The cover is probÂaÂbly my favourite thing about this book.
Not that this a bad book — I think it deserves all the rave reviews. Its defÂiÂnitely one of the betÂter canÂcer books I’ve read about a child dying (though why I keep pickÂing these up I don’t know), as it avoids the horÂriÂble, sacÂchaÂrine, cliches you norÂmally come across in these types of books *coughJohnÂGreenÂcough*. It also has some very funny moments.
The truth is, I found being in Greg’s head a weird mixÂture of amusÂing, annoyÂing, dull and tedious… which I think was kind of the point.
Greg Gaines is the last masÂter of high school espiÂonage, able to disÂapÂpear at will into any social enviÂronÂment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time makÂing movies, their own incomÂpreÂhenÂsiÂble verÂsions of CopÂpola and HerÂzog cult clasÂsics. Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekinÂdle his childÂhood friendÂship with Rachel.
Rachel has been diagÂnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adoÂlesÂcent awkwardness—-but a parental manÂdate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatÂment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turnÂing point in each of their lives.
And all at once Greg must abanÂdon invisÂiÂbilÂity and stand in the spotlight.
Rather than have his charÂacÂters expeÂriÂence life-altering epiphaÂnies or fall in love or become wiser than their years, Andrew’s gives us Greg. Your averÂage seventeen-year-old who is socially awkÂward, a bit of an idiot, lazy and very often selfÂish. In other words, he reacts to his sort-of-friend/classmate dying in a way that is refreshÂingly honest.
He doesn’t want to spend time with Rachel — but his mum makes him. He has no idea what to say to a girl who’s dying and so ends up sayÂing the wrong thing entirely which leads to uncomÂfortÂable silences. He resents the impact this girl’s dying has on his hereto easy, if munÂdane, life. He’s sad, but mostly because for the first time, he’s faced with the shockÂing and terÂriÂfyÂing realÂizaÂtion of his own morÂtalÂity. He grieves… and finds it remarkÂably easy to fall back into everyÂday life. These are not, well… heroic reacÂtions. But I think they are human ones, even if we might not want to admit it.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a canÂcer book that’s not really a canÂcer book. I liked that there was no ideÂalÂism, that Rachel isn’t a saint full of proÂfound wisÂdom, that no one falls in love and that Greg isn’t a betÂter perÂson at the end of it. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl doesn’t have some life affirmÂing mesÂsage and doesn’t manipÂuÂlate you into feelÂing all the things. It’s the most honÂest and realÂisÂtic canÂcer book I’ve come across, as well as being the first one that didn’t make me feel utterly depressed for days after readÂing it. While not a perÂsonal favourite, (the jokes were occaÂsionÂally overÂdone, I didn’t like Earl much and there’s only so long I can take being stuck inside a seventeen-year-old boy’s head), I would defÂiÂnitely recÂomÂmend pickÂing it up, parÂticÂuÂlarly if you’re a fan of the old Adrian Mole diaries.Â