Doormat by Kelly McWilliams

Jaime is used to feeling a bit plain next to her friend Melissa; Melissa always has lots of drama going on in her life. But this time Jaime is not prepared for what Melissa has to say: she's pregnant and she wants Jaime to help her. Jaime wants to help but is overwhelmed by how huge it is. At fourteen, she doesn't know how to help Melissa and as a doormat, she's not used to being listened to. Can she figure out the best way to handle this situation?

While not a long book (it comes in at around 125 pages), Doormat covers a lot of emotional territory. How can you help friends without taking on their troubles yourself? What do you do when a friend doesn't listen to reason? It also has an authenticity about high school, helped by the fact that the author Kelly McWilliams wasn't much older than the main characters when the book was written. I was, though, surprised to see the language used around abortion; it seemed like it was straight out of a 1960s story, not one from the 2000s. (Also, at one point a teacher advocates for abortion for teen pregnancy in class, during a lesson - I can't see that happening today without high profile media attention.) This is a good choice for students looking for 100+ page books for school and anyone looking for a solid shorter novel.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
My Life as a Doormat (A Comedy in Three Acts) by Rene Gutteridge
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
The Lit Report by Sarah N. Harvey
Butterflies in May by Karen Hart
How to Deal by Sarah Dessen