This novel begs comparison with John Green's The Fault in Our Stars because both stories feature teenagers grappling with illness. There the comparison must end, as Andrews' book, while well-constructed, is much less "painterly" than Green's novel.
Part of what I loved about this novel is that one of the characters frequently feels compelled to say funny things to his sick friend and I found myself laughing out loud.
I also enjoyed the departures in narrative style that Andrews adopted. Some of the dialogue is presented as a film script; some in bullet points. As in Jennifer Egan's A Visit to the Goon Squad, I found these alternative storytelling forms highly engaging. In fact, Andrews has a good ear, and recounting of dialogue using bullet points didn't diminish his ability to capture the way we talk now in any way. A very funny book with quite a bit of bad language.
Part of what I loved about this novel is that one of the characters frequently feels compelled to say funny things to his sick friend and I found myself laughing out loud.
I also enjoyed the departures in narrative style that Andrews adopted. Some of the dialogue is presented as a film script; some in bullet points. As in Jennifer Egan's A Visit to the Goon Squad, I found these alternative storytelling forms highly engaging. In fact, Andrews has a good ear, and recounting of dialogue using bullet points didn't diminish his ability to capture the way we talk now in any way. A very funny book with quite a bit of bad language.
I saw the movie, and really enjoyed it!
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