Laurie
Written on Jan 5, 2018
From the #1 bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
New York Times Bestseller
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.
- ISBN10 0142410705
- ISBN13 9780142410707
- Publish Date 16 October 2008 (first published 21 September 2006)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 23 July 2012
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
- Imprint Plume
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 264
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780142410707
Reviews
lauriesbookshelf
Written on Jan 5, 2018
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Jun 24, 2016
nitzan_schwarz
Written on May 2, 2015
I really liked this one!
I wonder how much research John had to do, or does he just know this random stuff in RL...
ammaarah
Written on Dec 16, 2014
1)Hazel, the main character in The Fault in our Stars, falls for Augustus who has a humourous best friend called Isaac. Hazel and Gus create metaphors and dissect everything in the world.
2)Miles, the main character in Looking for Alaska, learns famous last words. He has a hilarious best friend/roommate called The Colonel and falls for the mysterious and gorgeous Alaska.
3)Quentin, the main character in Paper Towns, is an intelligent and quirky main character who been in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman for years and have humourous and lewd friends/sidekicks.
4)Colin, the main character in An Abundance of Katherines, has a best friend who creates fun and humor, Hassan. Colin has dated and been dumped by nineteen girls all with the same name, Katherine.
The story itself sounds extremely illogical and silly. How can one nerdy guy get dumped by nineteen Katherines and not learn that the name Katherine spells trouble for him? But this quirk worked positively for the story and was the part that I enjoyed the most.
Unfortunately, almost everything else in the story didn't work for me. The characters have some elements to them that makes them interesting, but at the same time, they are quite bland. I was unable to connect with the characters and relate to them. Almost every single event in An Abundance of Katherines is predictable. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had read a book like this before.
I did love the footnotes and the anagrams. It brought some much needed uniqueness to the book. And the Maths... uhm... I kind-of skimmed through it because I'm not a Maths person. To be completely honest, the Maths scared me!
This book was a let down. It didn't have the uniqueness that I wanted it to have. Maybe if this was my first John Green book, I would have enjoyed it more.
Joséphine
Written on Jan 7, 2014
Things I detested more than anything after I was done reading An Abundance of Katherines:
- 1. Anagrams
- 2. Footnotes
- 3. Graphs
- 4. Trivia
- 5. The term fug
- 6. The abuse of the term kafir
- 7. Stories within a story
- 8. Stating the obvious
- 9. Colin (and he's the main character!)
- 10. Colin's obsession with Katherines
- 11. Colin's obsession with not being good enough
Looking at that list, I disliked practically everything in that book. There were only a few things that I did appreciate. That Colin's best friend, Hassan, is Muslim, so diversity is definite score. But even that didn't win me over because Hassan is such a hypocrite. Sure, everyone makes mistakes. The problem with Hassan is that he professes that he is Muslim, acknowledges all his sins but couldn't care less to atone for them or to lead a life befitting his faith. Plus he constantly refers to Colin as kafir, and jokingly keeps telling Colin that he should convert instead of trying to find his worth in yet another Katherine.
Altogether,
- - the plot is so predictably,
- - the inclusion of all that math is unbearable because in the end it really doesn't tell the reader anything of worth,
- - the excessive anagrams are completely annoying,
- - the footnotes make for cumbersome reading, and
- - not a single part of me cares for any of the characters or the story as a whole.
As much as The Fault in Our Stars has been on my radar, I think I'll wait a few more weeks before picking it up, so I can have a go at it without a clouded mind. The style of writing in An Abundance of Katherines did not amuse me in the least, yet for some reason others have referred to it as a humorous read. I didn't even come close to smirking a single time. I was bored by the time I reached the fourth chapter. Had I read a printed copy of it, instead of on my Kindle, I might've torn the book to shreds in frustration. It was 3 a.m. after all when I finished reading and realized I didn't gain anything out of reading this book. Even the entertainment value wasn't there for me at all.
I can't help myself but leave everyone with this quote:
"I figured something out," he said aloud. "The future is unpredictable."You don't say?
This review is also available at dudettereads.com.
clementine
Written on Feb 14, 2013
Colin isn't a very sympathetic narrator. He's whiny and annoying, and aside from that and "really fucking smart", I don't know what personality he really has. As usual, the main character's best friend ended up being a highlight. Lindsey I did like - she was interesting, and I liked that she was presented as a ditz at the beginning but very quickly becomes likeable and interesting. The other supporting characters are less good. The Other Colin, in particular, was such a stereotypical meathead, and Katrina was nothing other than "The girl who cheats with her best friend's boyfriend."
I love the premise for this book, and I feel like it wasn't explored enough. The road trip and subsequent arrival in Gutshot was fine, but it seemed like wasting the idea of the 19 Katherines. I mean, the backstory was given, and it was important in terms of the Theorum, but I felt like there were two separate stories that weren't super successfully merged.
