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

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

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 Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

All the Books.

Search This Blog