Book Bouncer Review: 'An Abundance Of Katherines' by John Green

'An Abundance of Katherines' by John Green

Is it possible to have had nineteen girlfriends that all had the name Katherine? John Green proves that it can all happen to Colin Singleton, the main character of An Abundance of Katherines. And not just that; he's been dumped by every Katherine... or at least, that's what he remembers of how all his relationships ended.

Already a prodigy, Colin is chasing the title of being a 'genius'. After being dumped by Katherine XIX and persuaded into going on a road trip with his best friend, Hassan Harbish, Colin begins working out an equation that could predict how long his relationships would last. Throughout the book, he learns about the few factors that influence this unique equation.

Lindsey Lee Wells is the tour guide for those touring the tomb of Archduke Ferdinand, and she's also the reason Colin grows closer to creating the equation. Hassan and Colin befriend her and her friends, not knowing what's in store for them. Could Colin possibly have his Eureka moment and be declared a genius? Or is the equation just a dead end and a way to ignore being dumped by Katherine XIX?

And furthermore, is he destined for a Katherine XX?

I found this book very cute and funny. Colin was highly ambitious and logical, practical when in his element, and inexperienced with the world outside of the one he built for himself. Even though he's a prodigy in the book, the way he tackles a few situations suggests otherwise.

Hassan wasn't my favorite character, but he had his moments. He was the character that added humor to the book. Lindsey was a character I had trouble relating to. She wasn't that easy to connect to in the first half or so of the book, but later on, when it was apparent that she and the boys were becoming really good friends, it was easy to understand how and why she acted the way she did, and what sort of person she was.

An Abundance of Katherines is a unique story of ambition, perseverance and logic. I learnt that history can repeat itself eighteen times for poor Colin, but that history can also avoid being repeated. I wouldn't recommend this book for everyone, given that it does have content that is not suitable for readers younger than thirteen, and has substitute words that sound very similar to the words they are replacing. Also, there is a lot of math and logic included within the pages, and not everyone is a fan of math. Right?

But I do hope that whoever reads An Abundance of Katherines does agree with me when I say that this book was one of Green's best. Out of all the books he ever wrote, I feel that this one gave the right level of maturity according to the characters' ages. This book was definitely worth reading.