A couple years ago, along with the rest of the world, I fell in love with the residents of Clover City, Texas when Julie Murphy introduced us to them in her novel Dumplin’. A few years later came Puddin’ and readers got to know more students at Clover City High in this second installment. Imagine my surprise when I found out Julie was returning to this small Texas town in her newest novel Pumpkin.
Pumpkin, AKA Waylon Brewer, is just trying to survive as a fat gay high school senior along with his twin sister Clementine. As graduation draws near, Waylon is left wondering what the future holds for him. This is a story of self-discovery that is highly relatable even to this thirty-seven year old. Julie's characters are always real and have confidence I wish I had at their age. This is not to say that their insecurities are left out of the story because they certainly are not. Julie's main and supporting characters, including the ones in this book, are unapologetically themselves which leaves the reader inspired to follow in their self-assured footsteps.
This book also does a great job of handling LGBTQ+ representation by having characters that represent a variety of sexualities and personalities. It also does an excellent job of showing positive acceptance from friends and family members which is, unfortunately, a rarity in this day and age. The small town mindset is mentioned in the novel but it is not heavily focused on.
This novel is recommended for teens, as well as adults like me, who want to relive their high school days or just enjoy coming-of-age YA novels. It is also a great novel for LGBTQ+ youth who may be seeking a relatable story. Readers who like character-driven novels with diverse and eccentric characters would love this book.
Availability: Book; eBook in cloudLibrary Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it) Reviewer: Heather, Branch Manager
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Pumpkin
GENRE: LGBTQIA Fiction; Realistic Fiction TONE: Angst-Filled; Funny STORYLINE: Character-Driven WRITING STYLE: Engaging; Thoughtful CHARACTER: LGBTQIA Diverse; Likeable; Relatable SUBJECT: Bullying and Bullies; Drag Shows; Gay Teenagers; Identity; Overweight Teenage Boys; Proms; Self-Discovery in Teenagers; Twin Brothers and Sisters
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