Books Like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Stephen Chbosky

Like Greg, Charlie narrates his own high school life in a candid, observant voice that stays honest about painful experiences. Fans of Greg's wit and frankness will recognise the same unflinching tone.

Sherman Alexie

Junior's cartoon-filled, self-aware narration is funny and angry at once, and he looks squarely at poverty, loss and his place in school. Greg's fans often enjoy the same blend of humour and hard truths.

Ned Vizzini

Craig's wry, self-mocking account of a teenager struggling with depression is candid about mental health and laced with dark jokes. It suits readers who liked Greg's refusal to make his story prettier than it is.

Rainbow Rowell

Two outsiders bond slowly over music and comics in a story that feels as specific and unsentimental as Greg and Earl's odd friendship. The teenage voices are funny, awkward and tender, much like the source book.

J.D. Salinger

Holden's sardonic, restless narration of a boy who doesn't fit in offers the same mix of contempt for phoniness and hidden vulnerability. It is a classic for readers who loved Greg's spiky, alienated humour.

Louis Sachar

Stanley's wry, unlikely misadventure is full of odd characters and dry comic timing, and it gives an outsider a surprising arc. Readers who enjoyed the source book's quirky energy will find a similar pleasure in its plotting.

John Green

Hazel and Augustus face terminal illness with sharp wit and a refusal to lie about how hard it is. Readers who loved Me and Earl and the Dying Girl often name this as its closest emotional companion.

Matthew Quick

Leonard's bleakly funny, confessional narration as he plans a serious act is raw and darkly comic. Like the source book, it treats a teenager's pain with honesty instead of easy comfort.

Jandy Nelson

Twins Noah and Jude narrate a story of grief, art and family in alternating voices, with lyrical but unsentimental writing. Readers drawn to the source book's emotional honesty will find a similar depth here.

Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd

A boy's grief over his mother's illness is handled with blunt emotional truth and a strange, darkly imaginative frame. It is a powerful next step for readers who want the source book's heartbreak with more gravity.

Markus Zusak

Death narrates a story about a girl in wartime Germany, mixing dark humour with sorrow in a way that echoes the source book's tone. It is a richer, older-feeling read for those who liked how it handles mortality.

Adam Silvera

Aaron's story of grief, memory and a risky attempt to change his past is raw and emotionally direct, with a tough, honest narrator. Readers who connected with Greg's grief-stricken world will find the same bruised honesty here.