Book Review: Puddin by Julie Murhy

Title: Puddin' Series: Dumplin' #2 Written by: Julie Murphy Published: May 8, 2018 by Balzar + Bray (Harper Collins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: It is a companion novel to Dumplin', which follows supporting characters from the first book in the months after Willowdean's star turn in the Clover City pageant. Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream—and to kiss her crush. Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend. When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they will surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing they might have more in common than they ever imagined.

I always really love Julie's contemporary novels. I have read all three of her previous novels and really enjoyed them all. They are the contemporaries that I love because they combine fun and lighthearted with more serious moments. Puddin was no exception. Plus it was so great to dive back into the world of Dumplin.

On of the things that I really liked about this book was the characters. Julie definitely knows how to write complex and likeable characters. Our two main characters could not be more different. Millie is perpetually optimist and hopeful. She is sweet and cares a lot about other people. For that reason, Millie is so easy to like and root for. She's the kind of person who never lets anything get her down for too long and she has a lot of inner strength. Being in Millie's head and hearing her voice was amazing. It was a breathe of fresh air and I really felt the joy of Millie's perspective. Callie on the other hand was totally opposite. She was a complete pessimist and totally sassy. Callie is the kind of protagonist that I usually enjoy though. She's kind of unlikable in that she's a bit of a jerk but she also has really great development throughout the book. I loved seeing Callie grow and evolve.

Each of the characters also had a romance throughout the book. I'm usually sort of picky when it comes to my romances but I really liked both of these. For Millie it was a friends to more sort of thing. She had a crush on this guy who she didn't realize also liked her. It was such a sweet and cute romance. The moments they had together were a really great part of the story. Callie also had a really great relationship in this book. It was with a character who was introduced in Dumplin' and I was glad to see that they found love as well. What I really liked too is that it's not two characters who you would normally put together but it worked so well.

But the real heart of this story was the friendships. First we have the unlikely girl gang that began in Dumplin'. I was so glad to see that Millie stayed close with Willowdean, Ellen, Hannah, and Amanda. Not only did I like the fact that we got to see them again but they are a great group and seeing their relationships grow throughout the book was fantastic. The bigger friendship of course was with Callie and Millie. They're definitely an unlikely duo which made their friendship all the more interesting and engaging. Plus the book dealt with more toxic friendships as well. It not only showed how you can become friends with people but also what it means to lose friends, whether because you drift apart or because you have a big falling out. I like the dichotomy of the two and how it showed the emotional toll that can take on a person. It was really relateable in that way.

But like all of Julie's books, it deals with some more serious concepts as well. One of the things that I liked the most is the way that it dealt with weight and perceptions of weight. If you read Dumplin' then you probably remember Millie as a fellow fat girl and the runner up in the pageant. I really love the way Millie's weight is handled in this book. They didn't shy away from addressing it and some of the misconceptions people have about fat people. As someone who is larger I really liked that. It improved on a lot of the ideas that Dumplin' introduced and I really liked the way it addressed these issues.

All in all, Puddin' was a fantastic contemporary read. It had great characters that were likable and interesting, it had an enjoyable romance, and a good story of friendship. Like all of Julie's books it perfectly balanced fun and sweet moments with serious issues.

I give Puddin' by Julie Murphy 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked Julie's previous books then you should definitely read this one, especially if you enjoyed Dumplin'. But even if you didn't, this is a good contempoary read and you should definitely check out Julie's books.

Have you read Puddin'? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Title: Ramona Blue Written by: July Murphy Published: May 9, 2017 by Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ and Side Effects May Vary, comes another fearless heroine, Ramona Blue, in a gorgeously evocative novel about family, friendship, and how sometimes love can be more fluid than you first think. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson. Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever. Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever. The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

I love Julie Murphy’s books. Every book I have read by her I loved. I had wanted to read this book when it first came out but I didn’t get around to it until now. I wish I had read it sooner, because I unsurprising liked it a lot.

