Guys, this is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. I know, you don’t expect a book with the dying girl in the title to be funny, but this is not your typical book. It was a pleasant surprise for me and I’m really glad I read this. I recommend this to anyone looking for a hilarious yet oddly charming read.
Greg is our funny and angsty narrator who addresses the audience in a unique way. I won’t spoil it but you figure out who specifically he is writing the book to in the epilogue. It explains a lot and I enjoyed how the book was wrapped up. But anyway, Greg doesn’t have many friends, he just jumps around from social groups in order to maintain some kind of status but not have to deal with relationships. The closest thing he has to a friend is his business partner Earl, who he makes terrible movies with. His mom then makes him start hanging out with Rachel, who has an advanced form of Leukemia. He went to Hebrew school with her and they sort of had a brief thing, but was never close to her at all. Anyway, he finds that he actually kind of enjoys spending time with her. Rachel finds out about the movies they make and she then starts watching them. Greg and Earl then get roped into making a film just for Rachel, which leads to a lot of funny and interesting moments.
Like I said, Greg is a really great character. I can’t really explain what makes him so memorable, but he’s just different from other teen boy narrators that you come across. Even his attitude towards making friends and keeping the films he makes with Earl a secret is different from others. Earl is probably one of my favorite supporting characters. He doesn’t have much to say that doesn’t include a string of cuss words, but he is always up front and says what he’s thinking. I like that he calls Greg out whenever he does something stupid. I also love how sweet Earl was to Rachel and that it was completely genuine.
This is a unique Young Adult novel and I doubt I’ll ever read another book like it. I think my favorite part of it was that it handled cancer in a sensitive manner but it also wasn’t depressing. The humor was always appropriate, it never made light of the illness. It’s hands down the funniest book you’ll ever read about death. I can’t recommend it enough.
Review originally posted on my blog Go Read A Book
http://goreadabook.org/2015/08/me-and-earl-and-dying-girl-review/
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Me and Earl...
I just finished Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews and I'm not too sure how I feel about it. Me and Earl follows Greg Gains who befriends a young girl named Rachel who has been diagnosed with Luekemia. Greg and his "co worker" Earl make horrible films for fun and eventually, at the request of Madison (one of Rachel's friends), decide to make a film for Rachel, which can also be known as the worst film ever made. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl has gotten good to mixed reviews on Goodreads, so I thought I would also enjoy the book, especially because it has been compared a little to The Fault in Our Stars, which I am a big fan of, but after actually reading the book myself, I am experiencing mixed emotions.In my opinion, the overall story is a little messed up and the main character, Greg, makes it ten times worse. I can officially say that Greg S. Gains is my least favorite character in a book. He is an insensitive jackass who really only cares about himself. He can't even get out of his head long enough to truly be affected by what is going on with Rachel and how serious her situation is. I know he was kind of forced into but he could at least show some compassion. By the end of the novel he starts to show some emotion and realize that someone is dying, but by then it's too late for him and for me to believe him. He is also socially awkward, which made the book awkward and hard to like, which makes perfect sense because the book is told from his perspective.The one ray of sunshine in this book is Earl. Although the portrayal of Earl and his family is a bit too stereotypical for my liking, Earl really redeems himself by being smart, sensitive, and able to put Greg in his place. Even though Earl is a byproduct of his environment, he tries to not play into the "urban" stereotype all the time and I appreciate that.Even though this has been compared to TFIOS, I knew it would be nothing like it. I wasn't expecting a love story but at the same time I was expecting some heart and I just didn't feel that.This film has been adapted into a film that got rave reviews at Sundance Film Festival and it opens this Friday! I'm going to see it tonight(6/11)! Wish me luck!
Top reviews from other countries
Sonia López González
El libro enviado es verdadero al anuncio
Reviewed in Spain on March 20, 2024Oghogho
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2023
