Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Amulet Books (2015), Edition: Mti, 304 pages
Description
Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.
Awards
Green Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2014)
Westchester Fiction Award (Winner — 2013)
CYBILS Awards (Winner — Young Adult Fiction — 2012)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Top Ten — 2013)
CCBC Choices (2013)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheBookLife
I never expected a book, about a high school guy befriending a dying girl, to make me laugh almost all the way through, but that is exactly what happened with this book. Greg is self-depracating, sarcastic, and unable to take anything too seriously. I mean, he had a conversation about researching
Through the whole book Greg maintains that he is not really a good person and he's only spending time with Rachel, because he feels like he has to. It's obvious to the reader, that he really does care about Rachel, even if it's only a little. I liked her presence in the book. Her interactions with Greg, definitely made him more interesting to read about. Since this is from his perspective, and he proclaims to know nothing about how girls really work, we get kind of a disjointed view of Rachel. It works for the story, though, and I definitely grew fond of her. And Earl. He didn't always make sense, sometimes he was completely crazy and he was so profane. Yet most of the time, he ended up being the voice of reason for Greg. Earl, his family and the things he said almost always got a laugh out of me.
This book was nothing like I expected, but definitely worth the read. It ended up being a really fast read, because I was having so much fun while reading, I couldn't put it down. Definitely one to pick up if you are looking for a laugh.
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alien barf, with the school's hot girl, on more than one occasion. What more proof do you need. I really like the way the story was told. It was all from Greg's point of view, but instead of pages of paragraphs strung together, we get something a little different. I'm not saying this was a bad thing, because I really think it's what made the story for me. That and the humor. Sometimes Greg is telling what happens like a normal book goes, but then all of the sudden he's telling it as if it were a scene from a movie. We get script lines and stage directions, as if him and the other people he's talking to, are merely actors. I also really liked when he outline's why something was a terrible idea or lists the ways in which he tried, and failed, at something in the past. Through the whole book Greg maintains that he is not really a good person and he's only spending time with Rachel, because he feels like he has to. It's obvious to the reader, that he really does care about Rachel, even if it's only a little. I liked her presence in the book. Her interactions with Greg, definitely made him more interesting to read about. Since this is from his perspective, and he proclaims to know nothing about how girls really work, we get kind of a disjointed view of Rachel. It works for the story, though, and I definitely grew fond of her. And Earl. He didn't always make sense, sometimes he was completely crazy and he was so profane. Yet most of the time, he ended up being the voice of reason for Greg. Earl, his family and the things he said almost always got a laugh out of me.
This book was nothing like I expected, but definitely worth the read. It ended up being a really fast read, because I was having so much fun while reading, I couldn't put it down. Definitely one to pick up if you are looking for a laugh.
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
I loved this book. All the best heartbreaking endings come at the end of comedies.
LibraryThing member KenzieAudacious
There are some books you read for intellectual purposes. Books with layers of meaning, making you think deeply about the philosophy of life and how you’d like to live yours. Books that make you cry or laugh, or generally change the paradigm you view the world through. They’re usually layered
Then there are books like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Even while it includes all of the themes, despite the main character arguing that it absolutely doesn’t, it is a book that is fun to read. It definitely is not one of the books that you would see on a high school curriculum, even though students would probably relate to it more than Macbeth or Of Mice and Men. The best part is reading it right as the semester ends, as a glorious rebuttal to all that learning they made you do for fifteen weeks.
Summary
Greg Gaines gets through high school by maintaining connections with everyone, not enough to make friends, but enough to make sure that he is bullied by no one. As a flabby kid with a rat face, he thinks that this is the best way to survive until graduation day. Of course, he does have one friend, a guy named Earl with whom he makes movies. Gloriously bad movies.
He’s going through his senior year with the best of luck. He’s at the top of the food chain and there is nothing to stop him. Until his mom tells him that his ex-girlfriend, Rachel, has leukemia. Greg is convinced that this means nothing to him, especially since there relationship ended years ago. Still, Greg starts hanging out with Rachel to appease his mother. Earl, of course, tags along. As his relationship with Rachel develops into real friendship, he is cornered into making her a film, one that showcases how good his skills are. Greg’s senior year veers from being about invisibility to everyone knowing who exactly he is, whether he likes it or not.
Musings
William Wordsworth attempted to change poetry, to write it in “the language of man” for all to enjoy it. Jesse Andrews takes this a step further and writes in the language of a male teenager. The interactions between Earl and Greg are exactly the way that my lunch table used to talk, the innuendos, the overabundance of swearing, and the general grunts being able to be deciphered only by others the same age. Greg’s mindset is exactly the one that I saw a lot of people take in my high school, where they avoided bullying by avoiding friendship. From the moment I started reading his narrative, I clicked with Greg as if he attended my senior year with me.
Greg is a character that constantly insists that the book contains absolutely no themes. From the beginning to the end, he is reassuring the reader that he has learned absolutely nothing from this experience and the book is just a waste of time. He actually insults the reader for continuing passing through the pages instead of setting it down. It’s just so funny, but doesn’t distract from the fact that he actually had changed from knowing Rachel.
In all, the book is one that I’d recommend not only to those who read often, but those who normally don’t read. If you have a teenage boy in the house that hasn’t picked up a book since Captain Underpants, then Me and Earl and the Dying Girl might be the novel to trick them back into reading AND enjoying it.
