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An Abundance of Katherines

by John Green (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 60,392 ratings · 5,414 reviews

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, washedup child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-lovin...more

Paperback, 228 pages

Published October 16th 2008 by Speak (first published September 1st 2006)

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Community Reviews

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Mar 04, 2012 Meg ♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, z-2012-reads, disappointing

This was by far the worst experience I've ever had reading a John Green book. I really always enjoy his writing and humor, but this one just didn't do anything for me.

I don't think the book was horrible, but it couldn't hold my attention too long so I was happy it was very short. If it was any longer I probably wouldn't have finished it. I couldn't stand Colin. He was annoying and whiny and just because he acknowledges that fact himself doesn't mean it makes it any less annoying to read about. H...more

135 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Basuhi Ravi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: do-not-read-s, repetitive-hence-boring, why-bother

2.5 (Because I'm Generous) Wavering Stars !

“I figured something out," he said aloud. "The future is unpredictable."

So kind of you to enlighten me !!!

I'm NOT going to read the Appendix. No freaking way. It's a big feat this one didn't end up being DNFed. Since I started this one, I've read like.. 6-7 books.
And I actually liked graphs, you know, because they're like art in Mathematics but after reading the pointless insanity Colin (The fame obsessed, so-called prodigious protagonist) concocted,...more

28 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2007 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who needs a fun read

Picture this: You used to be a childhood prodigy. Member of an academic game team. You excelled in school. You were special. You met a girl named Katherine and the two of you started dating.

Then she dumps you.

Then eighteen more girls named Katherine dump you.

Suddenly, you're a teenager with no claim to fame except for your former status as a prodigy. No new ideas. No girl. No plans for the summer excepting wasting away in your room and moping.

This is not your life. But it is Colin Singleton's li...more Picture this: You used to be a childhood prodigy. Member of an academic game team. You excelled in school. You were special. You met a girl named Katherine and the two of you started dating.

Then she dumps you.

Then eighteen more girls named Katherine dump you.

Suddenly, you're a teenager with no claim to fame except for your former status as a prodigy. No new ideas. No girl. No plans for the summer excepting wasting away in your room and moping.

This is not your life. But it is Colin Singleton's life immediately after his graduation from high school.

Given Colin's history with girls, you might not be surprised that John Green chose to name his second novel An Abundance of Katherines.

After sulking for several days after being dumped (again), Colin is dragged out of his room by Hasan, his best friend. Hassan is confident that the only cure for Colin's depression is a road trip. So Colin and his Judge-Judy-loving, overweight, Muslim pal head off for the great beyond that is the United States between the coasts. Their road trip stops in Gutshot, Tennessee. But the adventures don't. Hired by a local bigwig to compile an oral history of Gutshot, Colin and Hassan find themselves staying with Hollis and her daughter, Lindsey. It is in Gutshot that Colin finally has what he has always wanted, a truly original idea. Thus, Colin begins to create a theorem of love in his attempt to understand his own rocky love life.

Most of my friends who have read this book and Green's first novel Looking for Alaska agree that his second novel is not as compelling a read. Having only read "Katherines," I cannot make a judgment one way or the other. What I can say is that I loved the style of this book. There has been a growing trend to use footnotes in novels--notable examples include The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Johnathan Stroud, Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels, and Ibid A Life by Mark Dunn which is a novel written entirely of endnotes. Green continues that tradition here to good effect.

The tone throughout is quirky, nerdy, and generally fun. I don't know that reading this novel will change any lives, but it will certainly get a lot of laughs. The best parts are, undoubtedly, the dialogues between Hassan and Colin. The guys are just so likable! In addition, Green's writing is snappy--all the better to keep the laughs coming.

Like Nothing but the Truth by Justina Chen Headley, this book includes a bit of math. The "real" math behind Colin's theorem appears in the back of the book in an appendix and Green even has a website where you can use the theorem for your own relationships (if it doesn't crash your computer). Despite all of that, Green is a self-proclaimed lost cause when it comes to math. (The theorem was drafted by friend (and "resident mathematician" for Brotherhood 2.0), Daniel Biss.) I wanted to share this for a couple of reasons. First, because I think it's great that Green is writing outside of what some might call his "comfort zone" and, second, because it should illustrate that you don't have to like math to enjoy a book that features a lot of math.

