Cecilia Curran ’20 reviews two fun and captivating novels impossible to put down.
Dumplin’ By Julie Murphy
In this day and age, how many teenage girls truly love their body? Not many. However, Willowdean “Dumplin’” Dickson is an exception. The protagonist of Dumplin’ take us along on an adventure of love of all sorts.
Willowdean Dickson has never been small. A word many would use to describe her is “fat,” but, to herself, she is beautiful. Growing up in a household with her overweight Aunt taught her to love herself. Willow never saw herself as inferior in any way, but, after the death of her Aunt Lucy, she stuck living with her pageant- running mother. Followed by constant reminders of her weight and how she could be “better,” her life seems to be on the decline, but her home life isn’t the worst of it.
Outside of the house, Willow is faced with a problem she’s never known before- Bo: The rugged dreamboat from every girls’ dreams, Willow finds herself falling in love, but she can’t bring herself to be in a relationship. Insecurities cloud her decision making in addition to shame from her sexual immaturity. Topped with her mother’s constant berating, she finds herself going insane.
As pageant season rolls around, things are at their worst, but Willow decides to do something to change everything, something she never thought she would do before: she enters her mother's pageant. Shocking everyone around her, including her former best friend, Willow finds herself risking it all to get Bo and prove to her mother that big is beautiful.
Verdict: Despite its seemingly cliché plot, as soon as you begin the book you’ll fall in love with Willow’s confident personality. Combined with a love story and a diverse group of misfit friends, Dumplin’ is impossible to put down.
Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn
Last time anyone checked, Pterodactyls went extinct 66 million years ago, and yet here lies the tale of Vista Views High. As bizarre as the title sounds, Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend is an insane adventure surrounding the arrival of a Pterodactyl student.
Sheils had it all. She loved her school, her family, her boyfriends, and her position as student body chair. Not to mention that she was great at being a part of all of them. A bright future lay ahead of her, but everything would change with a moment that would make history in the world, the arrival of Pyke, a pterodactyl student.
Sheils automatically assumes that Pyke will be hated by the student body but finds that everyone loves him. A musician, athlete, and new boyfriend of the school’s track star- everyone falls in love with him. Soon Sheils comes to the realization that she may love him too, and she doesn’t know why. In addition to facing this new revelation, Sheils deals with many more real problems. A crazy night at a school dance finds her marked by Pyke: a purple nose. As she tries to keep the school and community the same, she finds herself fighting a losing battle. She loses her boyfriend, the respect of her school, and the authority that comes with her position. In addition, with everything going on, she can’t even think about her future.
From the lowest point in her life, Sheils finds herself lost and all she can think about is a Pterodactyl.
Verdict: If you’re in the mood for a one of a kind book with a bizarre premise, the twists and turns of Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend may be exactly what you’re looking for.
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