Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Reviewed by Leiden T.
Grade 9

If you’d like to find a book filled with horrible stereotypes, lack of purpose, a selfish main character (not complex, just aggravating) with a writer who obviously doesn’t know what he’s doing, then you should take a look at Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Greg is the narrator of this completely uninteresting tale. This book starts out with the author warning the readers that he is in fact, not a good writer. After this, it talks about how Greg is being forced by his mother to help a girl with cancer by being a good friend to her. He is extremely reluctant but decides to go on with it, alongside his best friend Earl.

This story is told in the first-person perspective of Greg that has some fourth wall-breaking where he talks to the reader. The way the book is set is an obvious way to get attention and seem original, but it just is very… weird. Repeatedly throughout the book it will tell you to stop reading and I wish I listened to it. The humor is just not funny in the slightest and there’s lots of vulgar language to make itself appeal to teens. I didn’t understand the point of the book, no moral or real plot, which made it feel like a chore I had to finish. Besides the way that is written, there are still many faults. It was almost as if the writer had a goal to fill the book with as much racism and sexism as possible. He uses a derogatory term used against black people on multiple occasions, even though he is a white man.

I’ve said multiple of my critiques and despite the fact I think it’s a bad book, there are redeeming qualities. I will say that I enjoyed how Greg is depicted as a deeply flawed character which makes him relatable. I could heavily relate to his need to make people smile and that’s one of the main reasons I kept on reading.

I don’t recommend this book to anyone, though that doesn’t mean I don’t think it should be in the library. Despite the fact that this is considered a frequently "Banned" or "Challenged" book, I do not believe that any book should be banned. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 10

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a young adult novel about a young teenage girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer for as long as she can remember. By now, she has lost all hope and has come to terms with what her life will be like with her diagnosis. At first, she is reluctant to attend a local cancer support group recommended to her by her parents, but she soon realizes after meeting a boy named Augustus Waters (diagnosed with osteosarcoma), that maybe it isn’t the worst thing.

Augustus is charming and witty, however Hazel can’t help but to push him away like everyone else in her life. Augustus is not like everyone else, however, and he keeps coming back. He is drawn to her in a way that Hazel doesn’t understand. As Hazel and Augustus embark on an emotional roller coaster of romance, sadness, and humor, including a trip to Amsterdam in search of Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction (Hazel’s favorite book), Hazel starts to realize that her life is more than just terminal . . . it is about to be completely rewritten.

This is one of the best books I have ever read and not at all just, as Hazel would put it, a “cancer book.” Behind Augustus and Hazel’s stories, lies many themes and morals that are up for the reader's interpretation. I really appreciate how John Green builds this heart-warming story out of the darkness and despair that comes with the topic of cancer. I can also honestly and proudly say that I cried during the ending of this novel (which is saying much because it takes a lot for me to cry).

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a sweet, humorous, and, sadly, tragic love story to read. I thought that this was a beautifully, well-written novel and that the characters and plot were both unique beyond measure. So, get out your tissues and embark on this crazy, emotional roller coaster, and I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I did.