Anyway, if you need a cheerful book with some fun, lovable characters I don't think you can do better than this book which was recently nominated for the LA Times Book Award in addition to being selected as a Printz Award honor book (Looking for Alaska won the actual Printz Award, just to put that into perspective).
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73 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2010 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mmx, gmba, the-kids-are-all-right

Colin Singleton is not a vampire or a werewolf or a sorcerer or a punning Austin zombie. He doesn’t live in a dystopian society, he hasn’t slept with his teacher. He doesn’t do drugs, his parents aren’t divorced, and he’s suffered no traumas unless you count being dumped by a slew (okay, nineteen) of girls named Katherine.

So, why am I reading this? I have been programmed to only care about supernatural cute boys. I call this my mid life crisis. If I give in and self analyze, I would say that I’...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Cory rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've had this book sitting on my desk for two months. I'm a huge John Green fan, so you can see why this is problematic.

The Albuquerque library system is pretty bad. Out of all the libraries systems I've ever used, this has to be the worst. Not only does it not stock any of Justine Larbalestier's books, but it also doesn't have a decent collection of John Green's books.

It took me three months to get a copy of An Abundance of Katherines. It took me two months to finish it. Actually, that's a lie...more

32 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2009 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

Things that I was sick of by the end of this book:

1. Anagrams and tangents
2. Use of the words jewfro, fug, fugger, fugging, kafir
3. Colin's whining--actually, Colin in general
4. Katherines

146 likes · like · see review

view all 14 comments

Natasha I just finished this book. It took me a long time to read it, mostly because I have had so much stuff to do and also when I did have a little time whe...more
Dec 30, 2012 04:57pm

Nick Out of those, really the only words I was bothered by were fug and fugger, I could definitely handle kafir, as it was sort of a nickname, and jewfro I...more
Mar 07, 2013 01:28pm

Apr 18, 2008 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: not really sure who

Shelves: young-adult, fiction

I was not terribly impressed with Katherines. I read Green's Looking For Alaska and thought it was one of the best young adult novels I have ever read SO I was expecting this book to measure up to a higher standard. Unfortunately, it did not even come close.

Here's my beef with the book:

1) The characters. I had a really hard time getting into Katherines because the characters were not too likable. Green gave the characters personalities, but he missed something in the character development categ...more I was not terribly impressed with Katherines. I read Green's Looking For Alaska and thought it was one of the best young adult novels I have ever read SO I was expecting this book to measure up to a higher standard. Unfortunately, it did not even come close.

Here's my beef with the book:

1) The characters. I had a really hard time getting into Katherines because the characters were not too likable. Green gave the characters personalities, but he missed something in the character development category that could have made his characters people that readers (especially young adults) could relate to.

2) The basic premise of the book did not appeal to me. I never bought into the 19-girlfriends-named-Katherine bit and struggled to understand why the main character spent the entire novel trying to devise a mathematical formula that would explain why he was dumped so often by his girlfriends. It all just seemed a bit OCD and irrational to me, and it almost felt like he was trying too hard to come up with a unique idea for his sophomore novel.

3) I was disappointed because I found huge chunks of the book to be pretty boring. Many of the conversations were dull and I found myself skimming a lot of the text. I skimmed because I kept thinking the book would make a turnaround but I think most young adult readers would probably give up. I think the footnotes and references made it worse but it just seemed to me like a lot of what happened could have been said in a simpler and faster way.

My last concern is that I am not sure who this text is really for. Middle school kids probably would not "get" the main message because of the higher level vocabulary and I think those obscure references/footnotes make the book seem even more difficult than it is.

I wish this book was more like Looking For Alaska because that was truly a fantastic read but hopefully his future writing will sort of return to that simple but beautiful type of expression. Katherines isn't horrible but I definitely would not go out of my way to recommend it and would suggest that you read Looking For Alaska instead.(less)

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May 30, 2007 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Math geeks and misunderstood nerds of all ages

Shelves: a-little-romance, award-winners, epic-odysseys, funny-ha-ha, outsiders, rural-reads, ya-fic

Damn, what a great book! An Abundance of Katherines represents the best kind of young adult fiction - the kind that even my regular, non-YA-fic-geeky grown-up friends might like to read, because it's just a fantastic, universal, well-crafted story.

The characters in this book are uniformly likeable, but not in a bland way; in particular, the friendship between protagonist Colin, a washed-up child prodigy, and his buddy Hassan, a wise-cracking Muslim, is dead-on about the way guys communicate wit...more

14 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Scarlet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: got-on-my-nerves, funny, printz-honor, annoying-characters, please-stop-moping

2.5

Here are some things I’ve realized after reading AAoK:

1. John Green is a talented, clever writer with a great sense of humor.

2. Contrary to what I’d like to think, I’m still math-phobic.

3. I’ll never, ever date a has-been child prodigy. Or a washed-up genius. Or a whiny guy who speaks 11 languages. Or whatever it is that Colin’s supposed to be.

