Book Review: AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green

Warning: As always, I try to stay relatively spoiler free. But it doesn’t hurt to proceed with caution.

Rating: Two and a half stars—Okay
 

I know, how dare I give a John Green book fewer than five stars? Excuse me while I go hang my head in shame. I should probably hide from all the rabid fans. Honestly, though, despite my less-than-stellar rating, I enjoyed AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES very much, and I can understand full well why so many people love John Green’s work. But, I had a few issues with this one. So let’s talk about it.

Colin. I adore Colin. In fact, he’s pretty much everything I could have hoped for—super smart, whiney, needy, clever and yet simultaneously dense, self-centered, hurting. I could go on. At this point, some of you are probably planning to point out that most of these character qualities I listed are not, you know, super great. That’s the idea.

I love that Colin isn’t portrayed as superior to everyone else just because he’s extra intelligent. Instead, he struggles even to feel adequate, and he worries way more often than most of his peers that he will amount to nothing more than a failure. He is a prodigy with a great past and little hope for his future. He is a drama queen, and he stays so focused on his own losses and his own worries and his own thoughts that he really doesn’t tune into what his friend, Hassan, might be going through. While he doesn’t mean to treat others as less important, he still manages to convey that what occupies his thoughts is more pressing than anything else. And while he bemoans his latest break-up, it’s clear he did his fair share of smothering the relationship.

Hassan. I liked Hassan, and I didn’t. Though he isn’t a prodigy like Colin, he’s still pretty smart, and he has a great sense of humor (for the most part). He was a fun guy to read about, and he had a great presence in the book. As Colin’s best (and only) friend, he’s able to point out some of the ways Colin sabotages himself. However, I’m a bit of a stick in the mud, and I felt that Hassan had way too many inappropriate things to contribute, and sometimes he seemed like a walking innuendo.

The Prodigy Issue. I love the distinction John Green draws between “prodigy” and “genius”. I love Colin’s real and imagined fears about his future as a childhood prodigy. But I got a little upset every time Hassan or Lindsey shut Colin up. Like, I understand that it can be a tad boring for some people to hear a steady stream of random trivia, because not everyone gets excited about that sort of thing. I do though, and I wanted to read more random facts. I wanted Colin to be able to express himself in the way that makes him Colin, and I felt bad that he had to, so often, zip his lips and tailor his personality to something that pleases other people. Sure, not everyone is as smart as Colin, but if Hassan and Lindsey really care about him, they should be willing to listen to some of the more boring things, because those are parts of Colin’s identity. (I mean, Colin could definitely work on not being a know-it-all or a conversation hog—I’m just saying, the interestingness factor shouldn’t be the only judge of value for what Colin wants to say).

The Concept. The premise is what really drew me in here, even more so than John Green’s name and fame. But, I do feel just a smidge misled because the back cover copy says Colin has been in love with nineteen different girls named Katherine, when in fact, he’s only ever been in love with eighteen (if you’re confused about Katherine the nineteenth, the book will explain—I just don’t want to spoil it for you). Rest assured, this isn’t what won the book such a low rating.

Plot and Characters and Writing. I’ve already mentioned, in so many words, that the characters feel deep and sympathetic. I’m not exactly certain how John Green manages to make a third-person-point-of-view narration feel so close and personable, but I should probably take notes. He offers a dry sense of humor, a healthy dose of trivia, and a level of depth that goes beyond what I might normally find in a YA novel. Sure, the story is about a boy who goes on a road trip with his best friend in order to find some purpose for his life as he deals with his most recent breakup. But it’s also about so much more, like how people wear each other down and build each other up, or how people aren’t always what they seem and first impressions don’t tell the whole story.

Ultimately, while I wasn’t disappointed when it came to story and characters, plot and writing, I was disappointed with some of the execution, specifically, the innuendo. There’s also a sex scene, although it’s not what you probably expect. And there’s a heavy amount of language as well. While it’s not my place to tell authors how to write their books, I, personally, would have preferred it if John Green had cut back on some of these elements. That’s the reason why I’m only giving the book 2.5 stars. I really liked AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES, but I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable recommending it to many people, and, to me, a higher rating would constitute a recommendation. That’s all.

What about you, little coffee beans? Have you read AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES or any other John Green novel? Which of his works is your favorite? What are your thoughts on his writing style and his characterizations? What do you think about Colin? Are you more chill than I am when it comes to rating books? Any other thoughts you’d like to share?