Doormat

by Kelly McWilliams

Book Overview

WHAT WOULD YOU DO if your best friend got pregnant? Fourteen-year-old Jaime is used to her best friend, Melissa, being the center of attention. Melissa wants to be a model--she's beautiful, popular,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038573168X
• ISBN13: 9780385731683
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 131 Pages
• Weight: 2.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

A decent debut novel, but her next book is better

This was...fine? I am not shocked to hear that this was the author's first book and was written while she was a teen. It was a quick read though, and I don't regret picking it up.

Good Start

I congratulate this new author and her first novel. Although the book was short, its writing was unique and enjoyable. Being a high schooler myself, I could relate to the narrator, and I liked the fact that it was written by someone around the same age as both me and the narrator. It made the book seem more realistic. I look forward to more writings in the future.

Fast-paced, realistic, and satisfying

"Can you help me?" These are the four little words that Jaime's best friend Melissa uses to her sum up Jaime's role in their relationship. Jaime lives in "nowhere, California," where she and Melissa have been best friends forever --- which means that Jaime has been doing Melissa's bidding forever. Now is no different, except that Melissa's predicament is a total disaster: she believes she's pregnant. Guess who hails a taxi and heads for Walgreen's to brave the (male, middle-aged) clerk while purchasing a pregnancy test? Certainly not Melissa. Jaime offers her friend advice when Melissa insists upon it. Yet, the next thing you know, Melissa is angry with Jaime and giving her the silent treatment. Jaime simply does not know what to do. Even when Jaime's crush asks her to pair up with him for a drama class callback audition, Jaime can't work up any joy; she feels lonely and miserable. She offers to help Melissa, but how? Melissa continues to either ignore all of Jaime's advice or be infuriated by it. In the meantime, Jaime is so distracted by Melissa's plight that she forgets to be self-conscious at the audition and scores a starring role. Complications ensue when a male classmate discovers Melissa's condition and insists on lending a hand. Will the third person of the team be a help or a hindrance? And will Jaime ever find out who the father of Melissa's baby is? Time goes by without Melissa being able to make any decision. Jaime feels more and more panicked. Why did she say that she'd save her best friend? Will she always be a doormat? And, speaking of indecision, why can't Jaime figure out what she wants to do with her life? DOORMAT is a quick read, partly due to the short, fast-moving chapters, but mostly because it's one of those "don't disturb me NOW, I've got to find out what happens" books. The conclusion of DOORMAT is realistic yet satisfying. The author's note says that fifteen-year-old Kelly McWilliams is working on her next novel. I can hardly wait! --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)