An Abundance of Katherines is a hilarious book but it did not make me laugh. Okay, maybe a little but that was more like snorting-in-mild-amusement tha...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read Count 2:

Funny. Painfully funny. If you have never read a John Green novel, I suppose getting started with Katherines would not be a bad idea. Yes, Collin is a whiny self centered washed up prodigy... but at least he admits it. And if he does get to you, and he did get to me at times... the other characters tend to make up for his lack. I loved, loved, loved reading this story again... perfect road trip material... i had to bite my cheek several times to keep from laughing out loud... then...more Read Count 2:

Funny. Painfully funny. If you have never read a John Green novel, I suppose getting started with Katherines would not be a bad idea. Yes, Collin is a whiny self centered washed up prodigy... but at least he admits it. And if he does get to you, and he did get to me at times... the other characters tend to make up for his lack. I loved, loved, loved reading this story again... perfect road trip material... i had to bite my cheek several times to keep from laughing out loud... then there were times when I just could not help myself.

Impressions from the first time I had a go at this:

It’s 1:48 in the morning and I’ve just finished Katherines. So that’s some 12 hours of sitting down, devoted to reading another John Green novel. IT WAS WORTH IT.

The John Green Formula: nerdy guy (with trusty best friend) who falls for mysterious girl plus some sort of roadtrip. Katherines has ~~little bit of~~ that and adds a little more. But it just doesn’t matter because Green is a brilliant writer. His characters are believable, his stories are smart and simply just laugh out loud that you can’t help but fall in love with ~~him~~ his writing, his stories, his characters! I. should. Stop. This. Gushing.

So on to Katherines, two reasons I’m so in to it: It’s one of the smartest books I’ve read in quite a while. And the characters are just awesome.

Like most other JG novels there are plenty of lol moments. But it’s actually got a little bit of everything: adventure, math, historical factoids, flashbacks, funky characters and (a) tale of (a) boy/girl relationship(s): specifically, Colin/Katherine(s) relationships. Colin who is brilliant, nerdy, almost incapable of making friends, is surprisingly skilled at landing girlfriends… but just keeps losing them. So when Hassan suggests a road trip, a variety of things takes place (least of all is the formulation of some mathematical equation to figure out why he keeps being dumped (by K’s) and how many does it take to be considered “an abundance of something.”)

Picture a guy who likes anagrams, odd historical factoids, mathematical formulae, and girls named Katherine… that’s Colin. (And then later there’s Lindsey, me thinks they’re two sides of the same coin.)

*I wish I had Paper Towns right now!*

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Mar 23, 2011 Mariel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Josh Peck

Recommended to Mariel by: John Cusack

This would have been a three star instead of a two except that I felt the book didn't earn its ending. Also, I'm in a really bad mood. All of that whining for nothing? Reading An Abundance of Katherines gave me the lonely feeling I get when listening to someone who doesn't give fuck all about me. They just want an audience for their ever so special panic attacks and pain that is better than everybody else's because they are the special kind of young adult genius hero that the author wrote using...more

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Jan 31, 2008 Krissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I already said this in a review but I might just need a break from young adult fiction, because everyone I know who reads YA raved about this novel and I read it from cover to cover without once really engaging, and with far too many inward groans and eye-rolls.

I mean, for starters, the quirky teenaged characters were, um, very quirky. Very reliably quirky. Everyone had their schtick and everyone talked like they were in a Joss Wheden show. And hey, I LOVE Joss Whedon but it's a differen...more

17 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: unique, f-cking-brilliant, awesome-main-character, cute-as-a-kitten

After getting dumped by his 19th girlfriend named Katherine, child prodigy Colin Singleton leaves his home with his best friend; slightly fat and not a terrorist Hassan, to find his 'eureka moment'. Colin's eureka moment just so happens in a town in the middle of nowhere (aka Gutshot, Tennessee), in front of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's grave and with a Celebrity Living magazine lover, Lindsey Lee Wells.
Now boarding with Lindsey and her mother Hollis (who owns a textile mill that manufactures tam...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 20, 2010 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, contemporary, ya

Original post at One More Page

When the need to read contemporary novels hit me, it stays and it stays until the need decides it's satisfied. And what better book to fill that contemporary need than something written by John Green?

