Me And Earl And The Dying Girl (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
"If after reading this book you come to my home and brutally murder me, I truly do not blame you."Found this book in a list titled "Books to read if you liked Fault In Our Stars" and I'm glad to say I picked this from the list. The book is a very different, non-chalant take on cancer. Couldn't help but draw parallels between this book and the movie 50-50, not in the storyline, but in the storytelling. The anti-hero Greg Gaines snuggles himself into your heart! :) I have been very stingy with the five stars for the last few months. I have really been trying to save them for something that is different, that hits all my high points, and I have it in this book. Ironically, I do find this book is a little problematic in some places, as far as ableism, a little insensitive about gay people (but we are talking about teenage boys and they aren't the most sensitive creatures, especially in high school - but then again, I feel like that is no excuse.) Or maybe, maybe this book is just real in a way that the occasionally over-sensitive internet can no longer be. I laughed and cried and thought and laughed some more....Basically, Greg, our narrator, is hysterical. He's self-deprecating to the point that it occasionally made me cringe, and yet.... I speak that language pretty well myself. He is very much like I imagined so many nameless, faceless, featureless boys in high school were. You know, the guy who isn't very good looking, who hasn't finished filling out, who has no major gift or skill, doesn't stand out. In other words, he hasn't reached his final form yet and he's more than a little insensitive. Which was very much like I was. And when he does have to meet with/deal with real situations outside himself, he is weird, random, and has trouble making sense of the feelings rushing through my body along with my hormones. I am going on for a long time about Greg. His only friend, who he doesn't have a very close relationship with is Earl- Greg actually says they are more like co-workers. Earl is more earthy- he's better with dealing with people - despite his constant anger (he has a really crappy home life with very violent brothers and an alcoholic, non-existent mother.) He is way less socially awkward and is really Greg's compass. Earl calls Greg on his crap and I really liked that. I really liked their relationship - and how Earl would take exactly zero shit from anybody.Yes, this is another of those teen books about cancer, but it is not like what you might expect. It says all the things the other cancer books I've read are afraid to say. It's really more about Greg than about Rachel - a girl who he was only marginally friends with, when they were much younger. Then when she gets sick, Greg's mom decides it would be a good idea for Greg to go and "be a good friend to Rachel" - which he tries to be, and he is brutally honest about how hard doing that is. He is one of the most socially inept people out there - if he isn't making you laugh, he doesn't know how to talk to you, and everything he says is either hysterically funny or terribly inappropriate. You really feel for him when he falls flat. It's a very short book - the pace is ok until about the last 2/3rds when it hits a little skid, it stops being funny for a little bit, but it's a short book and it does get there eventually. I really recommend this.
What do You think about Me And Earl And The Dying Girl (2012)?
i just kinda thought this book was trying to NOT be something it got annoying and boring.
—kensiblye
full written and video review coming soon, just know tHAT I FREAKING ADORED THIS BOOK!!!
—kiy
This book was really good to read overall I gave it 4 and a half stars
—Rebecca
Inspiring for future film makers. She died, end of story.
—amandaj
Unofficial Rating. I just like the cover so much!
—Bailey