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with intense words, phrases that provoke thought whether or not the reader wants them to.Then there are books like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Even while it includes all of the themes, despite the main character arguing that it absolutely doesn’t, it is a book that is fun to read. It definitely is not one of the books that you would see on a high school curriculum, even though students would probably relate to it more than Macbeth or Of Mice and Men. The best part is reading it right as the semester ends, as a glorious rebuttal to all that learning they made you do for fifteen weeks.
Summary
Greg Gaines gets through high school by maintaining connections with everyone, not enough to make friends, but enough to make sure that he is bullied by no one. As a flabby kid with a rat face, he thinks that this is the best way to survive until graduation day. Of course, he does have one friend, a guy named Earl with whom he makes movies. Gloriously bad movies.
He’s going through his senior year with the best of luck. He’s at the top of the food chain and there is nothing to stop him. Until his mom tells him that his ex-girlfriend, Rachel, has leukemia. Greg is convinced that this means nothing to him, especially since there relationship ended years ago. Still, Greg starts hanging out with Rachel to appease his mother. Earl, of course, tags along. As his relationship with Rachel develops into real friendship, he is cornered into making her a film, one that showcases how good his skills are. Greg’s senior year veers from being about invisibility to everyone knowing who exactly he is, whether he likes it or not.
Musings
William Wordsworth attempted to change poetry, to write it in “the language of man” for all to enjoy it. Jesse Andrews takes this a step further and writes in the language of a male teenager. The interactions between Earl and Greg are exactly the way that my lunch table used to talk, the innuendos, the overabundance of swearing, and the general grunts being able to be deciphered only by others the same age. Greg’s mindset is exactly the one that I saw a lot of people take in my high school, where they avoided bullying by avoiding friendship. From the moment I started reading his narrative, I clicked with Greg as if he attended my senior year with me.
Greg is a character that constantly insists that the book contains absolutely no themes. From the beginning to the end, he is reassuring the reader that he has learned absolutely nothing from this experience and the book is just a waste of time. He actually insults the reader for continuing passing through the pages instead of setting it down. It’s just so funny, but doesn’t distract from the fact that he actually had changed from knowing Rachel.
In all, the book is one that I’d recommend not only to those who read often, but those who normally don’t read. If you have a teenage boy in the house that hasn’t picked up a book since Captain Underpants, then Me and Earl and the Dying Girl might be the novel to trick them back into reading AND enjoying it.
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LibraryThing member BrianneRS1979
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews is about Greg, a slightly nerdy socially invisible high school student who's former friend is diagnosed with Leukemia.
Ok, so right there you'd think "Oh I'd better grab some tissues-this is going to be a sad one" and the answer to that is NOPE
Me and
I rate Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 5 out of 5 stars, extremely original writing, GREAT characters, and an impressive debut book.
Ok, so right there you'd think "Oh I'd better grab some tissues-this is going to be a sad one" and the answer to that is NOPE
Me and
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Earl and the Dying Girl was one the FUNNIEST book that I've read in a very long time. I wouldnt recommend drinking any beverages while reading it because it will come out your nose from laughing too hard. I think I should right away say that my sense of humor is pretty odd and I can definitely handle "potty" humor. So, if you are sensitive and easily offended, I'm sorry to say that this might not be the best book for you. But, this hilarious book does have a good messageI rate Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 5 out of 5 stars, extremely original writing, GREAT characters, and an impressive debut book.
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LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
This is one heckuva debut that had me literally laughing out loud! More coming on le blog closer to pub date.
LibraryThing member Sarahfine
"Me and Earl" feels like an accurate cross-section of high school today. Greg Gaines tries to avoid attracting negative attention by befriending all while avoiding everyone, except for his foul-mouthed friend (and co-director of homemade films) Earl. When Greg's old acquaintance, Rachel, develops
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cancer, his mother forces him to interact with her, and he gradually begins to enjoy it, while at the same time wondering if he wants to do it, or is acting out of a sense of obligation. The language in this book seems shocking in print form, but certainly wouldn't seem so in the halls of a high school. Greg's constant self-deprecation is endearing, if excessive, and the reader never completes a chapter without several asides from the "author," apologizing for his "god-awful" writing style, which is really the chief lifeblood of the book. A flawless first novel, suitable for high-schoolers. Show Less
LibraryThing member jonilee73
The title of this book drew so much attention that I hopes the book would be as amazing as it seemed. I was pleasantly surprised.
Greg has managed to navigate high school and avoid drama at the same time. He attends a very cliquey high school and tying yourself to one particular group can be
Everything is going nice and calm in Greg's life until his mother drops a bomb on him: Rachel, a girl he once sort of dated in the past, has been diagnosed with leukemia. Greg's mother says that Greg should be there for her and makes him call her and get together with her.
At first Rachel is not interested but slowly she allows Greg to spend time with her. But Greg finds himself in a position he is not used to. He now is expected to be seen in public with Rachel. He can no longer remain groupless any longer.
I liked that this book was not a love story. Aside from A Walk to Remember, I am not a fan of books where the characters fall in love all the while knowing that by the last page one of them will die. In this book it was more about Greg opening himself up to a friend and then trying to deal with the fact that this friend has limited time left.
Greg and Earl are amateur filmmakers but they have never shown their movies to anyone until Rachel comes along. She finds them entertaining and they decide as a way to cope with her illness that they will make a film just for her, with hilariously sad results.
Nothing seems to work. They try to go for the documentary perspective, speaking with Rachel's family for memories of her but her family is too heartbroken and it winds up being a very sad movie, not uplifting for Rachel, as they had hoped for. So they try a stop motion cartoon of Rachel fighting the cancer cells. But they don't get the affect they want. Attempt after attempt is a complete failure.
