Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Grades 9 and up--

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews tells the story of Greg an amateur film maker who is stuck (yes, that’s how he describes it) making frequent hospital visits to girl from his school who’s recently been diagnosed with leukemia. Witty and awkwardly funny in many parts, crude and inexplicable in others, I’m still working out my emotional response to this book.

Intended audience: Being that this has got to be one of the strangest books i’ve ever experienced (it was definitely more than a read, it was an experience), I am not 100% sure I know the audience for whom it was intended, but I think high school boys. Girls may have been considered, but definitely not as the core audience.

Audience to whom it may appeal: I can see this book appealing to both high school age boys and girls, and perhaps also the 18-25 range for young men. Though this might be stereotypical (okay, it’s flat out stereotypical), I found a lot of the humor quite crude and a bit offensive and feel other females might have a similar reaction.

Strengths: The unique structure of the book as a film script makes for a quick and interesting read. It is also written in the second person, where the narrator speaks directly to the reader, which has an odd effect. I liked that it was different than many YA novels I’ve read in that regard.

Weaknesses: Like I mentioned previously, the crude humor could be taken down a notch for a more universal readership, and the young narrator is extremely self-deprecating throughout the entire book, which I believe sends a negative message to young creative minds. There is also quite a bit of potty humor and a plethora of curse words with no limit on F-bombs.

Special considerations: This book was made into a movie, which I have yet to review.

VERDICT: I think the unique format of the book and the fact that it has been made into a movie, make this a book with few competitors in its vein. That said, I think a single copy of this book would suffice in a high school library. Though it might offend the first few who page through it, given the right student, a real connection could be made. And that’s the ultimate goal, right?