Puddin’
By: Julie Murphy
I have been sitting on a Puddin’ review for a month (which I have never waited so long on anything involving actual pudding ever) and despite multiple tries I’ve never felt like it was right.
And I don’t know why because there is a lot to say about this sequel to Dumplin. It wasn’t like finishing a book and thinking yeah, that happened but I have nothing to say about it. I had feelings about Puddin’.
And it shouldn’t be that hard because it’s not a hard book. Millie- who we meet in Dumplin’ wants to go to a journalism summer program. Her mother wants to send her back to fat camp for the seven thousandth time. Callie thinks the world revolves around her and commits a felony because other people have problems that interfere with her life.
And now to stop overthinking and sum up my thoughts as I read the book:
I like it. Millie is so sweet and admirable.
Ugh. Callie is really annoying I can’t believe Millie’s falling for this crap.
Everything seems off. I don’t remember Willowdean and Ellen being so eye-rolling in the first book.
I hate them all!
Okay, fine nice wrap up but still…
Julie Murphy remains the contemporary Queen of writing really flawed human characters and like most humans sometimes it works and you want to spend time with them and other times they give you a headache.
Recommend: 50-50
I wound up liking the book but definitely not as much as Dumplin’. Yet I still give Murphy credit for her character work and Millie is great representation not often seen in books.