However, it was, as always, funny - John Green does that well. The dialogue was snappy, the descriptions were interesting, and it was just generally a quick and engaging read. I think I would like this book more if it weren't by John Green. It's just that I know he can do better - and I don't even mean with his tearjerkers. Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Paper Towns were much less serious than LFA and TFiOS, and they were great. Katherines is not great. If I could give half ratings, I would give this 3.5. I'm rounding down because I just do not think it deserves 4.
Rinn
Written on Feb 13, 2013
When you frequently use Goodreads or Tumblr, or are part of the book blogging community, it is hard to escape John Green. I have heard nothing but pure unadulterated praise for his books, and now I am beginning to understand why.
The main protagonist of An Abundance of Katherines is Colin, a former child prodigy who loves to learn, but doesn't feel as if he's done anything with his life - and that it's too late to make a difference. Every single girl that Colin has even gone out with or kissed has been called Katherine - with that exact spelling - and he can't explain why. And every single Katherine has dumped him - nineteen in total.
At the beginning of the novel, Colin has just been dumped by Katherine number nineteen, the one with which he has had the longest and most serious relationship. In an effort to stop his best friend spiralling down into depression, Colin's friend Hassan encourages him to take a road trip, as they have the whole summer ahead of them. And it is this road trip which changes everything.
Somehow, whilst Colin is a very self-centered person who is completely and utterly fixated on Katherines, he is still very likeable. I think this is due to his intelligence, his constant anagramming - making him a very interesting character. He is also, whilst being a little selfish, a good person at heart. He just wants the girl he loves back and doesn't understand why things ended, so you can't help but feel a little sorry for him. His best friend, Hassan, is another great character - partly comic relief, partly a shoulder for Colin to cry on. Both boys might seem like they're taking the easy way out at times, but they certainly prove themselves at various points throughout the book.
It's funny how a story about heartbreak can be such a delight to read. John Green has a lovely, fluid writing style that is both easy to read, and gets a lot across. The book felt so unique with its frequent anagrams and mathematical formulas - I hate maths, I can't do it to save my life but I found Colin's Theorem and the maths behind it fascinating. And that's when you know an author is doing something right - they draw you into something you normally wouldn't care about.
I would most definitely recommend this book, and will be reading more of Mr. Green's work, starting with The Fault in Our Stars. But first I need to emotionally prepare myself. Wish me luck.
Jyc
Written on Jan 18, 2013
Amanda
Written on Feb 13, 2012
Most people who know me, know that I adore quirky characters. If you have read An Abundance of Katherines, then you have concluded the obvious: I enjoyed this book, as it is filled to the brim with quirk. It is the type of quirk that you want hold close to you and giggle over its quirkiness. An Abundance of Katherines has that smart humor that makes you feel smarter for reading it, yet the pages are overrun with the stupid humor of boys, so that the story becomes a mixture of the two, like a mature look at the immaturity of young love.
Also, there are footnotes. Footnotes, especially the way John Green writes them, are fun.
There is a good amount of math in this book, which makes me want to recommend it to the guys I know who are into math, but it’s not necessary to be a mathlete to read and understand this book (I know I am certainly not). The math lends credibility to Colin’s prodigy status — probably because if it’s too much for my brain to process, then it must require someone smart to do it, right? Colin also anagrams, which thrilled my inner language nerd. Colin was a decent enough MC, but for me, Hassan — and their friendship — really stole the show.
The interactions between Hassan and Colin had me quoting the book to my boyfriend (something I normally never do). As someone who has some experience with the Islamic culture, I thought that Hassan was a good representation of what it might be like to be caught between Islamic and American values. And, quite frankly, Hassan is disgustingly hilarious. I mean, he does refer to his penis as Thunderstick, after all. And though he doesn’t tip-toe around or coddle Colin, there is an obvious bond between the two. Hassan forces Colin to get out after the break-up with K-19, he keeps Colin aware of what is appropriate conversation material (not interesting!), and takes it upon himself to point out what is wrong with Colin’s life (though if it goes too far, the safe word is “Dingleberries”)
Dingleberries!
And if those two aren’t enough for you, An Abundance of Katherine is full of adventure, road-tripping, and finding yourself. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that the ending was somewhat predictable, but even that isn’t enough to dim the charm of this book. And I must admit that An Abundance of Katherines is not a book I would have picked out on my own. I’m not a contemporary reader, so this was a fun and new experience for me. John Green’s writing style carried me through this book, and the quirk of the characters was enough to keep me thoroughly entertained.
An Abundance of Katherines is a book that I would happily recommend — not just to teens, but to adults as well, especially those who like their books humorous.