I was really planning to read John Green's books in order of publication, but Paper Towns had to come first due to an insistent friend and because I covered that with plastic first. I didn't mind, although I was kind of wary thinking of how this book would fare against...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Steph Su rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, signed

It is very hard to meet readers' expectations after his amazing debut novel, LOOKING FOR ALASKA. But John Green manages both to delight and teach in his second book.

Colin Singleton is a recent high school graduate, washed-up child prodigy, anagram-lover, inexperienced storyteller, and has just been dumped by the 19th Katherine he has dated. With a broken heart, he and his quirky, fat best friend Hassan go on a road trip in order to get away from it.

However, they end up not going very far befor...more

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Apr 02, 2009 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009

Colin Singleton is a child prodigy who is looking to make his mark on the world. Graduating high school, Colin feels like his one significant mark made on the world by his genius was appearing on a cable game show and winning big for several days running. Colin is looking to make his mark and prove he's the genius that he deep down, yearns to be.

In his life, Colin has dated 19 women--all of them named Katherine. After being dumped for the nineteenth time, Colin decides there must be a mathmatica...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 02, 2007 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Maybe it's because I taught high school for so many years, but I find myself relating so clearly to that age group. Fantastic novel -- really captures the whole heartache of getting dumped (although in Colin's case it's something he should be used to by now...) Green's characters are funny and moving and heartfelt and real -- such a distinctive voice. Lots of great stuff here -- proves that a good story really is in the details. Loved the math theory underlying the formula at the heart of the no...more

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Jun 18, 2007 Trin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, science, american-lit

Former child prodigy Colin Singleton has two problems: one, he doesn't think he's really turned out to be a genius so much as a guy with a super-absorby brain and a passion for anagrams; and two, he's been dumped by nineteen different girls named Katherine, and the latest, Katherine XIX, has really broken his heart. To try to solve this problem, Colin's best friend Hassan decides that they should go on a road trip—which they do, though it ends abruptly in the small town of Gunshot, Tennessee, a...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Idunsses rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I am one of those people who have an insane, irrational fear of math. Especially when there are letters, fraction lines, brackets (basically anything that’s NOT numbers) involved. My brain just doesn’t deal very well with it, but I love reading about people whose brain do. And that is why I instantly liked An Abundance of Kathrines.

""Oh God," Colin said finally. "Oh God, my balls."
Colin misspoke. In a better state, he would have recognized that it wasn't his balls that hurt, but rather his b...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Lolliepop rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2011, favorites

loved it! just hoped it could be longer and focus more on Hassan..it just reminds me to The Kite Runner in someway..hahaha

best quote:

“Because you're only thinking they-might-not-like-me-they-might-not-like-me, and guess what? When you act like that, no one likes you.”

5 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2013 Ruby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The plot was simple, but effective... But this was because the characters were really what made the tale... So, here we have a washed up child prodigy and his Judge Judy-obsessed best mate going on a road trip... What could possibly go wrong? I've said it before, and I'll say it again... John Green is a genius! Colin as a character is extremely unique; how many other book characters do you know who have tried to prove 'The Theorem of the Underlying Katherine Predictability'? Despite his nerdish...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Airiz C rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorites, young-adult, summer-re-reads-2011, romance, humor

Is there actually a formula for romantic relationships? Colin Singleton, protagonist of John Green’s second book, An Abundance of Katherines, thinks he can make one.

Colin Singleton: washed-up child prodigy, anagram-crazy, and has been dumped by nineteen girls named Katherine. He wallows in the Katherines-induced depression, until his overweight Judge Judy-loving Muslim friend, Hassan, drags him into a road trip to give a solution to his love problem. Colin works on his Theorem of Underlying Kath...more Is there actually a formula for romantic relationships? Colin Singleton, protagonist of John Green’s second book, An Abundance of Katherines, thinks he can make one.

Colin Singleton: washed-up child prodigy, anagram-crazy, and has been dumped by nineteen girls named Katherine. He wallows in the Katherines-induced depression, until his overweight Judge Judy-loving Muslim friend, Hassan, drags him into a road trip to give a solution to his love problem. Colin works on his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationships. As they arrive in Gutshot, Tennessee, they encounter the factors that may drastically affect the variables in Colin’s Theorem. Strewn of anagrams, graphs, and quirky characters with an equally quirky plot, An Abundance of Katherines is a funny, intelligent, and a poignant read.

