An Abundance of Katherines

Review:

Title:  An Abundance of Katherines

Author:  John Green

Publisher: Speak (An Imprint of Penguin Group USA)

Publication Date: 2006

Format: Library Copy

Genre:  YA, Contemporary, Romance

Blurb: 

Katherine V thought boys were gross

Katherine X just wanted to be friends

Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail

K-19 broke his heart 

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Writing:

John Green quickly pulls you into the story of Colin, who ends up in Tennessee after a road trip with his best buddy Hassan. Collin spends the entire book producing this theorem to predict a relationship, specifically, his relationship with any girl named Katherine.  Green makes the characters very real and honest human beings, bringing in aspects of heart break, new beginnings, and disappointment.  I found myself completely engrossed in the story, and I was sad, although pleased, with the ending. 

In this book, Green uses a lot of footnotes, which I found fun at first, and for the most part continually fun.  I thought that at points they broke up the flow of the book, but after a while I barely noticed the transitions back and fourth.  

Characters:

Colin:

Colin is a somewhat self absorbed prodigy who continues to get dumped by Katherine's.  Convinced that creating a theorem will answer his questions and predict future relationships, Colin embarks on an emotional journey and discovers flaws within himself, as well as an enormous amount of closure.  Colin unusual, but completely interesting, and he had such wonderful character growth!

Hassan:

Hassan is the perfect friend.  He is the opposite of Colin in many ways, but they know each other so well.  Hassan is that friend that will just tell you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it, and Colin often needs that.  Hassan is also goodnatured and funny; spicing up the story and keeping the pace.

Lindsay:

Lindsay is imperfect and never herself.  She represents this new friend, something that Colin doesn't have a lot of, as well as a new beginning.  She admits to a lot and shares sides of herself with Colin that she doesn't show others.  She is guarded, confident, and still vulnerable in her weakest moments.  I found Lindsay to be perfectly honest, but to have a good heart.

*Bonus Character: Spoiler*

Katherine 1/19:

When I write 1/19 I do not mean 1 through 19, because as it is revealed that all the stories about Katherine 1 and 19 are actually the same person, explaining is infatuation with them both.  (K-19 was the most recent break up). 

Final Findings:

An Abundance of Katherines embody's all of teenage heartbreak, friend drama, and unexpected discovery that makes it a perfect YA novel that has stolen it's spot on my favorites shelf with all of it's quirkiness.  

✎✎✎✎✎

~Remy