Greg Gaines has perfected a system for flying beneath the radar at high school. Now, at the start of his senior year, he’s accepted by every clique and sub-clique without having to join any of them. Greg uses self-deprecating humor to cover up his own insecurities, and his only real friend—although he thinks of him more as a coworker—is Earl, an African American boy with whom he bonded in kindergarten over a mutual love of violent video games. This evolved into a mutual love of mostly obscure, arty violent movies, which has turned into a mutual obsession with filmmaking. For years the two of them have been making their own (really bad) backyard versions of films (e.g., Apocalypse Later ). Then Greg’s mom asks him to call Rachel, a classmate he also knows from Hebrew school who’s been diagnosed with leukemia. He can’t think of a way to get out of it and reluctantly gets in touch and starts visiting her. His ability to blend in at school is shattered when he’s inevitably labeled as the boyfriend of the dying girl, although he isn’t Rachel’s boyfriend and resists feeling anything beyond a sense of obligation until Earl challenges him to be real. A laugh-out-loud, probing novel that looks honestly at life and death is told in a variety of formats, including dialogue, movie scripts, headlines, lists, and prose. (Age 13 and older)

The book that inspired the hit film!

Sundance U.S. Dramatic Audience Award
Sundance Grand Jury Prize

This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential question: How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl.
This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg’s mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg’s entire life.
Fiercely funny, honest, heart-breaking—this is an unforgettable novel from a bright talent, now also a film that critics are calling "a touchstone for its generation" and "an instant classic."

Includes a discussion with Jesse Andrews and an annotated excerpt from the screenplay!

STARRED REVIEW
“One need only look at the chapter titles (“Let’s Just Get This Embarrassing Chapter Out of the Way”) to know that this is one funny book.”
–Booklist, starred review

STARRED REVIEW
“Though this novel begs inevitable thematic comparisons to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars (2011), it stands on its own in inventiveness, humor and heart.”
–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

New York Times bestseller!

Capitol Choices 2013 - Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) Choices 2013 list - Young Adult Fiction
YALSA 2013 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
YALSA 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults
YALSA 2014 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults