Book Bingo: An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green is about Colin Singleton, a child prodigy who has just been dumped by another Katherine. THE Katherine, in fact--she is both the first and the nineteenth Katherine that he has dated. Colin's best friend, Hassan, immediately sees the need for a road trip, so the two of them jump in Colin's car and take off. During the trip, Colin creates a formula that explains how (and sometimes why) he was dumped by each Katherine he ever dated. But math alone will not save or explain Colin's past and future, and he and Hassan have a lot more to learn before they can move forward in life.

(picture taken from Goodreads)

 Conclusion: I went back-and-forth a lot between liking and disliking the characters in this book. They each had their own little quirks that made them unique but, at times, frustrating. I kept going to the friend who loaned me the book saying, "Why did he do this? Why doesn't she act this way?" She just smiled at me every time and told me to keep reading. I will also say that the math Colin uses is very confusing. I got to a point where I would look over the equations without bothering to understand them. The reader doesn't need to understand Colin's equations to see what he's trying to convey, though. The most important focus is on relationships. Not just Colin's romantic relationships, but also his friendships, Hassan's friendships, Lindsey's bonds with her mother and the elderly people in Hotshot, etc. This story will not teach you anything new. Most of Colin's evolution in the story is in areas that are already obvious to us. For instance: Just because you are smart, it doesn't mean you will win at everything. You already knew that, right? However, it's a quick, interesting read from a perspective I have never had before. Plus there's a little humor mixed in. Overall, I liked it!

This book is my "Contemporary" choice for the 2014 Book Bingo Challenge. Still plugging away at the board! Don't forget to subscribe and check back for more new and interesting finds!