This novel is more than what it seems. It’s not just a story of Dumpers and Dumpees; it’s also a story of mattering in the world, being unique in the simplest ways, and being the real you no matter what other people will say about you. The droll dialogues and plot turns did not make the novel trivial, nor did it slacken the importance of all the morals.

What convinced me that John Green is a really amazing author is that he can deftly weave characters that you’ll love, even if they’re unlikable from the very start. Colin is such a character—egotistical, hungry for attention, and almost always sulking about his failed romances. Overlooking the fact that he is a classic John Green protagonist (nerd or always smart to a fault), I have to admit that it was hard to like someone like this character. But the author brought the better side of Colin through other characters and events that molded him into what he really is. Definitely showing, not telling.

I have to admit that there are times when the plot is so sluggish that I’m tempted to skip some pages, but I think that it’s necessary for the characters to develop. I particularly liked Hassan, the funnypants sidekick. Things tend to get more interesting when he’s around, especially that he is one of the most powerful influences on Colin’s character development—and vice versa. As for the other characters, well, they’re quite ordinary. Lindsey Lee Wells didn’t quite stand out, I think, although her relationship with the protagonists is really interesting. She felt a little cardboard-y, if you know what I mean.

All in all, this is a good read. I laughed out loud a lot, and that’s saying something because I don’t really laugh out loud while reading and it’s the second time I ever sat with this book. I don’t love math, but because of this novel I learned that you can have fun with the subject if you want to. :) The hilarious footnotes sort of remind me of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s collab work, Good Omens (which is awesome by the way, go read it).
Next reread: Paper Towns.(less)

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Nov 10, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

If you had the opportunity to devise a theorem that could correctly predict the outcome of a romantic relationship, would you do it? If it worked, would you use it? Can it even be done? This is the problem plaguing Colin Singleton, recent high school graduate, nearly-former child prodigy, hopeful genius. Colin, you see, has a significant problem. He falls in love quite easily, which in and of itself isn't such a bad thing. The fact that all of his loves, ninete...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

If you had the opportunity to devise a theorem that could correctly predict the outcome of a romantic relationship, would you do it? If it worked, would you use it? Can it even be done? This is the problem plaguing Colin Singleton, recent high school graduate, nearly-former child prodigy, hopeful genius. Colin, you see, has a significant problem. He falls in love quite easily, which in and of itself isn't such a bad thing. The fact that all of his loves, nineteen of them to be exact, have been named Katherine can even be explained away by some form of twisted scientific method. What can't be explained, though, is why Colin has been dumped by all nineteen of those Katherines.

When he's dumped by the love of his life, Katherine XIX, he finds himself in a bad place. He can no longer call himself a child prodigy, since he's graduated from high school. He's not a genius, because he's never come up with anything that will change the world. There's an empty place inside of him where his latest Katherine's love used to live, and he doesn't know what to do with himself. Until Hassan Harbish (Muslim, but not a terrorist) devises a way to get Colin out of his funk--a road trip. With no destination in mind, the two set off in The Hearse, Colin's car, and go where the road leads them.

Where it leads them is a small town called Gutshot, Tennessee, where Colin gets the urge to see the supposed grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It's also where the two meet Lindsey Lee Wells and her mother, Hollis. Not to mention where they get to live in a giant Pepto Bismol-pink house on a hill, interview employees of a factory that makes tampon strings, and eat Monster Thickburgers at the local Hardees.

It's also the place where Colin decides to finish the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability. Assign numerical value to different variables, plot it on a graph, and you'll be able to predict how long a relationship will last--and who will be the dumper, and who will be the dumpee. Except Colin forgot some pertinent information, like chance, and distorted memories, and the fact that love is never predictable. As Colin and Hassan learn a few things about life in the small town of Gutshot, we get to follow their journey of learning to grow up, to make a name for yourself, and how to matter as a person.

I loved AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES, even more than Mr. Green's previous book, LOOKING FOR ALASKA. That book won the prestigious Michael L. Printz award, and I won't be surprised if this book is nominated, as well. This story is funny, poignant, and informative. For example, if I hadn't read AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES I would never have known that:

1) Fetor hepaticus is a symptom of late-stage liver failure where your breath literally smells like a rotting corpse.
2) The junior senator from New Hampshire in 1873 was Bainbridge Wadleigh.
3) There is absolutely no scientific proof that drinking eight glasses of water a day will improve your health.
4) Dingleberries can be anagrammed into see inbred girl; lie breeds grin; leering debris; greed be nil, sir; be idle re. rings; ringside rebel; and residing rebel.
5) Nikola Tesla did a lot for electricity before Thomas Edison came along and stole some of his ideas, and he also loved pigeons.
6) I still suck at math.

