A social loner, he navigates high school life by gaining everyone's acquaintance but staying clear of any particular clique.

One day, Greg's mother tells him that his childhood friend, Rachel Kushner, is diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Although Greg had only befriended Rachel to get closer to her more attractive friend, Leah Katzenberg, he realized he could not argue with his mother and called her.

Greg and Earl come up with different ideas (including documentary footage, confessionals, and puppetry), and the result, entitled Rachel the Film, is a mashup of everything they try out.

In the epilogue, Greg reveals that he wrote the book to explain to his prospective college, the University of Pittsburgh, why he neglected schoolwork during his last school year.

[4] Booklist's Daniel Kraus wrote "One need only look at the chapter titles ... to know that this is one funny book, highlighted by screenplay excerpts and Earl’s pissy wisdom.

But it’s this honest lack of profundity, and the struggle to overcome it, that makes Andrews’ debut actually kinda profound.

"[5] The outlet praised the audiobook's production, though, claiming "The use of multiple voices textures the story and increases the entertainment value.

[11] In late 2023 the book was removed from 20 library shelves in Cobb County, Georgia; the school district administration said they presented "highly inappropriate, sexually explicit content.

[13] An adaptation based on the novel was filmed in Pittsburgh beginning in June 2014, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, with an adapted screenplay by the author, and starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and Jon Bernthal.