Greg Gaines likes to fly beneath the radar. He's basically figured out a way to be part of all of the cliques and none of them at once. Why? Do you even need to ask? High school is a MINEFIELD, people. He has one friend, Earl, a short, slightly misanthropic kid who comes from a family of completely misanthropic, socially maladjusted thugs-in-training. Earl and Greg like to make movies. Terrible movies. Movies that sometimes star Greg's cat, Cat Stevens.

One day Greg's well-meaning and slightly interfering mother decides that he needs to spend time with a girl he knew from Rabbinical school because, well, she's got leukaemia. Let me just say that this book is NOT a Cancer Book. It is not the kind of book that wants you to Feel Stuff and it is not the kind of book that will be made into a Hallmark Movie of the Week. This book is, quite frankly, hilarious.

I literally snarfed with laughter throughout this entire book. It's told from Greg's POV, and that kid's stream of consciousness is just full-on crazy. I do believe the term "f*ckburglar" will now be a regular part of my vocabulary.

I don't want to give too much away but seriously y'all, just read this book. The characters are wonderful and sometimes painfully real - especially Earl's family. Mr. McCarthy has to be THE best teacher-character ever put to paper. I will never look at pho the same way again. :)