Like all of Julie’s books, this is a great coming-of-age story. Ramona is a small town girl who has already experienced a lot of adversity before we even meet her. She’s working two jobs just to have money to help pay the bills and save up for her move away some day.She lives in the Gulf region of Mississippi, in a town that is still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Katrina ten years later. Julie did a great job of showing the impacts of the storm on the people who are living there and that things were never really the same. It was poignant and made you think, while being an interesting setting for this book.

But much of the plot was about Ramona and her personal struggles to find out who she is and where she fits in the world. The impetus of me reading this finally was that I just read Leah on the Offbeat and I wanted to read another book with a bisexual character. And while Ramona isn’t really bisexual, or well she doesn’t want to label herself as one, the way that sexual identity is handled in this book was really interesting. For Ramona, someone who had come out when she was much younger, liking a boy is a strange thing. I liked the way Julie did that, making the heterosexual relationship the one that felt odd. And Ramona dealing with her sexuality and trying to put a label on it was a compelling and relatable subject matter. I can’t speak to whether or not the rep is realistic but the struggle to figure out your identity felt genuine and relatable.

The other fantastic and relatable thing in this book was the familial relationship. Ramona lives with her Dad and pregnant sister who she loves a lot. But her Dad, like her, is working two jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. He’s not around a lot but when he is, he’s kind of distant. But you can tell that he really cares about her and her sister. Speaking of Hattie, she and Hattie have a really good relationship. They are so close that they are almost like friends. They don’t always get along and they fight like actual sisters during the book, but they would also do anything for each other. I really liked the way that the family relationships were handled in this book. They were imperfect and realistic and gave the book a lot of heart.

The other thing I think gave this book a lot of heart was the friendship. I can sit her and talk about the romance, and my thoughts on that, but really the more interesting thing here was the friendships. Ramona had a great group of friends in Ruth and Saul. They were loving and supportive and so fun. Then when Freddie comes back to town they are able to become friends again as if nothing had changed between them. I really liked that. As someone who isn’t great at keeping up with people, I feel like this is a true and compelling thing. With true friends, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you last talked. And I loved Ramona and Freddie together. Not even romantically. They were just so sweet and nice with one another. They made each other so happy and I liked being there for that.

On the whole, Ramona Blue was a great read. It was engaging and poignant. It made you thing but didn’t beat you over the head with a lesson. It was a fun and sweet coming-of-age story and I’m glad I read it. It’s kind of a slower read in terms of pacing but still it’s incredibly readable. I didn’t think it dragged at all, and to be honest I wanted to keep reading it and I was sad when it was over.

I give Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked Julie’s other books then definitely check this one out. If you are looking for a sweet and interesting coming-of-age story with a character dealing with their sexual identity then I would definitely recommend this one. I really enjoyed it is only solidifying the fact that Julie is one of my favorite writers of YA contemporary.

Have you read Ramona Blue? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Dumplin by Julie Murphy

Title: Dumplin Author: Julie Murphy Published: September 15, 2015 by Balthazar & Bray (HarperCollins)  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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 received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I'm not a huge fan of YA contemporaries but Julie Murphy has yet to disappoint me. I really enjoyed her debut Side Effects May Vary, which I found to be a complex and creative story. And that is how Dumplin' was as well. It hit all the right notes for me. From the complex but likable heroine, to the relationships, to the plot development, it was all brilliant.

For one thing, Willowdean is the most perfect heroine and one that we need to see more of in YA. She totally breaks the mold and I mean that in more ways than one. She is a self-proclaimed fat girl who generally loves herself despite not being what others see as beautiful. As a plus size woman myself I could totally relate to Willowdean. It's not often to see a young woman like that take the starring role and do it in such an honest and relateable way. Because despite a sassy attitude and a lot of bravado she's still vulnerable and trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be both physically and emotionally. She makes mistakes and is vulnerable just as often as she is confident. It was fantastic. A lot of this book is about body image and I love that Julie didn't shy away from those insecurities with Willowdean. It made her a much more complex heroine that you could really empathize with. My sincerest hope is that young women reading this book can relate to the character and see themselves mirrored in the struggle and that Willowdean be a motivating force of self-love. I know she will be for me.

