Review: An Abundance of Katherines

In John Green’s Prinz Award nominated novel An Abundance of Katherines, Colin Singleton, the protagonist and self-professed washed-up child prodigy finds himself in a familiar break up situation – that is, he has been dumped by 19 girls named Katherine (no spelling variations allowed). At this point, Colin tries to deal with his break-up, prepare for his first year of university, and most importantly, try and discover a formula for any break up, in order to reaffirm his status as a prodigy. On a whim, he takes a road trip with his underachieving best friend Hassan and they find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee. Upon their arrival, they meet Lindsey, with whom they stay for the summer working on an oral history of the town. Colin’s relationship with Lindsey changes over the course of the novel. While he finds himself increasingly attracted to her, his obsession with Katherine XIX and his formula nearly consume him.

Green develops Colin’s character through two main channels, both of which are effective. Like many YA novels, he tells his story through a first-person narrative. This was a good choice because it works well with his use of flashback. Most of these flashbacks involve different Katherines over time, and how each have affected Colin’s current situation (and ultimately leads to his “formula.”) Colin’s character is not altogether likable, which is a realistic expectation for most teenagers. He is profoundly self-absorbed and can be moody. Still, his sensitivity and neuroticism (i.e. compulsive anagramming) become endearing. The novel is appealing in other ways as well. For one, Hassan is Muslim, which is refreshing in a typically “white-washed” writing industry. Also, the male perspective on heartbreak is another point of interest. The premise of An Abundance of Katherines explores a different side of cliché teenage angst, because Colin is thoughtful and rather complicated, as he struggles with carving a post-prodigy life.

Colin’s theory involves a lot of real-life math and formulas, that may well mean little to readers. However, it is written very well, and could appeal to an older teen, who could be at the end of his or her high school career.

Rating: 4Q, 4P