An Abundance of Katherines

Yes, yes, I know, a good chunk of the literature world is raving about John Green - and for good reason, I tell you. John Green has a remarkable way of capturing humanity in a way that many other authors can't. An Abundance of Katherines is literature at its best: I laughed, I sympathized, and when the story ended, I was blown away by the complexity of the characters.

An Abundance of Katherines focuses on the life of Colin Singleton. Colin has been the "dumpee" for as long as he can remember. He's been dumped 19 times, to be exact - all by girls with the name Katherine. Colin embarks on a roadtrip with his friend Hassan, bent upon finding a mathematical formula to prove that relationships are predictable. He insists that this formula will always prove who will be the "dumpee" and the "dumper" in a relationship.

As Colin and Hassan develop relationships with the individuals in Gunshot, Tennessee, they quickly learn that there's more to life than finding formulas and making predictions.

So, out of my first book review post, why An Abundance of Katherines, you ask? I don't know about you, but I look for two main things in a book: 1) a story that pulls you in right from the get-go, and 2) that I actually learned something. This books fulfills both purposes. From the initial page, you are intrigued by Colin and his tendency to date the Katherines of the world. As you continue reading, you're introduced to so many interesting factoids about math, history, and world culture. These factoids are skillfully integrated because Green uses them as footnotes. This concept follows Colin's take on mathematics. Read the book and you'll understand the "why" and "how" behind this.

I'll admit it: An Abundance of Katherines isn't my first John Green novel. The Fault in Our Stars is the first book of his that I've read. After reading TFiOS I decided to pursue some of his other works, purely for the reason that I was so impressed with his writing style and plot complexity. An Abundance of Katherines by far exceeded any expectations I had.

But The Fault in Our Stars is another book... and another post for another day.

Happy reading!