Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

After being completely creeped out by "172 Hours on the Moon" I wanted to read something that was going to make me laugh.

A book with "Dying Girl" in the title? Really?!

Yup. The "author" (main character, Greg Gaines) sums it up best:

"I do actually want to say one other thing before we get started with the horrifyingly inane book.  You may have already figured out that it's about a girl who had cancer.  So there's a chance you're thinking, 'Awesome! This is going to be a wise and insightful story about love and death and growing up. It is probably going to make me cry literally the entire time.  I am so fired up right now.' If that is an accurate representation of your thoughts, you should probably try to smush this book into a garbage disposal and then run away...My point is this: This book contains precisely zero Important Life Lessons, or Little-Known Facts About Love, or sappy tear-jerking Moments When We Knew We Had Left Our Childhood Behind for Good, or Whatever."(p 2-3)

Awesome.

As promised, there were no real life lessons.  There was a whole lot of cursing (mostly by his crazy friend, Earl).  And it made me laugh out loud...a lot!!  Greg is dry, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and extremely funny. 

This really isn't a book about "the Dying Girl"...but much more about a teenage boy trying to navigate life in general.  I give it 4/5 on the Rez Recommends scale.

As a side note, if you are looking for a "wise and insightful story about love and death and growing up", you MUST read John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars".  I didn't review it on this site...mostly because I was too overwhelmed to write about it at the time.  It's brilliant.  Extraordinarly funny and smart.  And I cried my eyes out.  It's now at the top of the "Ms. Martin's Favourites" list over on the side.  As another reviewer put it, "I was undone by this novel." 

Life Less Ordinary ~ books about teens who stand out from the crowd

• An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
  Poor Colin hasn’t had much luck with dating. He’s been dumped 19 times...all by girls named Katherine! Nothing like a road trip with your best friend to try and heal your broken heart...and figure out why you keep getting dumped! John Green is hands down one of the best Young Adult authors out there! This book earned multiple starred reviews and a Printz Honor award.
• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
  This book is a perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” This high-flying novel has everything a great adventure should...daring rescues, thrilling escapes, pirates, and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure. Winner of a Governor General's award. Also look for the follow-up books, Skybreaker and Starclimber.
• The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, vol. 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
  Octavian is a African slave sent to American to receive, as an experiment, a classical education usually reserved for the “elite”. As the Revolutionary War unfolds, Octavian runs away to join the army and experiences the horrors of what it means to be a slave in 18th century America. This brilliantly written novel also provides insightful commentary on today’s society and our notion of history. Also try volume 2, Kingdom on the Waves. Both are multi-award winners.
• Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
  When 15-year old Lizzie is killed, she travels to the afterlife, called Elsewhere, and tries to figure out how to “live” in her new surroundings. A powerful story about life, and life after death. Winner of multiple starred reviews...and one of my all-time favourites!
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  Earth is about to be invaded by a hostile alien race. The defense plan? Train an army of children! Ender Wiggen is the unlikely candidate recruited to join the troops. Even if you don’t normally like science fiction, I DARE you not to love this book!
• Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  Kat’s little sister is ordered to compete in the Hunger Games...a reality TV series kind of like Survivor, but instead of getting voted off, you die! Kat volunteers to take her place and, with TV cameras following her every move, fights to stay alive.
• I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusack
  Ed Kennedy’s life isn’t exactly exciting...he spends all his time hanging out with his dog, driving his taxi and playing cards with his friends. When mysterious, coded messages show up in his mailbox, he is sent on a series of tasks that will change his life. Winner of a Printz Honor award.
• I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
  Cammie goes to a prestigious all-girls private school...but it’s not just any private school. It’s a secret school for spies! All of the girls are spies in training, which makes leading a “normal” life a little difficult. It’s a fun, light-hearted adventure...if you were to mix James Bond with Harry Potter with the girls from Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, this is the novel you’d get!
• Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
  When the moon is hit by a meteor and bumped out of its normal orbit, life on Earth is horrifyingly altered. Worldwide tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes, ice storms… chaos. Miranda describes in her diary how she and her family struggle to survive. Also check out the sequel, “The Dead and the Gone” that tells the same story, but from the perspective of a boy in New York City.
• Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
  Australian teen, Reason, must go live with her “wicked” grandmother, Esmeralda, in Sydney after her mother has a mental breakdown. While trying to escape from Esmeralda, Reason runs through a door...only to find herself in New York City. This magical adventure is the award-winning first book of a trilogy (followed by Magic Lessons and Magic’s Child).
• Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
  A “fallen angel” (demon) named Kiriel is bored with Hell and decides to take over the body and life of a slacker teen who has just been hit by a cement truck. Even though he’s breaking all the rules, Kiriel is determined to experience life as a human teen and have a positive impact on the people around him. Winner of a Printz Honor award.
• Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
  Imagine high school and dating...when your dad is a mafia leader! Life is certainly “interesting” for Vince Luca. Oh, and did I mention that the girl he’s fallen for is the daughter of an FBI agent?! Funny man Gordon Korman at his best! Also check out the sequel, Hollywood Hustle for more adventures as Vince heads off to college.

