Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

I figured since the movie came out, it's high time to read this one:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

by Jesse Andrews

Greg Gaines has spent his whole high school career staying on the periphery of the clique society.  While he is "chummy" with all cliques and groups at his school, he does not conform to any of them.  The only friend he does have is Early, the crude and sometimes violent guy that helps Greg create films.

Greg is fine with his life...until Rachel gets sick.  Diagnosed with leukemia, Rachel doesn't have long to live.  When Greg's mother practically forces him to befriend Rachel, he only just agrees to do the right thing.

Unable to connect with Rachel, but knowing that her life is short, Greg and Earl begin to create a film just for Rachel to share the thoughts and feelings of the whole school...which eventually go sour and they end up creating the Worst Film Ever, but just maybe Greg learns a little from the experience.

I'm going to start this review by a rating...I would say I could not give this book more than 1 out of 5 stars...for a few reasons.  While the author has a good plotline and solid characters, the writing style is confusing and irritating.  While I understand this is a teenage boy explaining real life, the text goes overboard, and I'm sure I scanned more than read those confusing parts.

Secondly, the whole book, you're rooting for Greg to do the right thing, learn something, stand up for Rachel, etc.  But you get to the lackluster end of the story and Greg is the same narcissistic, uncaring teen that he always was.  I fail to see any resolution in the story...which for some books, that works.  But this ending just left me more confused and frustrated.  Perhaps I was missing some deep philosophical theme, but if this book is supposed to be understood at a 10th grade level, I wish you all luck.

I did, however, love and appreciate Earl's character.  While he is not the main character, you really see inside his head to find his compassion and understanding of the world and Rachel's situation.  While vulgar and stereotypical the "black kid," Earl brings a ray of sunshine to this melancholy story.

All in all, great story idea, but I'll wait for another author to do this plot better.