The development of the characters in this book are very realistic to teenagers. The reluctance Greg has to belonging to a group, yet the desire to belong is adolescence 101. Is Earl outrageous? Yes. Is the Dying Girl understated? Yes. Is Greg a confusing character who can't see the point of everything and everyone because he is myopic and omnipotent? Yes. That's because he's a teenage boy in a coming-of-age story. He has to go through this journey of self-realization to appreciate Earl and the Dying Girl for what they are and therefore what they make him. If you cannot find the wit, humor, and honesty in this book; you may have grown up and forgotten what it is like to be a teenager. Of note, the movie does very little justice to this book.