Hi friends, happy Monday! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m going to be posting my review of the third novel, Pumpkin, in the Dumplin’ trilogy by Julie Murphy.

You can read my review of book one & two : Dumplin’ & Puddin’

Pumpkin by: Julie Murphy: Waylon Brewer has his future set, he’ll graduate high school, go to school in Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and become his true fat, gay self. Only, when Clementine deviates from the plan, this leaves Waylon scrambling to pick up the pieces and try to figure himself out… without his twin. Inspired by his favourite TV show, Fiercest of Them All, he dresses in drag for the first time, which opens a whole new door for him. This novel was fierce and it was full of hope, love and support; it was also full of insecurities, fears and anxieties, however, the way Murphy morphed all that into one novel was so well done. The plot was simple, yet it had complex sub-plots and characters to keep the reader invested. There were quite a few highs and lows and unexpected turns that left plots that felt predictable, unpredictable. There was something about this queer story that really struck the reader. It was such a fun story, yet a journey of self-love and self-acceptance; it was hard not to get swept away in everything that was happening. This was really fast-paced and the writing was easy to follow along with. The short chapters really made the pages fly by too. The reader loved getting to know all the characters in this story and this small town. Sure, there were some stereotypes and some of the character traits as well as their plots felt convenient, but there was so much sweetness in this novel that it didn’t feel forced or overdone. The characters were so dimension; they had tough exteriors but super sweet interiors that the reader couldn’t help but root for them. They were complicated characters and their relationships were messy, which really felt true to teens trying to figure themselves out. There were moments where Waylon came off as whiney, but it felt true to how a teen would react. It was also good to see characters say sorry and realize when they messed up and to have honest conversations about how they felt instead of hiding their truth. The sibling dynamic was also a relationship the reader thought was strong, real and raw. Overall, this was a thrill to read with so much goodness packed in.