Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
 |
|
| Author | Jesse Andrews |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jeffrey Lin |
| Cover artist | Koby Chen |
| Country | United States |
| Published | 2012 |
| Publisher | Abrams Books |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | |
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a 2012 debut novel written by Jesse Andrews. The novel was released in hardcover by Amulet Books on March 1, 2012, and in paperback on May 7, 2013.
Greg Gaines is a senior at Benson High School. A social misfit, he high school life by gaining everyone's acquaintance but staying clear of any particular clique. His only real friend is Earl Jackson, though Greg will only (cautiously) claim that they are coworkers. Greg and Earl, a fellow student from a poor and broken family, have been friends since childhood. The two spend most of their time making films together. Greg and Earl keep their filming ventures a secret from their peers, fearing ridicule for their mediocre projects.
One day, Greg's mother tells him that his childhood friend, Rachel Kushner, is diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Greg's mother wants him to rekindle their friendship and make her feel better. Although Greg had only befriended Rachel to try to get closer to her more attractive friend, Madison Hartner, he realizes that he cannot argue with his mother and calls her. This leads to an awkward conversation between the two. Greg is ready to give up, but his mother forces him to meet up with Rachel. Eventually, Greg and Rachel start spending more time with each other.
One day at school, Greg gets a text from Rachel saying that she would be starting chemotherapy the next day. Although he and Earl are accidentally on drugs at that moment, they make it to Rachel's, where Greg introduces her to Earl. The three go out for ice-cream, and Earl invites Rachel to watch some of their films. Greg is furious but does nothing to stop Earl.
At school, Greg begins to fall back in his studies, and is close to failing all of his subjects. He is pressured by his parents to seriously apply for a college, but Greg is unsure of which to choose. He discusses it with Rachel, who tells him that he should apply to a film school. Meanwhile, word gets around Benson High that Greg and Rachel have become close. Madison Hartner, Greg's long-time crush, comes to hear of his films from Rachel and persuades him to make a movie for Rachel. Greg and Earl come up with different ideas (including documentary footage, confessionals and puppetry), and the end result, entitled Rachel the Film, is a mashup of everything they try out. To Greg's horror, the film is shown to the entire school during an assembly. Upset by this, Greg stops going to school altogether and scratches all the DVDs of his films.
...
Wikipedia