To me this book is about a teen boy realizing that there is life outside of frivolousness of high school. Greg has spent all of his high school years alone and just floating through until Rachel comes along and he slams into Earth.
This is such an interesting book. It's dealing with such a sad subject but the quirkiness of the characters makes it so it's not an overly sad book. Greg is so awkward and unsure of himself and Earl is such a wildcard that I was always on my toes in this unique and unpredictable novel.
Greg has managed to navigate high school and avoid drama at the same time. He attends a very cliquey high school and tying yourself to one particular group can be
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dreadful because it means that there will almost certainly be another feud happening with another group. Greg has avoided this by doing something no one else has ever accomplished. He has managed to fit into every group though never tying himself down with them. See, no one group can see Greg with their rival group. So he floats in between them but never allows himself to be friends with anyone aside from misfit Earl, a trouble maker who only has one thing in common with Greg: their love of film.Everything is going nice and calm in Greg's life until his mother drops a bomb on him: Rachel, a girl he once sort of dated in the past, has been diagnosed with leukemia. Greg's mother says that Greg should be there for her and makes him call her and get together with her.
At first Rachel is not interested but slowly she allows Greg to spend time with her. But Greg finds himself in a position he is not used to. He now is expected to be seen in public with Rachel. He can no longer remain groupless any longer.
I liked that this book was not a love story. Aside from A Walk to Remember, I am not a fan of books where the characters fall in love all the while knowing that by the last page one of them will die. In this book it was more about Greg opening himself up to a friend and then trying to deal with the fact that this friend has limited time left.
Greg and Earl are amateur filmmakers but they have never shown their movies to anyone until Rachel comes along. She finds them entertaining and they decide as a way to cope with her illness that they will make a film just for her, with hilariously sad results.
Nothing seems to work. They try to go for the documentary perspective, speaking with Rachel's family for memories of her but her family is too heartbroken and it winds up being a very sad movie, not uplifting for Rachel, as they had hoped for. So they try a stop motion cartoon of Rachel fighting the cancer cells. But they don't get the affect they want. Attempt after attempt is a complete failure.
To me this book is about a teen boy realizing that there is life outside of frivolousness of high school. Greg has spent all of his high school years alone and just floating through until Rachel comes along and he slams into Earth.
This is such an interesting book. It's dealing with such a sad subject but the quirkiness of the characters makes it so it's not an overly sad book. Greg is so awkward and unsure of himself and Earl is such a wildcard that I was always on my toes in this unique and unpredictable novel.
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LibraryThing member RefPenny
The me of the title is Greg Gaines, a seventeen year-old boy who spends his life trying to be inconspicuous. Earl is his sort-of-friend with whom he makes weird movies that no one is allowed to see and the girl who is dying is Rachel, whom Greg knows from Hebrew school – she has leukemia.
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Surisingly enough this is a very funny book. It is written in the first person which allows us a view into Greg’s crazy brain. It also means there is a lot of bad language and disgusting boy thoughts. Suitable for older teens. Show Less
LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
Earl is ostensibly a high school senior who has used anonomity to get through both middle school and high school. He's geeky, chubby and not too bright (in my opinion). His black friend, Earl, is short, geeky, and driven to 'gross out' comments.
One October day Doug's mother lets him know that a
The problem(s) are: (1) Doug and Earl come off as 6th graders, not 12th graders. Their antics and language and thoughts are juvenile. (2) There's no depth to this book; the humor isn't funny, the feelings aren't real. (3) Then SPOILER ALERT>>>>>>>>>
SPOILER ALERT>>>>>>>>>
Rachel all of the sudden gives up and dies by January. Yikes.
This book just doesn't do it. (By the way, I just convinced myself to give it 2 1/2 stars instead of the 3 stars I originally gave it.)
One October day Doug's mother lets him know that a
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school mate, Rachel, has leukemia and suggests that she needs a friend in these hard times. He should be the friend. So, Me, Earl and the Dying Girl is a book written by Doug describing his life, his thoughts, his horrendous films made with Earl, his thoughts on Rachel (he's definitely not attracted to her) and more inanity (is this a word?).The problem(s) are: (1) Doug and Earl come off as 6th graders, not 12th graders. Their antics and language and thoughts are juvenile. (2) There's no depth to this book; the humor isn't funny, the feelings aren't real. (3) Then SPOILER ALERT>>>>>>>>>
SPOILER ALERT>>>>>>>>>
Rachel all of the sudden gives up and dies by January. Yikes.
This book just doesn't do it. (By the way, I just convinced myself to give it 2 1/2 stars instead of the 3 stars I originally gave it.)
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LibraryThing member jjameli
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is basically an acid trip in book form. Told in first person, we go inside the crazy mind of Greg, and seriously Greg needs happy pills. He's quite a character...weird, brutally honest, insecure and a pervert. Author Jesse Andrews writes the way your head process
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thoughts. You know like when your driving the same route you go everyday and your mind wanders to the most random thoughts. Anyway, it's a entertaining read, but if you're expecting a insightful read about death, and cancer look elsewhere. Show Less
LibraryThing member msjessie
Oh wow, did this book entertain me. I mean, really, really entertain me - I giggled, then I laughed out loud, and then I laugh-snorted; this book is impossible to resist. This book and the unique blend of humor and pain contained within is charming, odd, gross and wholly readable, though it does
Right away, readers will know how they feel about the main character: they will love him and root for him through his foibles or they'll dislike him and his immature brand of humor. His voice is fresh and very observant and absolutely without a filter. While I personally clearly found Greg to be more than lol-worthy, I also felt a lot of pity for the kid. I like that he's a conflicted character; he struggles with friendship and death but grows as a person while doing so over the course of the book. At the beginning of the novel, Greg avoids any kind of associations, friendships because he is so scared of what anyone else might think of him - and has done for years. He describes himself as an adept at "high school espionage" but all I saw was a sad, lonely kid that isolates himself on purpose from others, so he can say his constant state of aloneness is what he wanted. He's so insecure he doesn't trust other people to like him - hence the reliance on Earl for years, and the lack of any real connection even between them.
