BOOK REPORT for Pumpkin (Dumplin' #3) by Julie Murphy
Cover Story: Can I Get An Amen Up In Here?
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Southern Comfort
Bonus Factors: Clover City, LGBTQ+, Body Image, Kickass GramRelationship Status: Shantay, You Stay

Cover Story: Can I Get An Amen Up In Here?

All of the books in the Dumplin' series have adorable covers, but this artwork is by far my favorite. From the ginger hair to the rainbow cummerbund to the red heels to that fabulous pose, the illustration of Waylon channels him perfectly, and that pink background!!! We also get the bonus of Waylon in drag on the back, because this jacket has to be as extra as our protagonist.  

The Deal

Waylon Brewer isn't the only openly gay guy in the small town of Clover City, Texas, nor is he the only fat one. But he might just be the only gay and fat guy, and even with supportive parents and a hell of a sister, he often feels isolated and lonely. It doesn't help that his closest connection with a queer community is through a TV drag competition, or that his make-out partner, Lucas, wants to keep their fling a secret. But when Waylon finds out that Clementine, his twin, is heading to college in Georgia and breaking their pact to move to Austin together, it's the final straw, and he breaks down in the most spectacular way: he films a video submission for his favorite show, Fiercest of Them All, and gives birth to Pumpkin Patch, his drag persona. 

But rather than winning him a spot in the competition, the video ends up going viral at school and blowing up Waylon's low-key profile to the point where he gets nominated for Prom Queen. Because asshole teens are soooo funny. Waylon's not the only target--Clementine's girlfriend, Hannah, is up for Prom King, and rather than silently bow out, she wants to win this thing, and she wants Waylon by her side. As the two pursue the crown, Waylon must grapple with his fears, his identity, and his alarming new crush on football hottie Tucker Watson. And as if that wasn't enough, he's gotta learn how to walk in heels. 

BFF Charm: Yay!

GAH, I want to hug Waylon SO HARD but I'd settle for letting him borrow my lipstick. He's funny and vivacious and yeah, a bit melodramatic, but he's also a prickly pear at times, which makes sense given all of the feelings roiling through his system. Being, as he would say, "fat and femme," means that people quickly label him and don't look any further, and because of that, he's not even sure there *is* more to him, more to know and more to love. It was heartbreaking to read passages like this:

"There are times when I feel like I can't be me. I can't simply exist. I have to offer something in exchange. Something that absolves me of being fat and gay and even worse--both of those things at once." 

Thankfully, Waylon isn't alone--bonus charms go to Clementine, who gives the best pep talks, and to Hannah, who is SUCH a badass. But ultimately, this is Waylon's journey, and watching him put himself out there, in spite of his fears, was truly an inspiring thing to behold. (Not to dismiss his Pumpkin Patch routine, which also sounds pretty dazzling to witness!)  

Swoonworthy Scale: 5

As we've noted in previous reviews of the Dumplin' series, there's a flicker of fairy tale underlying these underdog stories, and Waylon's romance with Tucker Watson is a very sweet expression of that theme. You will definitely find yourself wanting to smack Waylon on the arm and ask him why he's so BLIND because it's OBVIOUS that Tucker likes him, even though he's a high school golden boy and Waylon is... not. While I was actually more invested in Waylon's other relationships with friends and family, I can't deny that his connection with Tucker is the stuff that teen dreams are made of. 

Talky Talk: Southern Comfort

Julie Murphy may take you into painful emotional territory, but rest assured, she's always got a supply of sass to help you through the rockiest valleys. Whether you're looking for a frank exploration of self-image or a charming small town romp, you'll get both, and that's the magic of Murphy--the light and dark don't cancel each other out. Instead, both are deepened, and the result is a story that delivers Truvy Jones' favorite emotion: laughter through tears. 

Plus, it wouldn't be a Julie Murphy book without some choice aphorisms, and one of them is a callback to glitter!    
"Glitter is dangerous. You don't wield glitter. Glitter wields you."

