Pumpkin

Sassy, sweet, and endearing, Pumpkin will instantly win over fans. The third book in the Dumplin' series focuses on Pumpkin, an open gay, overweight teen boy who is just ready to get on with his life and begins stage three - out and proud in a new city, a chance to be who he wants to be. He and his lesbian twin sister are both out - to their parents, friends, and school - but Pumpkin wants more. When his favorite plus size drag queen makes it all the way through the reality show only to lose to the small queen; Pumpkin is furious. Alone in his room he decides to put on makeup, lip-sync in the camera, and create an audition tape for his favorite reality drag show telling them how he really feels about their shameful body standards. Pumpkin won't ever send it in - but it was cathartic and a lot of fun. He shows his twin sister, Clem, who shows some people, who show some people, and the next thing you know, Pumpkin is nominated as prom queen. It's mortifying. Pumpkin is so close to going to Austin and getting away from the bullies and now he has to suffer through people mocking his "audition tape" and nominating him to prom court. But the joke is on them because through spite and gumption; Pumpkin is going to leap even further out of the closet and really give them something to talk about. Joyful and fun! 

Dumplin'

I love this book soo much I wish I could eat it up. Literally. Where was this book when I was a fat socially awkward teenager? As an adult, I related to this book, I can only imagine how much I would have related to this book as a teenager. Willowdean is fat. Not that fat is a bad thing, she just knows what she is and there is no hiding from it. She's confident and loud and she has her best friend Ellen by her side. She is unstoppable. That is until boys get into the mix. Suddenly she becomes self conscious. And it's not like her best friend will understand, she's skinny and perfect, she doesn't have rolls. To honor her recently deceased aunt (another self-professed fat girl) and to prove her peers that fat doesn't have to be ugly she enters the annual Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant and inspires some other "ugly" girls to try out as well. They're going to start a revolution on beauty standards and self-confidence!  Willowdean's mother is horrified, she runs the competition and is convinced that her fat daughter is entering as a joke. Her best friend Ellen sticks by her side until Willowdean tells her that she doesn't want her to enter the pageant because she's already beautiful. A huge rift occurs, what's a fat girl to do? Inspiring, laugh out loud funny. A must read for anyone who has ever dealt less than perfect in their own skin.