That’s Debatable by Jen Doll

Title: That’s Debatable
Author: Jen Doll
Publication: Farrar Straus Giroux, hardcover, 2022
Genre: YA
Setting: Present-day Alabama

Description: Millicent Chalmers wanted to be a debater and when her public high school didn’t offer a team, she found an advisor, began competing, and never looked back. Now she’s the best in the state despite the sexism she encounters from judges and fellow competitors. Millicent is hoping her debate skills will earn a college scholarship so she can’t afford to be goaded by her tormentors. Then she meets Taggart Strong, a debater who won’t argue the “wrong” side of the issue, upsetting his teammates, coach, and family. Unexpectedly charmed by his quirkiness, Millicent offers to help him, although her mother has forbidden her from dating and their friendship soon turns into a relationship. With Tag’s help, Millicent learns how to have fun and, in turn, she shows him how to hone his arguments without losing his integrity. Together, they take on their adversaries and reveal the misogyny and racism that threatens debaters who do not fit the mold.

My Impression: I have never been a debater and I don’t remember it being a thing at my high school but I really enjoyed Doll’s Unclaimed Baggage (my review) and have been awaiting her next book. Millie is a wonderful heroine: smart, brave, and dedicated. Millie is sensitive to the fact that her mother is a single parent and wants the best for her, even if she has put so much pressure on Millie to be single-minded that Millie has few friends and has to keep her developing relationship with Tag a secret. It is interesting watching Tag’s reaction as he becomes aware of the debate-related harassment Millie receives:

Then there were the guys Millie went up against who tried to flirt, winking at her during rounds, or winking at their male judges as if they were on a team together and she was the entertainment. She got comments on her outfit when none of the guys did. One judge told her she was proof that girls could debate, and I’m pretty sure he thought it was a compliment. Another judge gave her the win, but noted she should be careful “lest her overly assertive tactics undermine her likability.” I heard male competitors making jokes about her, and I’m sure she heard them, too. But she stayed calm, smiling that smug smile (which I was starting to see what the mask she used to keep people from getting to her, getting too close, or getting a reaction), and arguing her points clearly and effectively.

Despite the very serious harassment and its ramifications, the book is quite amusing in places. I like that the library is Millie’s favorite place, and that is where she hangs out with Tag as they become close and she tells him about her mother’s “no romance” rule. Millie knows she needs to stay focused but she doesn’t see why she can continue to excel at debate as her relationship with Tag develops. Her coach understands more than her mother and surprises her with an Emily Dickinson quote, “When it comes down to it, the heart wants what it wants – or else it does not care.” But when things go wrong, she quarrels with Tag and stops seeing him, reluctantly accepting that her mother knew best when she advised keeping boys at a distance. Ultimately, Millie has to balance all the competing demands in her life and make the best choices available to her, even if that risks everything she has planned. Doll makes these decisions plausible and keeps the reader guessing how everything will play out, with great secondary characters adding dimension to this romantic comedy.  Recommended.

Source: Copy received from the publisher.  

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!