Bonus Factor: Clover City

Not gonna lie, I would never want to live in Clover City, but I do love to visit! It was a blast hanging out again at Harpy's and The Hideaway, and reuniting with so many familiar faces (Willowdean! Bo! Millie! Callie!) was a real treat. The highlight of the trip? Will and Ellen drunkenly singing "Two Doors Down." 

Bonus Factor: LGBTQ+

There's a rainbow (hey-o) of queer voices in this book, which adds a rich complexity of perspectives and a compelling backdrop for Waylon, who worries that he might not be "the right kind of gay." I appreciated Julie Murphy delving beyond the anxieties of coming out and focusing more on the challenge of embracing a unique self under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. 

Bonus Factor: Body Image

Murphy has expertly tackled body image in previous novels, but Pumpkin stands out due to the way Waylon's feelings about his weight impact his queer identity. As he puts it: 

"I know it's plenty difficult for other people too, but when you're straight and big, everyone is fine with you as long as you can be the person who lifts heavy stuff or fixes things or protects people. But when you're gay, if you want to be the object of anyone's desire, you better have washboard abs and a phone full of thirst traps."

There's a lot to unpack here, and Murphy does it well thanks to her balance of tenderness and piercing insight.  

Bonus Factor: Kickass Gram

Waylon's grandmother, Grammy, is the shit. She lives with her two besties, Bernadette and Cleo; she sews up a storm and adores Waylon just the way he is; and, as he says: "If it's true what they say and that in our old age, we revert to our youth, Grammy's in her party-girl college years." So yeah, Grammy equals LIFE GOALS.

Relationship Status: Shantay, You Stay

PUMPKIN, it's no contest--you're a winner in my book! I applaud your dynamic spirit, your raw openness, and your big ole heart, and I'm so thankful to see you in the spotlight, because there are a lot of folks out there who need to experience your fabulousness.

I should start by admitting that I loved Dumplin'. Like an unreal amount of love. I loved how Julie Murphey took us into Millie's life in Puddin'. And I'm so, so glad to have gotten a chance to get to know Hannah better in Pumpkin. I'll stop gushing about Julie Murphy and actually talk about the book. Oftentimes, when you see people (especially gay men and drag queens) living their authentic lives, they seem so confident. Waylon shows us just how much courage it takes to live authentically, even when you have support.

Another absolute knockout from Julie Murphy! I adore Puddin and Dumplin, so I was super excited to get my hands on an ARC of Pumpkin, and I think this is my new fave! I love that you don’t have to read the books in order but there are nods to each character’s story intertwining. I found myself rooting for Pumpkin for the start, and loved following his story!

A wonderful addition to the “Dumplin’” series, these characters jump off the page and show what an amazing writer Murphy truly is!

Pumpkin returns to the Dumplin series. Each of these books are stand alone however, reading all three will give you a little more insight into Clover City. Waylon Russell Brewer is an openly gay boy who lives in a small Texas town. He plans to graduate from high school and move with his sister to a larger town. However, plans get changed and so does Waylon. When he and his sister's girlfriend are nominated for homecoming king and queen, they decide to play it out and go out with a glittery bang.
This is such a fun series. Learning how they navigate the trials of high school, Ms. Murphy really does a good job writing about how high school really is. The bullying is real. I really have enjoyed the series. I know this is probably the last book but I will miss Waylon and all of his friends.
I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. All opinions are my own.


Julie Murphy as done it again! She won me over (along with basically everyone else,) with Dumplin, and Pumpkin did not disappoint. Bonus points: I read this during Pride month!

