Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - Jesse Andrews

Greg has kept to himself most of his high school life.  He isn't that good looking, and trying to talk to girls or get them to notice him has blown up in his face.  He is nice to the jocks, the geeks, the stoners, and everyone else.  His only real friend is Earl.  They have been making movies together since middle school.  Greg's first day of senior year goes really well until he gets home.  His mom tells him Rachel has acute myelogenous leukemia.  Greg hasn't really spoken to Rachel since sixth grade when he tried to get with one of her friends by flirting with her.  His mom nags him to call her and hang out.  When he finally does call the conversation is very awkard.  Each day for the next week he calls Rachel, but she just hangs up on him.  One day she doesn't hang up and invites him over to her house.  Greg starts hanging out with Rachel, and some of the time she would come over to his house.  Greg's mom lets it slip that he and Earl make movies, but lets no one see them.  At school he and Earl start hanging out with Rachel and a few of her friends.  Greg and Earl visit Rachel the night before she goes in for chemotherapy.  The next day they head to Earl's house and Greg gets into a scuffle with one of Earl's brothers and Greg goes to the hospital with a broken arm.  When Earl visits he tells Greg that he gave Rachel ten of their movies to watch.  His whole family visits him in the hospital and so does Rachel's friend Madison.  She tells him what a good friend he's been to Rachel and how happy she is.  Greg doesn't believe her, but her friends have seen how happy she is.  He visits Rachel before he leaves the hospital and she tells him how good the movies are.  He thinks she's just being nice, but Rachel really believes the are good.  After he leaves the hospital he continues to visit Rachel, and his grades and school work suffer.  In the midst of all this crazyness Madison approaches Greg about making a movie to cheer Rachel up.  As much as Greg has tried to remain invisible through out high school, this movie will make him be remembered for a long time. 

I really enjoyed the sarcasm and snarkyness of Greg.  I really felt like I was back in high school again.  The book was written in a way that made you feel like you were there in the story right along with Greg, Earl, and Rachel.  I recommend The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  Here's the link to my review I did earlier this year: http://www.poplarcreekspeak.blogspot.com/2012/01/fault-in-our-stars-john-green.html

T.B. 7/10/12