An Abundance of Katherines

John Green's books give me the feeling of cozying up by the fireplace on a cold, rainy day. After finishing "An Abundance of Katherines" following "The Fault In Our Stars" and "Paper Towns," I felt compelled to read it, not wanting to miss out on Green's beautiful fiction. However, while the narrative is heartwarming and beautiful, its simplicity causes you to finish the book as you start reading it, and it only took me 2-3 hours to finish the whole book.

The main character of our book, Colin Singleton, is a gifted child. He speaks eleven languages, and when it comes to making anagrams, he is almost an expert. Colin aspires to be famous but does not consider himself a genius. We can also say that he is very picky about his relationships, as he has a peculiar preoccupation with only pursuing romantic relationships with individuals named "Katherine". His obsession has resulted in him remaining single, as in his last name. However, after nineteen failed attempts, Colin decides to create a theorem in pursuit of fame. He believes this theorem can predict the future of romantic relationships based on who does the dumping and who gets dumped.

Colin wants to go on a little "road adventure" to distract himself from his breakup with the 19th Katherine and test the theorem in his mind. For his journey, he takes his best friend (we can say that he was the only friend at that time) Hasan with him. Hasan is a Muslim, overweight, and very funny boy. He knows that Colin is facing social obstacles in his relationships due to his superior intelligence, and he helps him along the way by befriending him. These two friends with opposite personalities come to Gutshot, Tennessee during their road trip and meet Lindsey Lee Wells. Lindsey guides them to the tomb of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the three become friends. Lindsey's mother, Hollis, loves the two so much that she wants them to work there for five hundred dollars a month. Although Colin and Hasan are not sure at first, they decide to continue their adventure here with a little courage and accept Hollis' offer. Throughout the journey, we discover the resolution of Colin's theorem, Lindsey's potential role in the friendship, and whether Colin will mature and move on from his obsession regarding the name “Katherine”.

An Abundance of Katherines is a snack, fun book, but I can't say it's brilliantly constructed. Compared to the other books I've read by this author, this one felt slightly less advanced. The inverted sentences, the profanities, and the fancy scientific words that were in unnecessary excess pushed me a little. In fact, I think the book may be more suited to a high school audience, rather than university-level readers. I'm not saying I'm bored, but the overall impression could leave the reader with a sense of wasted time and missed opportunities. If you happen to be in the mood for a delightful John Green book, I highly recommend this one. It's a great choice for anyone looking for a light, feel-good read. However, if you're seeking a book with a gripping plot, stunning descriptions, surprising twists, and intense love stories that will leave you breathless, be sure to check out our other reviews for some suggestions.

Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.

What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?