Earl and Rachel are the side characters, the background characters to Greg's star, but they are the heart of the novel. They are what kept me invested after I was worn out on gross-out humor and Greg's issues. While Greg worms his way in with awkwardness and the aforementioned off-note humor, Earl's brash attitude and no-nonsense approach to life, home, and family quickly endeared him to me. Earl and Greg complemented each other quite well; neither has a solid set of social skills so their unlikely pairing was authentic and believable. I also have to applaud the author for not taking the easy and quite popular route with Greg's family - they're a varied, lively, engrossing bunch and it is always, always rare and refreshing to read a loving family environment in the young-adult genre. Rachel, the "dying girl" of the title was far more remote for the three hundred pages; she's not accessible like Greg who jokes his feelings, or Earl who has a face for every emotion. She's more unknowable, to both the reader and to the boys and that's one of the things that makes her situation so sad and compelling to read.
The style of the novel is fairly simple - it's Greg narrating his life over the last few months with Earl and Rachel. What's interesting about the book is that instead of regular novel format, is (1) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl will occasionally sift into a screenplay format and (2) It occasionally reads like Greg himself is breaking the fourth wall and actually addressing his audience, i.e. the reader themself. While the second part is cleared up til later (and I am not going to spoil it for new readers) I thought the switch between formats was a very clever way to illustrate how important film is to Greg; it's how he usually expresses himself so that was a very nice touch on the part of the author's. Obviously, there's not much traditional about the structure of this book, but that works quite well for how Greg narrates. I also appreciate that the cover looks like a reel from an old film - it ties in very nicely with the plot and the most important movie that Gaines/Williams will make: Rachel the Film.
As in life, so with books: all good things must come to an end. Greg Gaines, like many high school boys I know/knew, just doesn't know when to call it good on a joke. He never quits with the asides and deflections - not even when it seems to be time to do so. This book often surprised me with its unique brand of humor, but after a while, certain jokes and gags wore out their welcome. I started to want more reaction from Greg than a quick quip or an elaborate riff on... alien barf or Gross-Out Mode. Everything in proportion is better and if the humor had eased up more towards the end and y'know, the emotional part, this quite likely would've been a 5-star read.
Despite the oversaturation of gags and humorous awkwardness, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a winner. It's a nice palate cleanser of a cancer book - it's emotional and affecting but not in the saccharine and overproduced ways so popular among most cancer books - the goal here is to make you laugh, not to make you cry.
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have a few flaws. This is three hundred pages of pure, unadulterated teenage boy; main character and star of the show Greg S. Gaines ventures from beyond being a mere figment of the imagination into a three-dimensional, occasionally rude, person. Both characters and the humor are the most noteworthy aspects of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and while this is indeed a dreaded "cancer" book, this is nothing like the Nicholas Sparks brand of the same. As Greg himself so succinctly put it: "This book contains precisely zero Important Life Lessons, or Little-Known Facts About Love, or sappy, tear-jerking Moments When We Knew We Had Left Our Childhood Behind for Good, or whatever. And, unlike most books in which a girl gets cancer, there are definitely no sugary paradoxical single-sentence-paragraphs that you're supposed to are deep because they're in italics."Right away, readers will know how they feel about the main character: they will love him and root for him through his foibles or they'll dislike him and his immature brand of humor. His voice is fresh and very observant and absolutely without a filter. While I personally clearly found Greg to be more than lol-worthy, I also felt a lot of pity for the kid. I like that he's a conflicted character; he struggles with friendship and death but grows as a person while doing so over the course of the book. At the beginning of the novel, Greg avoids any kind of associations, friendships because he is so scared of what anyone else might think of him - and has done for years. He describes himself as an adept at "high school espionage" but all I saw was a sad, lonely kid that isolates himself on purpose from others, so he can say his constant state of aloneness is what he wanted. He's so insecure he doesn't trust other people to like him - hence the reliance on Earl for years, and the lack of any real connection even between them.
Earl and Rachel are the side characters, the background characters to Greg's star, but they are the heart of the novel. They are what kept me invested after I was worn out on gross-out humor and Greg's issues. While Greg worms his way in with awkwardness and the aforementioned off-note humor, Earl's brash attitude and no-nonsense approach to life, home, and family quickly endeared him to me. Earl and Greg complemented each other quite well; neither has a solid set of social skills so their unlikely pairing was authentic and believable. I also have to applaud the author for not taking the easy and quite popular route with Greg's family - they're a varied, lively, engrossing bunch and it is always, always rare and refreshing to read a loving family environment in the young-adult genre. Rachel, the "dying girl" of the title was far more remote for the three hundred pages; she's not accessible like Greg who jokes his feelings, or Earl who has a face for every emotion. She's more unknowable, to both the reader and to the boys and that's one of the things that makes her situation so sad and compelling to read.