Don’t forget to fill out your own reviews of these books for a chance to win some great prizes!

The Awesomeness that is John Green

I just finished reading John Green's newest novel, Paper Towns...and within pages I was reminded of why he is one of my all-time favourite authors. He makes me laugh out loud and I honestly believe that if I lived in the same town as John Green, we could be friends (how cool would that be?!).

Paper Towns is part comedy, part mystery, a little bit of romance, and all awesome. His writing is smart, and quirky, and he has this way of writing that you can hear the characters' voices and care what happens to them...I could easily see any of his books (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) made into a movie.

Both of his previous books have won a Printz award (for Excellence in Young Adult Literature) - Looking for Alaska won in 2006; An Abundance of Katherines was an honor book in 2007. Paper Towns wasn't published in time for the 2008 awards, but fingers crossed for 2009!

Watch for Paper Towns to be out on the Library @ Rez shelves in the next few weeks (or ask me, and I can let you borrow it sooner!) - along with nearly 250 new novels that have just arrived!!

p.s. John Green has posted a Paper Towns Playlist on his blog...if you're curious, check it out!

One Red Paperclip

I know! I think I'll buy myself a house...with a paperclip. Sounds crazy, right?! Well, with a little bit of creativity, the help of "craigslist" and a whole lot of media hype, Kyle MacDonald did just that.

"One Red Paperclip: or How an ordinary man achieved his dream with the help of a simple office supply" retells the true adventures of Kyle MacDonald - an unemployed dreamer who decided to see how far he could "trade up" - starting with one red paperclip. He posted the paperclip on craigslist, saying he wanted to trade for something "bigger or better"...and continued to swap items until eventually he ended up with a house!

Not only is this a fascinating idea, but the book is a GREAT read. Kyle is very funny and sarcastic, the people he meets and trades with (from all across North America) are odd and quirky (and sometimes famous!!), and it's inspiring to see what one person can do with a dream and the right attitude.

I LOVED this book. It made me smile and reminded me that there are a lot of really cool, smart, good people in this world.

Grab a copy from a library (381.142 MAC) or bookstore - it will be a great summer read. And maybe it will inspire you to dream up your own big idea!

It's a Guy Thing

Growing pains aren't always painful...or at least not when you're reading about someone else's! These novels will have you laughing as guys navigate through high school with all of the headaches that hormones, relationships, school, family, and growing up have to offer.

• 24 Girls in 7 Days ~ Alex Bradley (FIC BRA)
  Jack Grammar, average American senior, has no date for the prom until his so-called best friends post an ad in the school newspaper and assemble a list of eager girls, giving him just seven days to meet and date them all before asking one special girl to the prom.
  
• An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green (FIC GRE)
  Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.
  
• Burger Wuss ~ M.T. Anderson (FIC AND)
  Hoping to lose his loser image, Anthony plans revenge on a bully which results in a war between two competing fast food restaurants, Burger Queen and O'Dermott's.
  
• Cheeseburger Subversive ~ Richard Scarsbrook (FIC SCA)
  Dak Sifter recounts with sardonic humour some of the sublime, but ordinary incidents in his adolescence; ones that create the evolution of change, or as he puts it, "a shifting of gears"
  
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4 ~ Sue Townsend (FIC TOW)
  Follows the ups and downs of one British teenager's life in diary form.
  
• Son of the Mob ~ Gordon Korman (FIC KOR)
  Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.
  
• Three Clams and an Oyster ~ Randy Powell (FIC POW)
  During their humorous search to find a fourth player for their flag football team, three high school juniors are forced to examine their long friendship, their individual flaws, and their inability to try new experiences.