Inspired Reader turned Blogger

I am a school librarian and as such, an avid reader. I was inspired by my cousin and the many blogs I read to try out a little blogging. My plan is to review the books I read as I finish them...that's about it. So to get started...

I flew back from Oregon yesterday--long 4 hour flight-- and I read An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. I cannot lie I have a bit of a crush on the author's writing. This is his second book and his first Looking for Alaska won the 2005 Printz award for the Best Young Adult Novel. All this said, onto the book...

We meet Colin Singleton lying face down on his bedroom carpet two days after he graduated from high school AND one day after he was dumped by his 19th girlfriend named Katherine. Though this beginning has all the makings of a wonderful angst-filled teen drama, it does not take the dramatic-throw-yourself-across-your-bed-and-weep path. Nope, because Colin isn't your typical angst-filled teen. Colin was (is) a child prodigy, started reading at age two, speaks 11 languages, etc. You might say he is a bit of a nerd, make that a capital N-erd. His only friend, an overweight Muslim with man-boobs (and a great sense of humor), Hassen sweeps in and plans a road trip for the two of them to get out of Chicago for the summer and to help Colin forget about his latest lost Katherine, aka, Katherine XIV. As the two boys summer unfolds they--

• live in a pink mansion in nowhere Tennessee
• get jobs recording local oral history of said Tennessee town
• eat lots of Hardee's Monster burgers
• fall in and out of love/lust
• take part in a wild hog hunt
• get in a good old fashion cool kids vs. the nerds punch fest
  

Throughout the whole book Colin is obsessed with being remembered for something. He works on a theorem that plots dumpers and dumpees on an XY axis that can plot each breakup. He works in several variables: age, attractiveness, etc. His working on this theorem is a thread that ties the rest of the the side trips and subplots together.

I really enjoyed this book. It is heavily character driven. It is also smart and clever. I loved the author's use of Colin's extensive knowledge to throw facts, figures and other strange amusements into footnotes. The style of the book is unique--math graphs, footnotes, an appendix. I highly recommend this book for high school students and adults alike.


P.S. The dedication is also very sweet...I told you I have a bit of a crush on this author's writing!