The style of the novel is fairly simple - it's Greg narrating his life over the last few months with Earl and Rachel. What's interesting about the book is that instead of regular novel format, is (1) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl will occasionally sift into a screenplay format and (2) It occasionally reads like Greg himself is breaking the fourth wall and actually addressing his audience, i.e. the reader themself. While the second part is cleared up til later (and I am not going to spoil it for new readers) I thought the switch between formats was a very clever way to illustrate how important film is to Greg; it's how he usually expresses himself so that was a very nice touch on the part of the author's. Obviously, there's not much traditional about the structure of this book, but that works quite well for how Greg narrates. I also appreciate that the cover looks like a reel from an old film - it ties in very nicely with the plot and the most important movie that Gaines/Williams will make: Rachel the Film.
As in life, so with books: all good things must come to an end. Greg Gaines, like many high school boys I know/knew, just doesn't know when to call it good on a joke. He never quits with the asides and deflections - not even when it seems to be time to do so. This book often surprised me with its unique brand of humor, but after a while, certain jokes and gags wore out their welcome. I started to want more reaction from Greg than a quick quip or an elaborate riff on... alien barf or Gross-Out Mode. Everything in proportion is better and if the humor had eased up more towards the end and y'know, the emotional part, this quite likely would've been a 5-star read.
Despite the oversaturation of gags and humorous awkwardness, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a winner. It's a nice palate cleanser of a cancer book - it's emotional and affecting but not in the saccharine and overproduced ways so popular among most cancer books - the goal here is to make you laugh, not to make you cry.
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LibraryThing member mamzel
If you took all of the profanity out of this book it would be a novella. And if you took all of the bathroom humor out it might be a short story. That being said, it is a tale about two typical high school boys who like to make films. Greg and Earl do their best to make it through high school with
As Rachel's health plummets, so also do the boys' creativity and Greg's school work.
The book is written from Greg's point of view and is interspersed with events depicted in script format. A teen reading this book might not find the language unusual but an adult might wonder how (or even if) teenage boys outgrow this and become lucid members of society.
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a minimum of effort and drama. Both seniors, Greg lives in a Jewish household and Earl in an extremely dysfunctional and violent household. One day Greg's mother approaches him with a mission to visit Rachel, a middle school friend of his who has been diagnosed with leukemia to try and cheer her up. Up to this point Greg's life was centered around making truly terrible movies with Earl. They do manage to watch great films which give them incentive and ideas for their own films. But they have fun with their creations and Earl breaks their unspoken agreement to keep the movies to themselves and gives them to Rachel to watch. This moves a private part of Greg's life into the spotlight which makes him even more uncomfortable than he already is.As Rachel's health plummets, so also do the boys' creativity and Greg's school work.
The book is written from Greg's point of view and is interspersed with events depicted in script format. A teen reading this book might not find the language unusual but an adult might wonder how (or even if) teenage boys outgrow this and become lucid members of society.
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LibraryThing member matamgirl
This book does not lie. It is absolutely not the typical girl dying of cancer book. Having recently thumbed through a bunch of Lurlene McDaniel books I can say this book was a fantastic change. I liked Greg and his sarcasm. I think this book would really appeal to a teenage boy.
LibraryThing member princess-starr
To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in picking up this book at first until I found out that it was set in my hometown and that the author did grow up here. And I’m a sucker for books/media set here. (See my utter fangirling of Perks of Being a Wallflower.) Support local talent!
I did like
The reason it’s realistic is that the three main characters—Greg, Earl and Rachel—are actually kind of boring. They’re not going off and pulling crazy stunts or read interesting books or being smarter than everyone else they know. They actually feel like real teens who don’t really do much. You could argue that Greg and Earl fulfill the quirk requirement insofar as they make films, but when you look at the kind of films they make, it reads like something two teenage boys would probably come up with. They’re not creative, and to be honest, it’s nice to read something where the teens are boring. It makes it feel more grounded in reality. I like that even by the end of the book, we still don’t really know the kind of person Rachel was. I also like the relationships Greg has with both Rachel and Earl. Greg and Earl read like two actual teenage boys, who just sit around and bullshit with each other all of the time. I liked that they find this common ground with video games and violent media and yet, they’re able to do something interesting with it. And by the end, they’ve managed to get closer, but there’s this bittersweet feeling that they’ll probably drift away. And I also like that while Greg is initially hesitant to go and see Rachel again, I like that he just wants to make her smile. Sure, it ends up with Greg repeatedly putting his foot in his mouth, but again, that feels like something that a teenage boy would do. Multiple times. As for the local references, there really isn’t much hinging on the fact that it takes place in Pittsburgh, but it adds a nice touch to the setting and the story’s background. (I loved the reference to the University of Pitt being referred to as Carnegie-Mellon’s “older, dumber brother.”)
The plot’s very thin, but this is a book that really focuses on characterization, so it doesn’t bother me as much. The writing does. I do like some of it, like whenever Greg’s talking with another character, it switches to script pages (which really helps the whole filmmaking angle.) The whole thing is written by Greg himself, who feels the need to tell you how much this book sucks and why are you even reading this piece of crap. Repeatedly. I didn’t mind it much at the beginning, but he does it every other chapter and it does jar you out of the book. And I would have liked to have seen more of Greg’s family—if there’s any characters who seem to be there for the sake of being quirky, it’s them. Aside from Greg’s mother, they really don’t add much to the story.