Julie Murphy has done it again. Waylon aka Ms. Pumpkin' Patch is one of the most delightful, loving characters in Clover City. The message of the book is be true to yourself which in itself it never an easy thing to do. This book was the perfect ending to the Clover City stories.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to provide this

I loved Dumplin' and Puddin', so I was excited to see that Julie Murphy had written a third entry in her Clover City series. Characters from the first two books are at the periphery here, but this is an entirely new story, featuring Waylon Brewer, fat, gay high school senior and (secretly) aspiring drag queen. When Waylon gets nominated for prom queen, he decides to embrace it and run for the crown. But is Clover City ready for the real Waylon?

This was a sweet and funny book about embracing who you are. As a fellow late-bloomer, it was a joy to watch Waylon making new friends and trying new things at the end of high school.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Such a fun read! An excellent addition to the Dumplin' universe, but should be equally good as a stand-alone book for anyone who hasn't yet read Dumplin' or Puddin'.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In Pumpkin by Julie Murphy, Waylon Brewer is gay and fat. Just about to graduate high school, he is biding his time until he can ditch his small town of Clover City, TX, and trade it for the big city lights of Austin, TX. When he, as a joke, is nominated for Prom Queen, he has to decide whether he is going to keep hiding who he really is or is going to step out as his true self and let his inner queen, Pumpkin Patches, out. Read my full review - https://bythecoverreview.com/2021/06/14/review-pumpkin-by-julie-murphy/

While this is technically a part of a series, it stands pretty well on it's own. There are a few inexplicable characters, hints at a plot line I didn't understand. The central characters are fairly well developed, flawed but likable and willing to grow. The plot is predictable but sweet and readable. Nothing especially challenging, Just a pleasant and affirming bit of entertainment.

A book about a fat gay boy obsessed with drag? Yes please! This book was incredible fun and I finished it in one day! I want to be Waylon's friend!

teen fiction (queer interest, being openly gay in high school, with drag queens)
Y'all, Pumpkin is a delight. Yes, he gets his heart broken, but he also learns to let people get to know him, and he meets good people. Loved this!

I have to preface this review with the fact that I absolutely have a HUGE author crush on Julie Murphy, and Pumpkin is no exception. In this third installment from the Dumplin' universe, our main character is Waylon Brewer, who is out and somewhat proud, whose twin sister Clementine stole his coming out thunder when she admitted to being gay, too. It's senior year, Waylon's friend-with-benefits wants to come out of the closet - for another guy, not for Waylon - and as far as Waylon knows, he and Clem will be heading off to Austin, together, to begin their adult lives after graduation.

But things don't always follow the plan, as Waylon finds out. He's a big fan of a drag reality TV show, and one evening, as a lark, he dresses up and records an audition video - which Clem shares with another gay student, who accidentally shares it with the whole class before he figured out his mistake. And then someone decides to nominate Clem's girlfriend Hannah for Prom King . . . and Waylon is nominated for Prom Queen.

When both decide to follow through it creates a whirlwind of emotions in Waylon, especially when he's paired up with his prom-king candidate nemesis, Tucker, and they have to do projects together as part of the Prom Court process.

As always, Murphy provides not only amazing main characters, but a colorful supporting cast that includes the gay club the Hideaway and familiar characters like Willowdean and Lee Way to help Waylon on his journey to discover who the "Full Waylon" really is. And as always, Murphy provides a lovely ending to the story that will make readers simultaneously laugh and cry.

This is absolutely a fun, must-read book!

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy is the third book set in Clover City, preceded by Dumplin and Puddin. We follow Waylon, a fat, gay teen in his final year of high school in a conservative town. He has never been apart from his twin sister Clem, and they have the perfect plan to stay together after high school by moving to Austin together and taking community college classes. When Waylon is dumped by his gas station hook-up buddy, he makes a slap dash joke of an audition video for his favorite drag reality TV show. When that video gets leaked all hell breaks loose and he is jokingly nominated for prom queen, alongside a joke of a nomination for prom king of his sisters girlfriend Hannah.

I love the world of Clover City. Waylon was super relatable to me, also having grown up a fat gay kid. The community built in this book was uplifting and heartwarming. One of my favorite things was that no ones identity felt tokenized or checklist-y, they all felt authentic and natural.

