An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
After reading Green's Looking for Alaska and hearing the author speak, I was really excited to read An Abundance of Katherines. I had originally shied away from the book thinking it would be yet another whiny book about a boy being dumped; I was wrong. I dare say, this book was better than Looking for Alaska, in fact it is probably the best buddy road trip book I have ever read.
I know what you are thinking, "Sarah, didn't you just say this was about a boy getting dumped?", yes it is, but it is also about a road trip. The main character Colin, a child prodigy that feels washed-up at age 17, has been dumped by his 19th Katherine. You see, he only dates girls named Katherine, K-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-E, no C Catherines, Katies, Kates, or Kathys need apply. Now his Muslim American best friend, Hassan, wants to take him on a road trip to get him out of his dump funk.
The book centers around the boys journey to Gutshot, Tennessee (for all of you anagramers out there like Colin, this turns into: See Teens Not Thugs), where they meet Lindsey Lee Wells and her mom. It is here that Colin begins to theorize about dumpers and dumpees and how you can break a relationship down into a mathematical equation.
It is an interesting premise for a book. Two boys, one a prodigy the other a hilarious Muslim American, go on a road trip and discover friendship and mathematical equations along the way. I really recommend it to anyone looking for a great novel that isn't your typical YA fare.
Note: This book does contain graphic language, alcohol use and sexual situations.