It is a pretty decent read, and I would check it just because it’s not the standard “boy-meets-girl, changes each other’s lives, one dies horribly from an accident/disease.” The writing style does bring it down a little more than it should, but it’s worth a read.
I did like
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this, but it’s not up to the fangirl level. There’s definitely a few surprises in this, mostly with the characterization, but overall, it’s a very straightforward story that doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre. What works in its favor is that it’s probably one of the more realistic “Teens dealing with cancer/death of a friend” books. There’s no huge philosophical revelations, no outwardly declarations of love, and no massively quirky characters. (And yes, I had to put TFIOS completely out of my head while reading this.) The reason it’s realistic is that the three main characters—Greg, Earl and Rachel—are actually kind of boring. They’re not going off and pulling crazy stunts or read interesting books or being smarter than everyone else they know. They actually feel like real teens who don’t really do much. You could argue that Greg and Earl fulfill the quirk requirement insofar as they make films, but when you look at the kind of films they make, it reads like something two teenage boys would probably come up with. They’re not creative, and to be honest, it’s nice to read something where the teens are boring. It makes it feel more grounded in reality. I like that even by the end of the book, we still don’t really know the kind of person Rachel was. I also like the relationships Greg has with both Rachel and Earl. Greg and Earl read like two actual teenage boys, who just sit around and bullshit with each other all of the time. I liked that they find this common ground with video games and violent media and yet, they’re able to do something interesting with it. And by the end, they’ve managed to get closer, but there’s this bittersweet feeling that they’ll probably drift away. And I also like that while Greg is initially hesitant to go and see Rachel again, I like that he just wants to make her smile. Sure, it ends up with Greg repeatedly putting his foot in his mouth, but again, that feels like something that a teenage boy would do. Multiple times. As for the local references, there really isn’t much hinging on the fact that it takes place in Pittsburgh, but it adds a nice touch to the setting and the story’s background. (I loved the reference to the University of Pitt being referred to as Carnegie-Mellon’s “older, dumber brother.”)
The plot’s very thin, but this is a book that really focuses on characterization, so it doesn’t bother me as much. The writing does. I do like some of it, like whenever Greg’s talking with another character, it switches to script pages (which really helps the whole filmmaking angle.) The whole thing is written by Greg himself, who feels the need to tell you how much this book sucks and why are you even reading this piece of crap. Repeatedly. I didn’t mind it much at the beginning, but he does it every other chapter and it does jar you out of the book. And I would have liked to have seen more of Greg’s family—if there’s any characters who seem to be there for the sake of being quirky, it’s them. Aside from Greg’s mother, they really don’t add much to the story.
It is a pretty decent read, and I would check it just because it’s not the standard “boy-meets-girl, changes each other’s lives, one dies horribly from an accident/disease.” The writing style does bring it down a little more than it should, but it’s worth a read.
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LibraryThing member librarybrandy
Many years ago, Greg and Rachel sort of dated. Greg was never really interested, but like everything else in his life, it just sort of happened to him. Now his mom is sending him to Rachel's house to hang out and keep her company, just because she's been diagnosed with leukemia. They don't fall in
I enjoyed this and I'll probably toss it into next year's booktalks, but it's not one that'll be tops on my list of YOU NEED TO READ THIS NOW.
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love. Greg doesn't learn Big Life Lessons. And this isn't Just Another Cancer Book.I enjoyed this and I'll probably toss it into next year's booktalks, but it's not one that'll be tops on my list of YOU NEED TO READ THIS NOW.
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LibraryThing member nicola26
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a fantastic book that I read in about one sitting. I just did not want to put the book down and was so intrigued by how different it was. I'm really into YA Contemporary books right and this was incredibly enjoyable! I never would have thought a book about a teen
I was drawn into this one from the first page. Greg's voice is so unique and I wanted to know more about him! What I loved most was how he was just honest. He doesn't sugar coat his thoughts. He just tells it like it is and I loved him for it. Greg is definitely not a popular kid and really only has his one friend, Earl, for company. He's pretty much just trying to get through high school without drawing any attention to himself.
Rachel has cancer. Greg's mom decides Rachel needs a friend so Greg is pushed into hanging out with her. He's reluctant and not afraid to say it. He's not really friends with Rachel but feels an obligation now since she's so sick. I liked that Greg was honest about how he just didn't want to do this (who would? it's a sad situation to put yourself in!) but he still went in open minded and definitely learned a thing or two.
Greg's just hilarious. He's honest and raw and tells his tale (and Rachel's) so well. Some parts were just so sad! Greg tried to stay detached from the situation but you could tell it was killing him too. He talks about how he just hates talking about this. Greg has a no-nonsense attitude towards life and makes some pretty funny observations. This isn't your regular YA book about dying kids and I liked that. It focused far more on Rachel as a person than on her disease. Most YA books seem to have female protagonists so this was a refreshing novel told through the eyes of a witty guy just trying to make a girl happy. I highly recommend it.
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dying from cancer could actually manage to be funny but... it did. Pretty dark humour at times but it certainly made me laugh out loud which is a serious accomplishment, I think! I love any book that can actually make me laugh.I was drawn into this one from the first page. Greg's voice is so unique and I wanted to know more about him! What I loved most was how he was just honest. He doesn't sugar coat his thoughts. He just tells it like it is and I loved him for it. Greg is definitely not a popular kid and really only has his one friend, Earl, for company. He's pretty much just trying to get through high school without drawing any attention to himself.