Would highly recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed other Julie Murphy books!

This book is about Waylon Brewer who is an openly gay boy stuck in a small town. Oh, and he's also fat. His plan is to graduate and to move to Austin with his twin Sister, Clementine. Once he moves to Austin he can go Fully Waylon and finally be his full self and not hide.

One day, his master plan gets derailed and he decides to create an audition tape for his favorite t.v show Fiercest of them all. What Waylon wasn't expecting was his tape to be put in others' hands to be seen by the entire school. This tape changes a lot for Waylon.

Waylon will need to learn that the best plan for tomorrow is living for today . . . especially with the help of some fellow queens. . .

My review:
I totally loved this 3rd book of the Dumplin series. It is so adorable and relatable. and there is so much support from friends and family it's so awesome. I totally love the story and Julie Murphy is amazing and I just LOVE everything she writes. This book was fun and easy to read I really enjoyed it. Oh and I can't forget the cover it's absolutely perfect!! I totally love all the characters and it so much fun seeing some from the other books in this one. I really hope there will be more. More of Waylon and Pumpkin. Thank you Julie for writing these books. They all mean a lot to me.💗

Thanks to NetGalley and @hccfrenzy @harpercollinsca
For the arc and giving the chance to read and review this amazing book.

Reading Pumpkin filled me with so much joy! I instantly loved Waylon. He's a character who rides a fine line between confident and vulnerable. As an openly gay, fat, and femme boy, he's faced bullying and has learned to put up walls and respond to hateful comments with cutting remarks. He doesn't let many people get close and spends the majority of his time with his twin sister, Clem, her girlfriend Hannah, and his grandma and her elderly housemates. Waylon likes his bubble but when his amateur drag video gets shared on Facebook, he's forced out of his comfort zone and into the world of prom court. As part of his prom court duties, he's paired up with Tucker Watson, an attractive former football player who is also on Waylon's list of people to avoid.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book: the return to Clover City and seeing characters from the previous books, drag nights at the Hideaway, Waylon's sweet and supportive family, getting to know Hannah, learning about the queer teens at the high school, and the bittersweet emotions of pending graduation and big life changes. Most of all I loved Waylon's journey as he starts to open up and be even more of himself in public and at school. Many of the characters tell Waylon that he's been an inspiration to them though, as Waylon is quick to point out, for him hiding was never an option. As the story unfolds, Waylon lets himself be vulnerable, learns to see past his hurts and assumptions, and finds that happiness and love are things he can have right at home.

CW: bullying, homophobia, fatphobia

“When the world isn’t selling what you’re looking to buy, you just have to take it upon yourself to cut your own pattern.”
That’s what Waylon’s grandmother says before making alterations to the tux he’s wearing to Prom, but it also makes a good summary for the theme of the book.

Because rather than setting his own pattern for how he wants his life to be, Waylon has spent his high school years hiding who he truly is as much as possible. Waylon starts the book literally hiding out in the nurse’s office rather than playing on the skins team in gym class, for example. He doesn’t really spend much time with the other queer kids at school, and he dresses in polo shirts and cargo shorts rather than the fabulous clothes he’s hidden in the back of his closet for after he graduates. Waylon can’t disguise that he’s fat and femme, but he’s sure not living out loud and proud, either.

That’s before Waylon finds out his twin sister won’t be going to college with him as they planned, a video he did in drag gets leaked, and he gets nominated to run for the Prom court as a joke—he and his sister’s girlfriend get nominated for Prom Queen and King, respectively. When Hannah convinces him to take ownership of the joke and try to win, Waylon gets pushed out of his comfort zone. It’s not easy for him to change, but Waylon gets a lot of encouragement along the way from his family, friends, and others, and he ultimately realizes that he can be fully himself right now rather than putting it off into some unspecified point in the future. I loved Waylon as a character, and I loved seeing him bloom as his confidence grows throughout the book.