I also really loved the relationships in Dumplin'. First and foremost, the friendships. When we first meet Willowdean she has her best friend Ellen who she does everything with. But throughout the book their relationship hits some bumps. I found it really refreshing to see them kind of fight and drift apart but ultimately come back together. It wasn't perfect but it was so real. Same thing with the new friends she made. They were such a fun group of misfits and seeing them interact was amazing. Julie also did a great job with the familial relationship. There is a lot of criticism in YA about the absent part. For Willowdean her mom was around but they didn't have a great relationship. It too felt very real to see them fight but you could also tell there was a lot of love there. And finally, there was the romance. Julie Murphy knows how to do love triangles right (although you could argue that this wasn't a serious triangle). She provided Willowdean with two amazing and sweet guys who liked her the way she is and it made deciding between them all the more difficult. Every single relationship in this book felt so realistic and honest.

But what is so brilliant about this book is that it effortlessly walks the line between lighthearted humor and serious commentary on society. It dealt with some heavy topics like bullying and body image, and it did it in a way that made you think. I mentioned this a bit when I was talking about Willowdean but there is a fantastic theme throughout this book about self-love. It's a really poignant and empowering story in that way. Julie doesn't shy away for those hard topics and the truth that we all have moments where we don't love ourselves because maybe we are comparing ourselves to others but in the end, you being different is what makes you special. Wow, I sound like an after school special (a term that has me showing my age) but it's true. The themes and sentiments throughout Dumplin' do feel that poignant but they're not overdone and schmaltzy. But it also was a funny and sometimes silly look at high school and beauty pageants.  It perfectly walked that line between lighthearted and serious.

On the whole this was a brilliant and adorable read. My only criticism is that I felt like the ending was just a little too rushed. It felt like everything was really building towards the pageant and I felt like it was over a little too quickly. But that may have just been my feelings as a reader who prefers more of a plot-driven storyline. There is sort of two different plot points but they flowed together really well. It's a pretty character-driven story but it was still really well-paced and was a pretty fast read for me. I honestly stayed up way too late reading a few days and when I was finished I wanted to start it all over again because it is seriously that good.

I give Dumplin by Julie Murphy 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! This is a must read for all fans of YA or anyone looking for a unique story with a strong female protagonist that isn't like your average heroine. If you are a fan of  contemporaries or you're just looking for something different pick this book up and fall in love with Willowdean Dickson.

Have you read Dumplin? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Title: Side Effects May Vary
Author: Julie Murphy
Published: March 18, 2014 by Balthazar and Bray
Amazon Goodreads

Synospis:  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? 

My Review:

I received an ARC of this book from the fabulous ladies at On the Same Page as part of their ARC Tours. Thanks again to Brittany and the other lovely ladies!

This book is not your your average cancer book. It is not sweet or sentimental. It is not sad and heartwarming. Nothing that happens in this book is glamorous or fluffy.  It is dark and tough to read at times but that's part of it's charm. It's more Heathers and less The Fault in Our Stars.

I personally found the spin on the contemporary novel to be completely unique and engaging. Julie's writing sets a dark and gritty tone and establishes characters that feel very real. Throughout most of the book I was very unsettled. It made me think a lot about how I would handle such a situation. Would I resign myself to dying slowly and quietly? Would I seek revenge on those who have wronged me? How would I want to live out my final days? It also makes you think a lot about the consequences of your actions. It's like those people who win the lottery and quit their jobs then blow it all and have to file for bankruptcy. This book was more a blueprint on how not to be than advice on how to live your life to the fullest. I enjoyed that unique story that Julie chose to write. It's definitely not like something I have read before.

