August 31, 2015
Senior Greg Gaines has drifted through high school trying to be friendly with everyone but is friends with no one, moving between cliques without committing. His only hobby is making awful movies with Earl, his foul-mouthed pal. Greg’s carefully maintained routine is upset when his mother encourages him to spend time with Rachel, a classmate suffering from leukemia. Greg begrudgingly befriends Rachel, before being conned by another classmate into making a movie about her. The story employs a number narrative devices, including screenplay-style passages, bulleted lists, movie reviews, and fake newspaper headlines, which are expertly handled by a chorus of voice actors (Keith Szarabajka, Hillary Huber, Kirby Heyborne, Abigail Revasch, and Adenrele Ojo). The use of multiple voices textures the story and increases the entertainment value of the entire audiobook. Ages 14–up. An Abrams/Amulet paperback.
February 6, 2012
In his debut novel, Andrews tackles some heavy subjects with irreverence and insouciance. Senior Greg Gaines has drifted through high school trying to be friendly with everyone but friends with no one, moving between cliques without committing. His only hobby is making awful movies with his foul-mouthed pal Earl. Greg’s carefully maintained routine is upset when his mother encourages him to spend time with Rachel, a classmate suffering from leukemia. Greg begrudgingly rekindles his friendship with Rachel, before being conned into making a movie about her. Narrated by Greg, who brings self-deprecation to new heights (or maybe depths), this tale tries a little too hard to be both funny and tragic, mixing crude humor and painful self-awareness. Readers may be either entertained or exhausted by the grab bag of narrative devices Andrews employs (screenplay-style passages, bulleted lists, movie reviews, fake newspaper headlines, outlines). In trying to defy the usual tearjerker tropes, Andrews ends up with an oddly unaffecting story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Matt Hudson, William Morris Endeavor.