One of the people who pushes Waylon to grow is another of the nominees for Prom King, Tucker, who Waylon gets paired with as they try to win votes. Tucker makes some mistakes, but he’s also sweet and extremely supportive of Waylon being exactly who he is rather than hiding his light. I was rooting all along for a happy ending for the two of them, and I was not disappointed. 😊

Overall, Pumpkin is a great read with a lot of humor and an important message about appreciating yourself no matter what other people might think. Highly recommended!

A copy of this book was provided through Net

<i>" When the world isn't selling what you're looking to buy, you just have to take it upon yourself to cut your own pattern."

"It doesn't matter that I'm in old sweatpants and a T-shirt and Kyle's mom's robe. I'm in drag. Because drag is more than makeup and gowns and bodysuits and tucking and sequins and wigs. Drag is about what you exude. Drag is a choice. And in this moments, in front of almost the entire senior class, my choice is to fully embrace Pumpkin. Embracing Pumpkin doesn't mean leaving Waylon behind, because there's no Pumpkin without Waylon."</i>

This was a genuinely delightful, heart-warming, feel good book.

For the life of me, I couldn't understand the 1 and 2 star reviews. (It didn't help that some of them were just ratings, no reviews, which...is not helpful.)
The closest things I could find to criticisms were (1) Waylon is relentless in his identifying as queer and fat (which...sure, but do we complain about characters who identify as straight as slim relentlessly? Nope -- because we accept those as normal); (2) Clover City must be the most diverse Southern Small town ever (which...maybe, but while I didn't live in a small town, I definitely lived in the South, and the diversity IS there); and (3) it's unrealistic.

Another review -- a positive one -- compared Clover City to Schitts Creek, and something just clicked: I had been trying to articulate the vibe of the book: it was definitely a rose-colored view of the town, but it worked. The pureness of Schitt's Creek -- the lack of bigotry and homophobia -- was a conscious choice by Dan Levy:

<i>"We learn by what we watch. And even if you're presenting someone who puts out that energy, there is someone who will watch that and side with it. If you take the hate out [...] if you take the rules that are dictating who you can love, how you can love them, what kind of people are good people, what kind of people are bad people, you're only left with joy, which can only have an enlightening effect on whoever's watching it."</i>

Sometimes, that "joy" may seem a little more plausible in small-town Canada than in small-town Texas. But that's not to say there aren't risks in the Schitt's Creek world -- David somewhat jokingly alludes to being the victim of a hate-crime and Patrick is concerned his parents, while good people, might not accept him (spoiler: they do) -- they just don't factor significantly into the show.

Again, Clover City is small-town Texas, so homophobia and small-mindedness do factor into the story -- but the joy still wins.

Here's What Worked For Me:
✔︎ -- The "Clover-City-is-a-small-Southern-town" mindset works on both the macro and micro level of the story. That is, yes: Clover City is a surprisingly progressive and tolerant town, but isn't perfect. You still have your homophobic Mean People (here, it's Patrick Thomas and Bryce and Company) who aren't above doing dickish things. Waylon's parents still worry about their son running for Prom Queen, and how being "too much" might go over in the community.
But Murphy also weaves that mindset into Waylon's personal journey: his perception of and belief that the town *is* small-minded often limits and constrains him: he withdraws into himself and goes through most of high school as a loner because he's afraid of what being his true, authentic self will cost him. And I appreciated that: Waylon's struggle wasn't about finding himself or figuring himself out or learning who he is -- it was more about learning to give other people the benefit of the doubt, to not automatically assume the worst of them, and to trust people enough to let them in.

✔︎ -- Grammy, and Waylon's relationship with her. Y'all know I'm a sucker for a story with a grandma-grandchild relationship that tugs at the heart strings, and Murphy delivered here. Grammy is a force of nature, and the Golden Girls vibes are strong, with Grammy living with her two gal pals in a house with a shared crafting room.

