Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

An excellent read. I had seen the movie some years ago, but wasn't really paying much attention to it at the time. I did remember that it seemed to be a good story, and well done. So when I was offered the book at a bargain price, I thought why not? I did enjoy the story, and the characters were pretty well developed and believable. It turned out to be as enjoyable a read as I had expected. Since it was promoted as a Movie-Tie-in I had feared it may have only been the movie script lightly transferred into book format, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this book was completed, though not yet released, when the movie rights were sold. I would have given it a solid 5-Star rating, but being an older reader I found it a little difficult to read the author's constant mixing and changing writing style throughout the book But since the story was being told by a teenager's voice, that actually made since despite it being distracting for old guys to read.

I made it through this book, but I really can't recommend it as a good read. This really needed some work. The storyline had potential, but the book read in a disjointed, non fluid direction. I read it to the end, but it became a chore to do so.

Loved everything about it. Structurally, this isn't set up in the same way most people think about novels. It's part screenplay. Part random asides. Part novel. All of that worked though and worked well. It was all cleverly done.Character's voice was fantastic. Side characters were fun. Plot points kept me interested and regularly surprised.My only complaints are minimal. First, the language was a bit much for me. I can see why it made sense for the story and characters, but for me personally I like a cleaner book.I wanted something from the ending that I didn't get. Not sure what, but I was left with a bit of an emotional hole. Now, to be clear, the author warns the reader from the get-go to expect this so I can only complain so much. But on the other hand, it made for a slightly dis-satisfying ending.

I'd never heard of this book until a few weeks ago. I was just sitting on Facebook scrolling around (I really hate Facebook...) when someone had posted up a trailer to a movie to you guess it, Me and Earl and the dying girl. First off the title almost made me skip over it. All I was seeing quite frankly was a red flag going "Nope, we've read Fault in our Stars. This is going to be the same damn thing only indie and it's going to piss us off and make us cry and hate the whole world." But I watch the trailer and for some odd reason it intrigued to many of my senses and then it festered and stuck with me the the whole day till I lost it looked at goodreads and found out...DUN DUN DUUUNNNAAA. It's a book... So then all I wanted was to read it, and I waited a few days to buy it because I swamped myself with other crazy things I had to do ad other books to read. Until last night came around and I just couldn't stand it anymore. I started it and would have finished it but I have this thing where if shit looks like it's going south I stop reading. I hate going to bed depressed. So instead I finished it this morning. :) now that I've bore you to death lets get to my thoughts of this book.This is not a Fault in Our Stars kinda book. If that's what you were looking for then shove off this was better. It's creative, engaging, depressing enough to make you feel slightly shitty about life. But then the characters do or say something that's totally off their rocker that you laugh out loud. The formatting in this book at first I was a bit meh about but eventually I didn't even care that it randomly went into script form or bulletin form. I took what it gave me and devoured it like strawberry flavored candies. Our main character Greg, he's a bit of a jackass ( I can say this because well he says it himself, a lot) but underneath it all I still think he's endearing and not so bad. Earl is quite possibly up there on my favorite side character list. He's hilarious, I mean he's probably not trying to be funny most of the time since he's a short little bad ass but whatever I just pictured his as a young Kevin Hart and called it a day. Rachel my dear you were not very developed and I hope the movie you is better because I was not connected to you what so ever... Maybe because Gregs a jackass.Anywho... The story seems a mess of weird chapter placements but it worked for me and I really enjoyed this book. I kinda can't wait for the movie to be out just to actually see it since this one actually I think will be better enhanced in a movie then it is in book form. 4.5 stars

"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" is probably sick of being compared to "A Fault in Our Stars", and I don't blame it one bit. While both fall into the admittedly insensitively named category of " teenage sick lit", the two books couldn't be more different.Andrews' protagonist Greg, who only wants to be unnoticed and detached from the rest of the world, so long as he can make secret films with his partner (but not really friend) Earl. Unfortunately, Greg's mother wants him to hang out with Rachel, the titular dying girl, to help raise her spirits.Mr. Andrews word hard to keep the language scattered enough to be believed that a teenage boy is the author. He equally strains to avoid any of the Hallmark card sentiment this genre can so easily fall into. While our narrator tells us that his experience with the dying girl did not alter his life in some great way, the facts speaks otherwise. His own inability to recognize the impact makes it all the more powerful.Do not come into this expecting a Hazel and Gus romance. It is not here. While TFIOS is a move about how a short life can also have great meaning, this novel is about how loss and life's big transitions can knock us about, leaving us a bit bruised and sometimes wiser, sometimes not. It is a realization that happy endings are for the movies, and I've is a continuing story, with hopes, dreams, and promises that don't always make it. No more do you see this than with the harsh reality of Earl, and, of course, the dying girl.Funny, profane, and yes, poignant and gripping, this novel is worth a read. Be warned, however: it is frustrating in its honesty, because seen through a different filter, these characters could have tasted the stars. Instead, we get to taste the truth, which isn't always as sweet.