An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Green, J. (2012). An abundance of Katherines. New York: Speak.

Colin, a child prodigy, doesn’t understand why his relationships with Katherines end. To get his mind off his 19th Katherine, Colin and his friend, Hassan, take a road trip and end up in Gutshot. They meet Lindsey Lee Wells and Colin is instantly smitten. However, she’s dating a guy named Colin “the other Colin” (TOC). Colin’s obsessed with figuring out a mathematical theory to understand whether a relationship will last. The boys stay in Gutshot through summer, eventually learning “TOC” is cheating on Lindsey. This opens a door for Colin to pursue Lindsey. However, Colin plugs all of his past Katherine relationships into his “Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability” and realizes it doesn’t work. Lindsey helps him understand no chart can predict what happens in the future. The two date, and Hassan ultimately decides to start taking classes in college. This comical book shows a care-free friendship between two boys, one which is Muslim. There are many references to the Muslim culture and language, which this book helps prove two people can get along no matter what their beliefs or culture are. The author, John Green, also includes many footnotes at the end of the pages. The footnotes consist of humor, graphs/charts, translations, and definitions. Like most young adult books, the main character shows a gradual change throughout the book. Coming-of-age is displayed as Colin and Hassan mature and grow-up through the story. I’d recommend The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, also by John Green, because they both incorporate young love and friendship. Both books have been made into movies.