✔︎ -- Round characters! I didn't think I would need to explicitly say this, but it's been a few books since I've gotten realized, dynamic characters and I definitely appreciate them!

✔︎ -- Body Positivity. I definitely appreciated that "I need to change" wasn't a narrative of this book -- nor was it the focus. That is, yes, Waylon is a fat, femme, gay guy, and his weight -- as well as Waylon's awareness of it -- featured in the story. How could it not? But Waylon didn't really express a desire to change, to lose weight, to be different. He was keenly aware of society's perceptions of fat people, but it didn't seem to translate into an internalized self-hatred or loathing of himself. There is a Formerly Fat Character -- Kyle -- who is more than just his weight loss journey, and I appreciated the conversation between the two characters about how weight loss journeys are presented. "Your body, your choice," is very much a strong theme -- Kyle isn't vilified for his weight loss -- but the importance is rather on how Kyle views his former self with disgust and a strong fear that he'll lapse. Which, understandably, makes Waylon feel uncomfortable, because Kyle's disgust and fear spills over to other people in his circle.

✔︎ -- I've read <i>Dumplin'</i> by Julie Murphy (before I watched the Netflix adaptation) but I haven't read the second book in this "series" (although I did just order it). But I remember the characters a bit, and was pleasantly surprised when they popped back up. I'm a sucker for a closed-loop-narrative, so getting to see what happens to those characters works for me. I know it's not for everyone, and some might say it's "forced" or "contrived," but given that these characters represent the diverse side of Clover City, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that they'd be in the same high school social circles.

✔︎ -- Prom Court. I kinda really loved how Murphy constructed the Prom Court and how she made it into something that was more than a popularity contest. I don't know if that's real, or has a basis in real life, or if it's just a product of wish fulfillment / a Schitts Creek type of alternate history, but it was wonderful. The idea that students elected to Prom Court had to actually *do* something -- volunteer, give back, be people of character and substance -- was just...everything.

I did read one (negative) review that complained that this wasn't an accurate reflection of being a teenager today -- that it was written by a middle-aged white woman for other middle-aged cis hetero white women and was full of dated pop culture references.

Which...guilty? I guess?
Obviously I can't speak to the "inauthenticity of contemporary adolescent experiences" but I'm not sure I understand the other part...
One -- the references weren't super dated to me. There was reference to music -- Murphy is a big fan of Dolly Parton, obviously, and if you're coming for Dolly Parton, then I'll automatically discredit your criticisms right there because she is an icon and a national treasure -- and, as far as I know, RuPaul's Drag Race is still on-air, so not sure how that's dated...
Two -- Murphy is, I believe, bi (I think I read that...? maybe even in this book...? ) and curvy in a world that is very much dominated by Thinness and Straightness. To me, it seems unfair to criticize <i>Pumpkin</i> for being for middle-aged cis hetero white women -- as well as raging speculation as to who the book might/might not appeal to.
Finally -- I've read YA books (a lot of them) that are clearly written for YA audiences. I'm not going to make blanket statements and/or generalizations, but I don't find them as good (I think CS Lewis would agree with me on this though). The characters act like teenagers -- self-absorbed, impulsive, narcissistic -- and the story often suffers because of it. The best stories -- IMHO -- resist strict classification. That is, just because a book -- like <i>Pumpkin</i> -- features an adolescent protagonist, doesn't mean it should only appeal to an adolescent audience. The best books resonate with audiences for various reasons -- and this one resonated with me.

What I love about Julie Murphy is that she really embraces writing about marginalized characters and does an excellent job at it. I loved the dynamic between Waylon and Clem. I loved that this story was about Waylon (a teen) wanting to be involved in drag. I can not think of a single other YA book that addresses this topic, and Murphy does it spectacularly. I loved that the characters from her other books show up, but you don't need to have read the others to read Pumpkin. The writing and character development are just so wonderful and I really appreciate how many "tough topics" Murphy tackles in all of her books.