story was the friends/side characters and Tucker. Waylon was far too petty for me to enjoy, especially because he has no growth. He gathered the courage to openly be his true self and live his truth, but being a gay femme boy doesn't excuse your shitty judgemental, self centered behavior.
Needless to say, this is my least liked of the Dumplin' series so far.
April 18, 2023
So this was a good book — I do want to stress that right off the bat. Waylon is an engaging protagonist and I found myself really rooting for him. I related personally to his arc and I’m so glad for the queer fat kids who will find this book at the right time in their life — however, for me, it’s kind of hard to escape the naked truth that this is a book that asks me to care about prom for more than three hundred pages. I know the book is about a lot more than that, and that “prom” in this instance represents Waylon’s hesitance to live authentically, but at the end of the day, the book is about prom and I do not have it in me to care about prom.
August 21, 2021
I did really enjoy this, and I loved Waylon. Unfortunately I didn't love this as much as I'd hoped though - this was a 5 star prediction for me - but I still really liked it.
December 20, 2020
Ohhhhhh my goodness I loved the shit out of this. There's so much to love: supportive families (is Clover City the Schitt's Creek of fiction???), great friends, twins, drag queens, LURVE and of course, did I mention, LURVE?
Seriously though, the feel-good bits of this were just so wonderful, and though there is conflict, it is low-stakes and you know things will work out in the end. I loved Clem and Waylon; I loved that everyone's fave Clover City characters come back.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Seriously though, the feel-good bits of this were just so wonderful, and though there is conflict, it is low-stakes and you know things will work out in the end. I loved Clem and Waylon; I loved that everyone's fave Clover City characters come back.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
June 10, 2021
This was the perfect book to kick off my summer reading with! Julie Murphy's writing just keeps me engaged; I laughed and cried and cheered at various points while reading. As a fat queer kid, it just means so much to me to see fat queer kids getting happy endings.
January 16, 2021
This book made my heart smile
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