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Dumplin� is the story of Willowdean Dickson, a fat girl from a small town that hosts the oldest beauty pageant in Texas. After the sudden death of her beloved aunt, Will decides to honor her memory by signing up for the pageant. She wants to try something that her aunt had always denied herself because of her own insecurities about her weight. Now Will suddenly finds herself contending with becoming a beauty queen, her crazy pageant mother, an angry best friend, two cute boys� and maybe a small revolution.

Full disclosure, I know Julie, and love her very much as a person. She is also, however, an excellent writer. The writing in Dumplin� is as funny and self-assured as its narrator. From the first sentence I was so immersed in the world that I felt myself dripping with Texas summer sweat. Willowdean, in particular, feels wonderfully real. She’s not cripplingly insecure, but she’s not superhumanly confidant either. Just like most of us! I loved her so much, and got so caught up in her story, that I had to buy an extra charger at the airport. There was NO WAY I was going to let my kindle die without knowing how the whole thing ended.

Essential reading for everyone who has ever felt uncomfortable in their own skin� which is everyone.