An Abundance of Katherins

An Abundance of Katherines

Author: John Green

Copyright: 2006

Publisher: Penguin Group

ISBN: 0525476881

pages: 215

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

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–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.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1320817.An_Abundance_of_Katherines

Critical Evaluation

This book won the Printz Honor in 2007. I really enjoyed this book. I read Looking for Alaska by John Green awhile ago and was interested in trying another one of his books. I know Looking for Alaska won quite a few awards, but I actually enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines better.

Colin is very funny. Why in the world would anyone date only girls with the same name? It makes absolutely no sense. This novel is a coming of age book because Colin learns about himself and how to live without having a girlfriend.

Reader’s Annotation

Colin Singleton only dates girls named Katherine. But then he keeps getting dumped by all those girls named Katherine.

Information about the author

John Green is the New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska,An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns. He is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He was 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Green’s books have been published in more than a dozen languages.

http://johngreenbooks.com/bio-contact/

Genre

realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties

psychology. relationships.

Booktalking Ideas

*Do you look for certain similar characteristics in everyone you date? How about having the same name?

Reading Level

age 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I read Looking for Alaska a few years ago and wanted to try something else by John Green. This book is a great addition to a young adult realistic fiction collection.