Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Greg Gaines, a high school senior, spends his life trying to blend in, while making movies with his closet friend Earl. When he reconnects with Rachel, a friend from his past who has leukemia, Greg’s life is upended as he struggles with mortality, and as her leukemia advances he becomes increasingly vulnerable and introspective, struggling to make sense of his emotions and friendships. Suitable for lit circles in senior grades, this coming-of-age novel deals with complex emotions and responses to death with grace and charm. The many perspectives in this story allow students to explore their own experiences and how they might respond in such a situation. Social considerations were noted.