An Abundance of Katherines
Most people love the author John Green for the heartwarming novel The Fault in Our Stars, but after you read An Abundance of Katherines you will not be able to remember him for anything else. An Abundance of Katherines a relatable story of love, friendship, and growing up. The story showcases that your average life can sometimes reap extraordinary rewards and experiences, but only if you are willing to go out and find them. I recommend An Abundance of Katherines to any teen who appreciates a well written love story with tons of witty humor and relatable characters.
An Abundance of Katherines undeniably has the most lovable cast of misfits. The book revolves around Colin Singleton who honestly could not be more single despite dating nineteen girls all sharing one thing. The name Katherine. Colin is also a child prodigy, but when it comes to dating he is a complete idiot. Being a prodigy and all Colin is not the average teenage guy. Colin has been striving his whole life to always be above average. The book also features Hassan, Colin’s best and only friend. He is a sarcastic, chubby, Judge Judy loving dude who is the easy going counterpart Colin’s high strung self. Hassan just wants Colin to put all of the Katherines behind him, especially K-19, and move on. During Hassan’s attempt to help Colin move on they meet the fascinating small town girl named Lindsey Lee Wells. Lindsey really pushes the plot forward by helping Colin realize things about himself and the world. Each character has relatable traits for every reader to love.
Each character has their own internal conflict that is explored and resolved in the novel which I enjoy because it leaves the reader with a complete ending, but what happens after the novel is open to interpretation. The characters conflicts are relatable for the teenagers of this current generation. Whatever issues you deal with ranging from self image to having an existential crisis this book has you covered. And keeps you engaged to see how they resolve it from cover to cover.
When you first meet  Colin he lives in the big city of Chicago, but after a twist of fate he and Hassan end up in the super small town of Gutshot, Tennessee. The small intimate setting really helps all of the characters interact, and find what they are looking for. While in Gutshot with little distractions and curious helpers Colin decides to perfect his theorem that should predict the out come of relationships. Colin is so focused on the theorem because he thinks that it can get him to be remembered. All Colin ever wanted was to do something that really matters, or at least to matter to a Katherine. By the the end of the novel Colin does achieve what he really needs out of life.
John Green did a wonderful job of character development. I also enjoyed that the point of view was from Colin’s mind, and that the story switched between the past and the present each chapter. The word choice also enhances the novel by giving it a certain sophistication, and helps to reinforce the fact the Colin is is child prodigy with an extensive vocabulary.
An Abundance of Katherines was a true page turner. Each page was filled with every emotion from teenage heartbreak to the pure joy of being your true self with your friends. When you read the book you feel like Colin, Hassan, and Lindsey are your friends. To me the best part was the characters. Hassan never failed to literally make me laugh out loud while reading. I also saw a lot of my inner most insecurities materialize in Colin. Lastly Lindsey is the kind of person that anyone wants to be best friends with. I applaud John Green for this fun story of what youth looks like. The good, the bad, and the ugly included. Overall if you want an honest romance you must check out An Abundance of Katherines.