Order this book today. It's great, you'll love it, and you'll actually learn stuff. Three for the price of one! (less)

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Mar 12, 2008 Kaella rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

I really, REALLY, REALLY wanted to love this book. I really did. As a nerdfighter, I was ecstatic when I started reading it. But right from the beginning, I knew it was going to be a big disappointment. And I was right.

It's definitely not as good as Looking for Alaska. Colin (not TOC) is just plain annoying. He's always got something matter-of-fact to say and it makes you roll your eyes after the third time. He was hard to like. Also, the footnotes drove me CRAZY. Despite them being a secret app...more

12 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2009 Aerin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: printz, young-adult

also at In Search of Giants

John Greene popped up on Steph Su’s “Coupla Interviews” – I simply noted the coincidence that he’d written a book on my wishlist – Abundance of Katherines – and that, for an Indiana boy, he’s hot. Not all authors are - think Stephen King, J.K.Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Stephanie Meyer (obviously there are exceptions). Still, my sister’s name is Katharine (the spelling difference is very important) so I knew I needed to read this book.

An Abundance of Katherines is the story...more also at In Search of Giants

John Greene popped up on Steph Su’s “Coupla Interviews” – I simply noted the coincidence that he’d written a book on my wishlist – Abundance of Katherines – and that, for an Indiana boy, he’s hot. Not all authors are - think Stephen King, J.K.Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Stephanie Meyer (obviously there are exceptions). Still, my sister’s name is Katharine (the spelling difference is very important) so I knew I needed to read this book.

An Abundance of Katherines is the story of child-prodigy Colin Singleton, whose girlfriend Katherine breaks up with him the day of their high school graduation. It turns out that Katherine is Katherine XIX, and that Colin has dated – and been dumped by – nineteen Katherines. To escape his heartbreak, he and his best friend Hassan head out on a road trip. It's the quintessential summer road trip, two oddball guys in a beat up old car with no destination in sight. They end up in Gutshot, TN at the (alleged) tomb of Archduke Ferdinand, staying with the owner of a plant that makes tampon strings, and eating every other meal at the local Hardee's. Colin seeks a Eureka moment, some stupendous discovery to bring meaning and significance to his life. He eventually finds it in Gutshot -- however, it is not the mathematical revelation he was expecting, but rather a personal breakthrough, the culmination to his journey of self-discovery.

The most appropriate review I can give this book is from online shorthand:

O.M.G.

An Abundance of Katherines, 2007 Michael L. Printz Award honor book, is hilarious. It’s easily the funniest book I’ve ever read (with the possible exception of anything by George Carlin; and no, I’ve never read David Sedaris.) I think I had a crush on Hassan in college – the dark-skinned, dark-eyed meaty guy who was too unabashedly funny to give a nerdy girl the time of day.

This is a fun, well-written book. With its footnotes and mathematical interludes, it represents the best of style in a postmodern young adult genre(here's the worst). There are references to sex and drugs, but it's the almost understated philosophical rants, that make this book best suited for high school readers and older.
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Aug 18, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who don't mind math

Shelves: a-guy-of-ya, 2012-read, a-favourite-author, actually-funny, highly-anticipated, really-excited-for, retrying-this-one, contemporary, ya-romance, i-love-this-cover, on-the-road-again

If you were to read all of John Green’s books in a row, it’d probably be a tedious journey. Don’t get me wrong, because I adore JG and Nerdfighteria and all, but it really is no secret that his “thing” is writing about not-so-popular, yet very privileged, intelligent teenagers, and the extraordinary people with whom they fall in love. Of course, each of his books are based on different concepts and are each exceptional and important in their own ways, but his voice is definitely one of the most...more If you were to read all of John Green’s books in a row, it’d probably be a tedious journey. Don’t get me wrong, because I adore JG and Nerdfighteria and all, but it really is no secret that his “thing” is writing about not-so-popular, yet very privileged, intelligent teenagers, and the extraordinary people with whom they fall in love. Of course, each of his books are based on different concepts and are each exceptional and important in their own ways, but his voice is definitely one of the most distinctive in all of YA. What’s unique about An Abundance of Katherines though, aside from the, count it, NINETEEN Katherines the MC has dated, is the very comical tone in which an incredibly introspective story is set in, and yes, well, the “road trip”.

