Sass. Beauty pageants. Dolly Parton. All tied up in the south.

You can't help but love this little contemporary. Willowdean is a self-proclaimed fat girl in her teens. The story explores her navigating her youth in a bigger body than most, but also showcases that bigger bodies aren't the only problem a teen can have. There's a lot of insecurity in being a teen and a lot of that is explored in Dumplin'.

There's a little love triangle that ends up resolved at the end. There's several stories of new and strained relationships that are also pieced together at the end.

The book isn't perfect, and neither are any of the characters. We are all human.