Published by Speak by Penguin Group
Date: 2012 (First published September 21, 2006)
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Pages: 236
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is 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.
- Goodreads
Colin Singleton is a prodigy whose sole goal in life is to matter. He wants to matter to the important people in his life, to the world as he knows it, and to future generations to come. And, how does he propose to accomplish his goal of mattering? By proving he's not merely a prodigy, but a genius, of course. When Colin is dumped by his girlfriend Katherine--the nineteenth Katherine in a long line of Katherines whom Colin has dated--Colin's quest to matter becomes more important than ever. By proving himself a genius--by proving that he matters--Colin believes he can mend his broken heart and win Katherine XIX back. With his best friend Hassan at his side, Colin embarks on a road trip that will change his life forever and teach him the true meaning of mattering.
One of the best things about An Abundance of Katherines is the truth and honesty behind each character. John Green has created a cast of characters who come alive with a realism and quirkiness that is hard to find in books. Each main character in the novel has some quality that makes him or her relatable and likable for the reader. Colin, with his weird obsession with girls named Katherine, his silly belief that romantic relationships can be predicted mathematically, and his endless knowledge of interesting (and sometimes uninteresting) facts, is a protagonist that readers want to root for, a likable underdog, if you will. Colin's best friend Hassan is the funny man, the character with all the jokes to provide comic relief. And, Lindsey Lee Wells, the mysterious girl whom Colin and Hassan meet on their road trip adventure, is the chameleon, the girl who becomes whoever she needs to be for any situation; more importantly, she is the girl with all the answers, the girl who helps Colin find himself amidst the pieces of his broken heart. Together, this trio of characters fit together perfectly and drive the story John Green has crafted.
Another excellent aspect of the novel is John Green's storytelling superpowers. An Abundance of Katherines has the perfect recipe to make the story compelling. It has wit and humor, the tragedy of a broken heart, an epic quest of redemption, and a little bit of romance to top it all off. One of the best aspects of the story was Colin's experience with Katherine I, the Katherine who started it all. As the novel tells the story of Colin and Hassan's epic road trip adventure, little bits of Colin's story with Katherine I are slowly revealed, and by the end, you have a clear picture of what happened between Colin and Katherine and why Colin never got over her.
There really wasn't anything I didn't like about the novel, but if I had to pick one thing I didn't like, it would be the presence (or lack thereof) of Colin's parents. Through all of Colin's backstory, I got the impression that Colin's parents are helicopters, overprotective parents who like to have their hands in every aspect of their kid's life. There's even one moment in the book when Colin freely admits that his parents are overprotective. With that said, I have a hard time believing that Colin's parents, especially Colin's father who seems to want Colin to become a genius as much as Colin does, would allow Colin to disappear on a summer-long road trip to Gutshot, Tennessee and completely abandon his regular studies and academic goals. I think they might indulge him for a little while, but eventually that indulgence would have reached a breaking point. I think the role of Colin's parents would have been more realistic if they had shown some kind of resistance to Colin's insistence on staying in Gutshot. You know, an "enough is enough" moment where they demanded him to return home. Without that moment, Colin's parents are just kind of there and serve no purpose in the story whatsoever. It's a small detail that didn't really detract from the story. I got over pretty quickly, but other readers might not.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading An Abundance of Katherines. It's a witty coming-of-age story that, I think, is different from some of the other coming-of-age stories out there. It was my first experience with John Green, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading his other books. His next book on my list is Paper Towns followed by The Fault in Our Stars. Check back for more reviews.
Posted in Realistic Fiction, Reviews, Young Adult