Rachel has cancer. Greg's mom decides Rachel needs a friend so Greg is pushed into hanging out with her. He's reluctant and not afraid to say it. He's not really friends with Rachel but feels an obligation now since she's so sick. I liked that Greg was honest about how he just didn't want to do this (who would? it's a sad situation to put yourself in!) but he still went in open minded and definitely learned a thing or two.
Greg's just hilarious. He's honest and raw and tells his tale (and Rachel's) so well. Some parts were just so sad! Greg tried to stay detached from the situation but you could tell it was killing him too. He talks about how he just hates talking about this. Greg has a no-nonsense attitude towards life and makes some pretty funny observations. This isn't your regular YA book about dying kids and I liked that. It focused far more on Rachel as a person than on her disease. Most YA books seem to have female protagonists so this was a refreshing novel told through the eyes of a witty guy just trying to make a girl happy. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member burnit99
Greg Gaines, beginning his senior year of high school, has figured out that to survive the suckitude of high school in general, he will be a periphery member of every high school group, sub-group and caste, but not to the extent that any one in said groups is more than vaguely aware of him. His one
There are times when Greg seems quite unlikeable, but it's hard to hold it against him since it's an opinion he shares. The book is by turns hilarious, honest, and -- but only toward the end, and not cloyingly so -- poignant. I read the book after seeing the movie (not usually my preferred sequence), and for once I found the movie more compelling than the book. This may be because the movie, both in its writing and the acting by the girl who plays Rachel, really fleshes out her character beyond her impact in the book. But this is a fine and funny and moving book that should be read before seeing the movie.
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(sort-of) friend is Earl, with whom he makes films that are take-offs of film classics, and either breathtakingly horrible or avante-garde works of genius. Or neither, Or both. When a classmate whom Greg once sort-of dated is diagnosed with leukemia, Greg's mom pressures him into entering her life again as a support.There are times when Greg seems quite unlikeable, but it's hard to hold it against him since it's an opinion he shares. The book is by turns hilarious, honest, and -- but only toward the end, and not cloyingly so -- poignant. I read the book after seeing the movie (not usually my preferred sequence), and for once I found the movie more compelling than the book. This may be because the movie, both in its writing and the acting by the girl who plays Rachel, really fleshes out her character beyond her impact in the book. But this is a fine and funny and moving book that should be read before seeing the movie.
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LibraryThing member jacindahinten
I’m in love with the title and the cover of this book! They both stand out and they both are what pushed me to pick this up. The beginning of the book had me smiling and laughing every few sentences. Greg is writing this book for us and telling us a story. He gives us lists and scenes in script
After about 40% of this book, I seemed to lose interest in the story and the characters. The writing style was interesting and different which I loved. I need more books like this in my life. I just which I would have enjoyed and connected with the characters more. If that would have been the case, I would have been pushing this book at readers. Plus the humor started to annoy me a bit…but overall it was an enjoyable read.
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form…loved all of that.After about 40% of this book, I seemed to lose interest in the story and the characters. The writing style was interesting and different which I loved. I need more books like this in my life. I just which I would have enjoyed and connected with the characters more. If that would have been the case, I would have been pushing this book at readers. Plus the humor started to annoy me a bit…but overall it was an enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member kayceel
Greg doesn't really know Rachel anymore, but when his mother forces him to become friends with her his senior year, ruining his high school record of fitting in everywhere and nowhere, he gives in. Rachel has leukemia after all, and it's probably a good thing to do, right?
This book is WONDERFUL.
But: this book is heartwarming and sweet, but also sad and completely hilarious. Now, in keeping with being told by a high school senior who is a boy, and whose best friend, Earl, is a bit rough around the edges, the humor is very dirty, with an emphasis on sexual humor. And it is laugh-out-loud funny.
An absolutely fantastic read for older teens.
This book is WONDERFUL.
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It's not really a cancer book, though Rachel is dying of cancer. Greg and Rachel don't fall in love, and, as Greg says throughout the book, Rachel doesn't spout wise sayings gained through her struggle.But: this book is heartwarming and sweet, but also sad and completely hilarious. Now, in keeping with being told by a high school senior who is a boy, and whose best friend, Earl, is a bit rough around the edges, the humor is very dirty, with an emphasis on sexual humor. And it is laugh-out-loud funny.
An absolutely fantastic read for older teens.
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LibraryThing member mjspear
Greg Gaines flies under the social radar at school. He has no friends and he has loads of friends, as he refuses to align himself with any one clique. He has one 'real' friend: foul-mouthed, "enraged" Earl. They're brought together by their love of movies and subsequent movie-making. When a girl he
The real beauty of this book likes in the voice of Greg... between self-effacing streams of consciousness and hilarious third-person asides (often in movie script format or as a series of bullet points!) Greg reveals himself to be a thoroughly typical teen. Sidekick Earl treads closely to being a stereotype (African American kid from a highly dysfunctional home). In author Andrews' skilled writing, however, both transcend the usual YA formula.
There is a lot of profane language... never mean-spirited and usually or humorous intent... the smart reader will "get over it" and just enjoy the ride. This book will resonate with many YAs, especially boys.
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knew from middle school, Rachel, is diagnosed with Leukemia and Greg's mother guilts him into "hanging out with her." The inevitable happens (Rachel dies) but not before Greg and Earl make her a movie (a general bomb). Along the way, Greg learns much about himself and life (despite his protestations to the contrary)The real beauty of this book likes in the voice of Greg... between self-effacing streams of consciousness and hilarious third-person asides (often in movie script format or as a series of bullet points!) Greg reveals himself to be a thoroughly typical teen. Sidekick Earl treads closely to being a stereotype (African American kid from a highly dysfunctional home). In author Andrews' skilled writing, however, both transcend the usual YA formula.