Eighteen year old Colin Singleton is a child prodigy who hopes to, in the near future, find his place amongst the rare adult geniuses of the world. He’s just been dumped by Katherine the Nineteenth when his best friend Hassan suggests a road trip to clear his head. After what I swear is the shortest written road trip ever, the two end up in Gutshot, Tennessee where they meet Lindsey Lee Wells and are employed to uncover the life stories of the citizens of the small town. Colin, meanwhile, has a plan to qualify for Professional Geniusy and to get back Katherine XIX: prove the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability - which predicts the outcome of a relationship - works.

I’ll be honest with you: this book didn’t start off promising. Colin isn’t an easily liked character - he’s selfish, over-analytical, self-absorbed, and often indelicate – but once you settle yourself into his head and understand the way it works and why everything’s being constantly footnoted, everything becomes fun to read. The rest of the cast was incredibly well-developed; each character felt real with their aspirations and tendencies so honest to being a teenager. The relationships between characters were instantly realistic to me, and I thought that the way adults unintentionally exploited Colin’s prodigious nature was extremely truthful and carefully written. The one-liners were high-larious, too, and I actually found myself laughing at the kind of guy-humour I typically despise.

A popular theme in many of Green's books considers the notion of universally mattering. This theme, amongst a few others, was thoroughly explored in Katherines, but took a backseat to the romantic/comedic feel of the book, which I liked. If you’re looking for a light beach read, I’d definitely suggest this book, though I think its biggest flaw were the never-ending coincidences that, granted, are common in rom-coms, but were still incredibly annoying. An Abundance of Katherines is in no way Green’s strongest novel, but I like the direction he took in exploring the options available in writing contemporaries, and the almost mathematical preciseness he took with each metaphor he incorporated.

Would I suggest Katherines? Yes, I would. It took me three tries to finish the book, but I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s one of the funniest and touching reads I’ve experienced in a long time, and while it sure isn’t my favourite JG book, it’s still a pretty great one.

4.25/5
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Apr 01, 2012 Spandana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favourites

I loved this book- it was such a laugh! :) It's a book that doesn't really take itself very seriously and it's exactly what I needed at the moment. The only minor hangups I have with the book are:
1. There is no road trip .
2. Lindsey's and Colin's relationship started and progressed at an almost comical fast pace, but I guess that's part of the charm of the book?
3. Everyone knows that if you aren't looking for the wild hog, the wild hog will find you.

That's it, really. I loved all the nerdy fa...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: nerds

Shelves: 2011-summer-reading-challenge, fiction, young-adult, funny, 2011, chicago, math, romance

I admit I got very excited when I opened this book at the library and saw graphs on several pages. The math was pretty elementary, but it doesn't matter anyway because you don't have to be good at math to enjoy this book; the author claims he's not good at math either and seems to avoid going into much detail at all throughout the book so as to not scare away readers. There is an appendix for readers who want to really understand the math, but it really adds nothing for people who already know m...more I admit I got very excited when I opened this book at the library and saw graphs on several pages. The math was pretty elementary, but it doesn't matter anyway because you don't have to be good at math to enjoy this book; the author claims he's not good at math either and seems to avoid going into much detail at all throughout the book so as to not scare away readers. There is an appendix for readers who want to really understand the math, but it really adds nothing for people who already know math well; it is basic pre-calculus/algebra. I was impressed that the math sections were written by a University of Chicago math professor.

Most of this story takes place in the fictional Gutshot, TN about two hours outside of Memphis (Gutshot is near the nonfictional town of Milan, TN). Colin's knowing and dating 19! Katherines aside, this story is still pretty unbelievable. Two teenagers, the Jewish atheist Colin and the semi-practicing Muslim Hassan, take a road trip from Chicago, end up at a random place along I-40 and then are offered a well-paying job and housing with a lady (Hollis, whom I loved) during a random encounter at a general store. The job and housing offer is the unbelievable part. But the unbelievability doesn't take away from the story.

I really identified with Colin, how he loved languages and was always creating anagrams (not my thing, but I do love other word puzzles like crosswords). He was never part of the "cool kid" crowd. As a washed-up child prodigy, he struggled with wanting to actually create something meaningful instead of just memorizing and learning things. And that is one of the major conflicts of my life. It can be hard just feeling like a human computer or information sponge sometimes.

