No matter what anyone says, I generally judge books by their covers. Most books I pick up have an interesting cover and/or title. (The rest are the normal reasons - recommendations, authors I know, a book that I thought was something else and then just finished it anyway after I realized it wasn't.) 
 This book made me laugh. Out loud. Many times. So I liked it. 
 It's not the typical 'someone has a major crisis but then something completely great happens to more or less overshadow it and in the end it all works out honky-dory for all involved' type of story. There is a crisis (teenager gets leukemia) but it doesn't work out honky-dory (she dies) and that part is largely glossed over because that's not what this story is about. Even though it's about teenagers dealing with a critical illness, it's more funny than touching and sentimental. The Notebook sort of ruined my emotional stability and now I cry over car commercials so I'm not generally looking for reasons for another laundry load of wet handkerchiefs. This book was great for that - there are some touching moments but, flip the page, and this kid is saying or doing something so awkward-teenager-real that I was laughing again before that tear had a solid chance to well up in my eye. 
 I enjoyed the overwhelming awkwardness of the narrator and the complete irrationality of the existence of Earl who, despite being everything he is, ends up being a voice of sanity and reason on many occasions. 
 I liked the break from general paragraph text to tell the story in script format bits and bulleted lists. I don't really know why - I just did. 
 Quotes I enjoyed: 
 "Let's just say that it would explain a lot of things if there were a fungus eating my brain. Although that fungus would have to have been eating my brain for basically my entire life. At this point it's possible that the fungus has gotten bored and left, or died from malnutrition or something." 
 "It's like when a kitten tries to bite something to death. The kitten clearly has the cold-blooded murderous instinct of a predator, but at the same time, it's this cute little kitten, and all you want to do is stuff it in a shoebox and shoot a video of it for grandmas to watch on YouTube." 
 "Are you done eating that?" 
 "What?" 
 "You shouldn't finish that, Dad's gonna want some." 
 "The hell he will." 
 "He will." 
 "It's so nasty. Son, it's so nasty." 
 "Then why are you finishing it?" 
 "Taking a bullet."