Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2012

74%

WISE Score

4.0

Amazon

The anti-cancer-book cancer book: darkly funny, brutally honest, and refreshingly free of inspiration porn.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

book

2012

74%

WISE Score

4.0

Amazon

The anti-cancer-book cancer book: darkly funny, brutally honest, and refreshingly free of inspiration porn.

4.0

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Screenwise Verdict

This is the book for teens who are tired of cancer stories where the dying girl teaches the sad boy how to really live. Andrews flips the script: Greg is a disaster, Rachel is complicated and sometimes annoying, and nobody learns convenient lessons.

The voice is what makes this work—Greg's constant meta-commentary and self-deprecation create genuine humor even in the darkest moments. The fake film parodies are hilarious. And crucially, the book earns its emotional moments by refusing to manipulate.

That said, this is heavy. The profanity is constant, the subject matter is death, and Greg's anxiety spirals can be intense. It's absolutely not for younger teens or kids who need lighter fare. But for older high schoolers ready for something honest and literarily ambitious? This is one of the best YA novels of the 2010s.

Age Fit

Best for ages 14-18, per ALA and Common Sense Media recommendations. The profanity, mature themes, and emotional intensity around terminal illness make this too heavy for middle schoolers. Strong readers in 9th grade and up who can handle dark humor and grief will find this rewarding.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Tackles terminal illness with dark humor rather than sentimentality, which is emotionally honest but intense. Greg's self-deprecating narration and genuine awkwardness around death feel authentic to teen experience. The book avoids easy resolutions and 'cancer inspiration porn,' which is refreshing, but the protagonist's profound self-loathing and social paralysis can be emotionally heavy. Models friendship in messy, imperfect ways—Greg initially befriends Rachel because his mom forces him to, not out of pure altruism.

Imaginative

Highly original voice and structure. Greg narrates with constant meta-commentary, breaking the fourth wall to critique his own storytelling. The book incorporates screenplay-style chapters describing the terrible films Greg and Earl make (parodies of classic cinema like 'Pooping Tom' and '2:48 PM Cowboy'). Andrews subverts every YA cancer-book trope deliberately, creating something genuinely fresh in an oversaturated genre. The humor is inventive and unexpected, mixing high and low comedy in ways that feel authentically teenage.

Safe

Lots of profanity throughout. Deals directly with terminal cancer and death—Rachel dies, and it's not sugar-coated. No graphic violence, sex, or gore, but the emotional weight of watching a peer die is significant. The humor often veers into crude territory (bodily functions, sexual references). Greg's constant self-flagellation and anxiety might be triggering for teens struggling with similar issues. Common Sense Media and multiple sources recommend ages 14+, noting the mature themes and language. Not a book you'd want an 8-year-old stumbling into unexpectedly.

Enriching

Genuinely explores grief, mortality, and the messiness of human connection without offering pat answers. Greg's growth is incremental and realistic—he doesn't become a hero or learn tidy life lessons. The book challenges readers to sit with discomfort and ambiguity. Exposes teens to classic film through Greg and Earl's parodies, potentially sparking interest in cinema. Tackles Jewish and Black identity (Greg is Jewish, Earl is Black) with some nuance. The writing itself is sophisticated—funny, self-aware, and literarily ambitious. Winner of multiple YA awards including recognition from ALA for quality literature.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Subverts every YA cancer trope with sharp humor and meta-commentary—Greg constantly critiques his own story as he tells it
Features hilariously terrible student films with titles like 'Pooping Tom' and 'A Sockwork Orange' that parody classic cinema
Emotionally honest about death and grief without manipulation—no tidy lessons, no heroic transformations, just messy human reality
Award-winning writing (ALA recognition) with a genuinely original voice that feels authentically teenage
Explores friendship across race and class (Earl is Black, Greg is Jewish and middle-class) with some real nuance

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What to Watch For

Lots of profanity and crude humor throughout—not gratuitous, but definitely present
Rachel dies, and the book doesn't soften it—this is about watching someone your age succumb to cancer
Greg's relentless self-loathing and anxiety might be hard for teens already struggling with similar feelings
The humor is dark and sometimes uncomfortable—it's using comedy to process tragedy, which won't work for everyone

Conversation Starters

"Greg says he was forced to be Rachel's friend at first. Do you think a friendship that starts that way can become real?"
"Why do you think Greg and Earl make such terrible parody films? What does that creative outlet do for them?"
"The book deliberately avoids giving Greg big life lessons or transformations. Do you find that realistic or frustrating?"
"How does humor help people deal with really hard things like death? Are there limits to what you can joke about?"

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