What also made this story unique is the way it was told. It's not a linear timeline. We begin the story in the middle, Alice is told that she is in remission. Then two timelines branch off from there. We go back to the "THEN" timeline where Alice was diagnosed with cancer and we follow her as she deals with her impending death and checks things off her bucket list. These chapters are peppered with the "NOW" timeline where Alice deals with the fact that she isn't dying and has to live with the consequences of what she said and did to people when she thought she would never have to see them again. The book is told from both Alice and her best friend, Harvey's, perspectives. Between the alternative timelines and the duel narrators things do get a little confusing at times. I found myself having to go back to the start of a chapter to remind myself who was telling the story and when it was happening.

As far as the characters go, they are not very likable but they are sympathetic. Alice is diagnosed with leukemia shortly after a very traumatic life event and she is not dealing with it very well. Already having a bit of a mean streak she acts out in unbelievable ways and becomes downright nasty to practically everyone she ever meets. Even after she finds out she's not dying her attitude problems persist and honestly she gets worse. She's stubborn and reckless but I understand where she is coming from, her anger of the situation was completely displaced and she was taking it out on people who didn't really deserve it (okay some of them did, but still). Even sweet and devoted Harvey is not immune to her negativity. He allows her bad attitude to affect him and as the story goes on, even he becomes less likable. As the story evolves both Alice and Harvey have "aha moments" and compelling characters arcs that I always love reading about. As time goes on and I learn more about what they are doing and why I started to feel invested in their happiness despite the fact that they annoyed me to no end. I wanted them to have a happy ending.

This is not your average contemporary novel but if you're looking for something gritty and unique then I would definitely recommend Side Effects May Vary. It is worth the read.

I give Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy a 7.5 out of 10

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. Julie can best be found on her website (www.juliemurphywrites.com), tumblr (www.andimjulie.tumblr.com), or twitter (www.twitter.com/andimjulie).

BUY LINKS:
IndieBound: www.indiebound.org/book/9780062245359
B&N: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/side-effects-may-vary-julie-murphy/1115554719?ean=9780062245359
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Side-Effects-Vary-Julie-Murphy/dp/006224535X

To celebrate the release Julie is asking everyone to share what's on their Bucket Lists. In the book when Alice finds out she doesn't have long to live she sets out to accomplish a list of things so that she can feel accomplished. What are some things you want to accomplish before you die? Most of what I want to accomplish is related to travel. When I think about the things I would want to if I found out I had less than a year to live they all involve going somewhere and seeing something. Places I've read about in books or places I have studied in school. They're historic landmarks, seven wonders, once in a lifetime experiences.

Places to Go and Things to do Before I Die:

Fake whale, real fun!

-Hug a redwood tree in Muir Woods

- See where my Dad was born in Australia (swim the Great Barrier Reef and pet a koala)
-Go on a whale watch

-Cross-country road trip (visit the Grand Canyon, Mt Rushmore, Joshua Tree, and obscure things like the world's largest ball of twine (if that exists))
-Hike the entire Freedom Trail in Boston

-Visit every Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC

-Climb the Eiffel Tower (and do other Parisian things)

-Go on an African Safari

-Visit Disneyland (high five Mickey)
-Attend Bonaroo music festival

-Visit the Rome (see the Vatican, Colleseum, Forum, throw a penny in the Trevi Fountain)

-Visit Machu Pichu in Peru

-Cliff Jumping in Hawaii (climb a volcano too)

 -Visit all seven the continents

-Try to get to Hogwarts (Platform 9 3/4 is your best course of entry while in London do other things)

- Visit Russia (St Petersburg and Moscow)

-Move somewhere that you know no one and start a life
-Attend BEA

 -Wallpaper apartment with maps of all the cool places that you've visited!

-Add more things and see more places

Leave me a comment with the things you want to do before you die. And if you've read Side Effects May Vary, what were your thoughts? HAPPY READING!