You learn so many interesting tidbits throughout the book especially through the author's footnotes which is another thing in addition to the graphs of relationship happiness vs. time that makes this book unique. I don't know if I've ever seen footnotes in fiction by the original author. The footnotes elaborate on either the characters, past events in the characters' lives, translations of some of the foreign language expressions used in the book, and real-world information (such as medical conditions, religious customs, and serial killers - eek).

It was interesting that this book took place in all three places I've lived in my life: Chicago (I've only lived in the suburbs though), Memphis, and rural Tennessee.

The rural Tennessee depiction was pretty true to life. And Lindsey Lee Wells could totally be someone straight out of Tennessee. The only restaurant in the town I used to live in was called Wells Kitchen. The Wells family also owned a gas station/general store just up the road in the same town. However, I have to list a few things the author got wrong, just for fun.

1. Lindsey calls the elderly people she is close with by their first names. I can't see this ever happening in traditional rural Tennessee, no matter how close you are to a person. It's always Miss/Mr. [insert first name here]. My in-laws still call their in-laws by Mr./Miss [insert first name here].

2. Hollis mentions on the phone that they pay taxes for garbage collection. No way! Even just thirty miles outside of Memphis, you have to hire a garbage collection service and pay a regular bill for it, or you have to pay for a landfill pass and haul your own garbage.

3. I'm being really nitpicky here - If you travel from Milan, TN to the zip code 37501, you will not see the Memphis skyline unless you are taking a major detour. You only see the skyline if you are coming into Memphis from across the river in Arkansas or driving up Riverside Drive. If you are coming in from the east, as Colin, Lindsey, and Hassan were, you would have to drive all the way across the entire city to within a mile or so of downtown to even begin seeing any somewhat large buildings, and from that viewpoint, it can hardly be called a skyline.

Definitely a fun and easy read. Hassan got annoying, but I really liked Colin, Lindsey, and Hollis, so it was well worth reading about their small town adventures.(less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Georgia from Books and Writers JNR rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction

Anagram-loving, child prodigy Colin Singleton has a slightly different taste compared to any other boy when it comes to girls. In fact, he does not judge on looks or personality. He only dates Katherine’s. In fact, he’s dated nineteen of them to date.

After Colin is dumped for the nineteenth time, he grabs his joker of a friend Hussan and sets off on a road-trip. The two boys find themselves in a lesser-known town called Gutshot, where they start whole new lives for the summer. Whilst staying th...more Anagram-loving, child prodigy Colin Singleton has a slightly different taste compared to any other boy when it comes to girls. In fact, he does not judge on looks or personality. He only dates Katherine’s. In fact, he’s dated nineteen of them to date.

After Colin is dumped for the nineteenth time, he grabs his joker of a friend Hussan and sets off on a road-trip. The two boys find themselves in a lesser-known town called Gutshot, where they start whole new lives for the summer. Whilst staying there, Colin begins to work out a theorem to predict his future relationships. Will he ever get the right formula, and save himself from being dumped a twentieth time?

An Abundance of Katherines (Which I will from now on refer to as AAOK, because the title is long) was such a fun read. I absolutely fell in love with Colin’s personality right from the beginning, and loved his story so much. AAOK contained so much, in such a short amount of pages (213)- a rather hilarious teenage love story, and themes of friendship and hope. I didn’t really know where the plot was going to go at first, but it played out really well and I liked the outcome.

Colin was one of the coolest protagonists In have ever read about, because of his nerdiness. He was a child prodigy who was reading at two, what’s not to love? I loved the way he would geek out and correct grammar or state random facts. It just made me smile, and I don’t quite know why. His background was really well explained thanks to the frequent flashbacks to important scenes with certain Katherines. I really liked those, as they provided a real insight into his Katherine-relationships- as he did not actually date a Katherine in the events of AAOK. My favourite supporting character has to be Hassan. He just made me laugh so much, with his joking personality. I also quite liked the character of Lindsey, because she was so kind to Colin and I really enjoyed their developing relationship throughout the book.

Overall, AAOK was really fun and entertaining read. It didn’t have the best beginning ever- I didn’t quite understand why Colin and Hassan had to go on a sudden road-trip out of the blue- but I think the characters were some of the most three-dimensional I have ever seen. John Greens writing was totally amazing: It conveyed emotion and humor really well. I can’t wait to read more from John, starting with Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which I bought a few days ago!(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Simcsa marked it as gave-up-on · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, read-in-english, contemporary-realistic-ya

I tried. I really did, believe me! But I can't do it, it's boring, it has no plot whatsoever and I don't like any of the characters. I'm not going to torture myself..

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About John Green

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John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New...more

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