Amish Guys Don't Call

by Debby Dodds

[teachergorman]

I started reading this with a prejudice against teen romance. It's not my thing; I just wanted to read Amish Guys Don't Call because of Debby Dodds' sense of humor. She doesn't disappoint. At first, it reminded me of Mean Girls, which I liked. Then this got better and better, and I loved it! Dodds perfectly captures the teen voice I hear in my high school classroom every day (and, even more accurately, the voices I overhear in the halls when my students think I'm not listening) without seeming like she's trying too hard. She neither idealizes high school life nor exaggerates its drama. Dodds threads this needs with a realistic timeline and a careful attention to the way high school problems feel to the victims. I admit I choked up a few times as I read about Sam's heartbreaks and joys, her relationships shattered and then tentatively mended. If you like books that feel shockingly real, pre-order your copy because you won't want to wait on Amish Guys Don't Call.