Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

"This is not John Green or Nicholas Sparks "boy and dying girl meet and fall in love" cookie cutter romance. It is a brutal, sometimes cruel, but honest look at that horrifically awkward phase of life, High School, and the connections we make that we're not even aware of."

3 Stars.

Pros: Definitely not your average "fall in love with the sick girl YA Romance" but at the same time it was honest, heartfelt and deep in its own way.

Cons: I understand it's from a teenagers POV and teenagers are just awkward in general but some of the terms are just...stupid.

Full Review:

***Spoiler Alert***

Greg Gaines has managed to make it through most of High School by existing on the periphery of all of the Social cliques. He doesn't really belong to any of them and yet he is not hated by any of them either. He exists solely on the outskirts, and he likes it that way. The one person who could possibly be considered a friend is Earl, a boy he makes horrific, indie films with. But it's at the start of his Senior Year in High School that his mother decides that that has to change.

There was a girl back in Hebrew School named Rachel that Greg was friendly with. But when someone offhandedly commented that they were a couple, Greg freaked and made up every excuse imaginable to not spend time with her. And that hasn't changed in the five plus years since they last saw one another. But at the news that Rachel is now suffering from Leukemia and needs all the friends she can get, Greg's mother takes it upon herself to demand that Greg start spending time with Rachel.

What's at first painfully awkward, so turns into the kind of strange, not exactly sure what you're doing kind of friendship that we've all experienced in high school. You hang out, you talk, nothing of much substance happens but at the same time you start to realize, subconsciously, that you care about this person and that you like spending time with them.

It isn't until the very end that Greg realizes that after awhile, he did care for Rachel. She wasn't just someone his mother forced him to spend time with. She was her own, unique, special person and it's not fair that she had such a short life and that he only got to know her at the tail end of things.

Sometimes brutal in its honesty, painting Greg as a human, he has major flaws but also strengths, this book is an interesting look at that horrifically awkward phase of life, High School, and how the people you spend time with can come to really mean something, even if you don't realize it until they're gone.

Comments

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore

"Though dark, disturbing and at times, truly disgusting, Blakemore has created an unforgettable character in Tarare and his sad, sordid tale. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time for many different reasons and to me, that's a sign of a great read." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ Pros: Tarare wasn't a monster, it just seemed that the world was against him/I liked Lozeau and his strange band of misfits/Dr. Dupuis seemed like a genuinely good person, or at least, he had his moments. Cons: Some of the timeline/people of the French Revolution were just white noise to me/Courville was a despicable man. Full Review: The Bottomless man, the Glutton of Lyon, Tarare the Terrible. The man who has many titles but who's name is simply, Tarare, is dying in a hospital in Versailles. Citizen Doctor Tissier has written to his friend, Dupuis, in hopes that he'll be able to cure this mysterious illness that plagues Tarare. For now though, he lays, chained to his bed and waits for...

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