There is a lot of profane language... never mean-spirited and usually or humorous intent... the smart reader will "get over it" and just enjoy the ride. This book will resonate with many YAs, especially boys.
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LibraryThing member kcarrigan
Review from ARC from NetGalley
This is not your typical YA issues book about a girl dying. And it's not for the faint of heart or those easily offended by language.
This is not your typical YA issues book about a girl dying. And it's not for the faint of heart or those easily offended by language.
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
I've been curious about this book since seeing the cover and reading the title. I heard about it again at a Readers Advisory workshop I was at last week and thought the insides MUST match the awesome outsides.
They match.
I laughed out loud several times and was pleasantly surprised to find out it's
Just a heads-up -- I wouldn't recommend this to just any teen. It's for an older audience and parents that don't like swearing will not be a fan.
They match.
I laughed out loud several times and was pleasantly surprised to find out it's
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set in Pittsburgh. I'll admit, there were times the humor was a little too...raunchy (?),immature(?)...teenage boy(?) for me at times but still fit the book and the characters. I was even more surprised when I got teary-eyed at the end. Definitely didn't expect Greg to make me get weepy, but I'm a sap and there is a dying girl in the book. I wish Greg had -- at some point -- admitted that he and Rachel were friends, but I guess in his own twisted way he did. After all, he wrote a book about her.Just a heads-up -- I wouldn't recommend this to just any teen. It's for an older audience and parents that don't like swearing will not be a fan.
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LibraryThing member tealightful
Really did not like this book much. The cover is gorgeous and is what really drew me to the book in the first place. The story itself, was under-developed and really sloppy. The narrator's slew constant of "Man, this book sucks so much, I don't even know why you're reading it" was really
The book wasn't completely without its charm. There were funny moments and touching moments. It definitely succeeded in seeming like it was written by an awkward high-school student. BUT, that's not always a good thing. In this case, it flopped in my opinion. Such a shame because the cover is so lovely..
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ridiculous. Honestly, it just kept reminding me how poorly written the book actually was.The book wasn't completely without its charm. There were funny moments and touching moments. It definitely succeeded in seeming like it was written by an awkward high-school student. BUT, that's not always a good thing. In this case, it flopped in my opinion. Such a shame because the cover is so lovely..
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LibraryThing member Brainannex
If you have already read The Fault in Our Stars and wish there was something like it but not quite there, this is a good one. Very funny and very dude-friendly.
LibraryThing member crashmyparty
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is not your average cancer book. If you've seen any other reviews or know anything about this book, then that's a given. As we are told by our narrator, Greg Gaines, there's no life lessons to be learnt, no heart wrenching romance to cry over. There's just a couple of
Greg Gaines is a bit of a floater, he's friendly with everyone and is coasting his way through senior year when one day his mum gives him the news that his childhood friend, Rachel, is sick with leukemia. Greg hasn't spoken to Rachel in years but his mum urges him to renew the friendship, telling him Rachel will really need her friends right now. After an awkward and somewhat rocky start, the two friends fall into a bit of rhythm (but definitely not love) as they each learn to deal with her illness.
The first thing that needs to be said about this novel is that it is funny. No, scratch that, it is shoulder-shaking, laughing-in-public-while-reading-on-the-train, gasping-for-air hilarious. I had to shut the book many times because most of the time I was reading on the train and people think there's something wrong with you when you start laughing out loud for apparently no reason. Should a cancer book be funny? It's not the cancer I was laughing at. It was the internal monologue of our narrator Greg and the antics of his best mate Earl (from the title) that had me in stitches. There is a deeper story here, though, than just Greg and Earl and the girl Greg was forced to befriend, just because she was dying. It is learning to comprehend and deal with life and loss for the first time, and of course the beauty, the awkwardness, the confusion of friendship.
This book felt realistic, had fantastic characters and was a joy to read, though I shed a tear or two when the inevitable end crept up too quickly. This was a fantastic book. I loved it.
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guys and a really sick girl, but there's more here than even Greg himself realises.Greg Gaines is a bit of a floater, he's friendly with everyone and is coasting his way through senior year when one day his mum gives him the news that his childhood friend, Rachel, is sick with leukemia. Greg hasn't spoken to Rachel in years but his mum urges him to renew the friendship, telling him Rachel will really need her friends right now. After an awkward and somewhat rocky start, the two friends fall into a bit of rhythm (but definitely not love) as they each learn to deal with her illness.
The first thing that needs to be said about this novel is that it is funny. No, scratch that, it is shoulder-shaking, laughing-in-public-while-reading-on-the-train, gasping-for-air hilarious. I had to shut the book many times because most of the time I was reading on the train and people think there's something wrong with you when you start laughing out loud for apparently no reason. Should a cancer book be funny? It's not the cancer I was laughing at. It was the internal monologue of our narrator Greg and the antics of his best mate Earl (from the title) that had me in stitches. There is a deeper story here, though, than just Greg and Earl and the girl Greg was forced to befriend, just because she was dying. It is learning to comprehend and deal with life and loss for the first time, and of course the beauty, the awkwardness, the confusion of friendship.
This book felt realistic, had fantastic characters and was a joy to read, though I shed a tear or two when the inevitable end crept up too quickly. This was a fantastic book. I loved it.
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ISBN
1419720279 / 9781419720277