In this American high–school drama Greg, Earl and Rachel form a strange friendship when Rachel is diagnosed with Leukaemia. Yes, I know, sounds like that common tragic romance right? Wrong! This tale is sad and compelling without the cliché.
Greg and Earl have been friends for a while and bonded over their love for films. Earl’s difficult home life means he isn’t in school much and that’s fine by Greg. He doesn’t want to become too friendly with a particular group; he prefers to have access to all groups in the school without being attached to one. He hasn’t spoken to Rachel Kushner since they went to pre–school together, but that changes when Rachel is diagnosed with cancer.
Greg’s mum thinks it would be a good idea for him to try and cheer Rachel up. At first they have nothing to talk about, but pretty soon a friendship blossoms. As Rachel becomes more and more sick Greg tries harder and harder to make her laugh, but nothing works. The one thing that seems to cheer her up is Greg and Earl’s films. Greg’s mum has a crazy idea that could mean the end of their filming career.
I really enjoyed this book because it is very funny and is easy to relate to because everyone knows what it is like to want to fit in. I would recommend Me and Earl and the Dying Girl to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a great story.
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