Release Date ~ 3/1/12
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ Amulet Books
Source ~ Around the World Tours
Rating ~ 5/5
Summary: Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time when not playing video games and avoiding Earl's terrifying brothers; making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don't make them for other people. Until Rachel. Rachel has leukemia, and Greg's mom gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must abandon invisibility and make a stand. It's a hilarious, outrageous, and truthful look at death and high school by a prodigiously talented debut author.My Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was truly a diamond in the wrath. From the summary it doesn't look like something special. The only reason I picked it up was because it had a guy main character, had has something to do with film making (which I am vastly interested in). But it was so much more!
For one thing, this book is more funny then all the late night comedy shows COMBINED! Greg had such a funny voice, and was just a funny character. Now that Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Greg has cracked his last funny joke, it's a new Greg's turn! Greg and Earl are both hilariously funny (and very, very inappropriate).
Something I loved about this book was that it didn't sugar-coat what grade school is like. It's one nightmare after nightmare, and from what I've heard from most adults, it's the WORST in high school. And from Andrew's book, I am sorta dreading that experiences, LOL.
This book wasn't all laughs though, as it's on a very series subject. I think the way Andrews combined tragedy and comedy was perfect. Without the comedy, this book would make you want to do suicide. Without the tragedy, it would be a fluffy, boring as heck, waste of time novel. Andrews was a master at comic relief.
All the characters in this book were perfect. Greg, your lovable and joke-cracking hero who's goal in life is to be completely socially invisible. Then you have is best (and only) friend, Earl, his partner in film making who has a little bit of a anger issue. And you have the dying girl, Rachel, the reason Greg's life gets messed up. They along with a colorful cast of side characters (from a father who eats cuttlefish, to brothers who will beat you up for ANYTHING) make this book truly sparkle.
This book is pretty inappropriate. And by pretty inappropriate I learned some new words that I don't really care to know. I recommend this book to older teens (says the 12 year old).
Jesse Andrews is the next Jeff Kinney, except for older kids. Expect me to have my eye on this author for many years to come.
5/5 Stars
Cover Comments: I love the bright colors on this cover. I also love how almost everything is help up by string, it makes it look like a pop-up book!
This book counts in the following reading challenges:
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 4
2012 Stand Alone Reading Challenge: 2
YA Contemporary Reading Challenge 2012: 2
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 5
haha loved your review!! sometimes you need comic relief when you're discussing a tragic/sad topic, like you said, you won't have the tendency to commit suicide! Farah is reading this soon and I'm glad you really enjoyed it. To be honest I loved high school, yes it had its nightmarish moments, but it is definitely more relaxed than university!!
ReplyDelete- juhina
Sounds like a fun (and kinda serious) read. Thank you for the review. I'll check it out, too :)
ReplyDelete"And by pretty inappropriate I learned some new words that I don't really care to know."
ReplyDeleteHahahaha, that pretty much sums up this book. xD Loved it!!
-Maddz
Thank you for sharing your review. I don't know if this would be for me, but I loved the cover and title. It made me think giggles.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree what you mean about the cover! This sounds like a great book and I will keep my eye out for it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, I'm currently reading this and absolutely loving it, it completely took me by surprise as I'd just made a spur of the moment decision to pick this book up. But its super funny!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read, must look add this to my list
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this one too! It was hilarious! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteYou had me at the comparison to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I love that series, although I do think it's very "inappropriate" in parts as well. ;-) Thanks for the review, Benji!