An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Isbn: 0-525-47688-1 (hc)

Published 2006

Read: 2/7-23/2014

i purchased this book on my very first trip to The Last Bookstore in DTLA when i went with my friend Frank. once i was done with my last book, i was kinda stuck on what to read next (although i do still have a shelf that has only "to be read" books) and then i remembered "JOHN GREEN!!!!" so of course i decided to start reading it on the day that i should've been studying for my french test. the funny thing is, its like it was meant to be because the book itself involves some french. so boom! win-win.

This book is based on the character Colin and his infinite love for all named Katherine.
by page 19, i was in love.
you also get to meet his friend Hassan which you can't help but to fall in love with.
as soon as i started reading this book i was reminded of two of his other books. Paper Towns (first book of his i read. will re-read and post) and Will Grayson Will Grayson. mostly because of the location and the friendship.

after his 19th dump, Colin is beyond depressed so its Hassan's idea that they head out on a road trip to help clear his mind.
once on the road, they drive aimlessly. that is, until Colin see's a sign that says that you can visit the grave of the great Franz Ferdinand.
They end up in a town called Gutshot where they meet Lindsey. The daughter of Hollis who happens to hire them to interview all those who live in Gutshot TN to create a movie about what once was.
together all three form a friendship and discover things about each other that they didnt expect too.

i read comments over at goodreads and man people were brutal!
i do kind of agree that this was somewhat not my favorite book of his (even though i did fall in love at some parts). maybe this one would be last place but some people on there are straight tearing him one! (and i say would be because i have yet to read Looking for Alaska...i just bouuuught it!)

as always, here are spoilers so stooop reading now!!!
COLIN:

boy genius. although he beats himself up over it because he doesn't feel it to be.
creates the "Dumper/Dumpee" Theorem so he can see how long each Katherine will last before they break up with him.

he eventually fixes the theorem and makes it work for every single Kat except #3. Because he dumped her. He doesn't remember.

Katherine 19 is the one who fully broke his heart. and get this K1 is K19. you dont know it for a while until you hit a certain chapter and then you're like oh shiz!
anagrammer up the butt!
Reminds me of Will Grayson 1.

Hassan:

best friend of Colin. they became friends after Colin said something about a pupillary sphincter
doesnt believe in hooking up with girls just for fun.
is the one that eggs on the road trip.
is a big guy. a loveable funny big guy.
reminds me of Tiny Cooper (except not gay!)

Lindsey :

Daughter of Hollis who practically runs Gutshot TN.

side note: Hollis' company produces tampon strings!
side note 2: apparently the company is going down which is why Hollis is always up late trying to figure things out. so the company doesnt close and the town doesn't disappear.

dates the one guy who she doesnt care about in any sense. she did it more as of a revenge thing.
is kind of like Colin except unlike him she tries to hide under the radar! (weird, but it fits!)

SPOILERS OVER!

well, it wasn't so much spoilers. more like notes on the characters.
there's really a lot that i left out of this book in this post. like who dumps who, what happens where, who does what with who. where do they go....and a lot more!
so definitely read read this book. all i will say is read at your own risk since not many seem to be a fan.

i will say this. what i loved about this book, is all the footnotes and facts throughout the the book. basically every other page has been ear tagged and highlighted at some point.
theres so many random facts that i learned here and there.

ill leave you with some of my favorite bits and pieces.

"What a dick," Hassan said once they were safely in the Hearse. "it's one thing to accuse me of laziness. But to malign the good name of America's greatest television judge - that's below the belt." {speaking of Judge Judy pg 14}
"Shit, Colin made a funny. This place is like magic for you. Shame about how we are gunna die here, though. I mean seriously. An Arab and a half-jew enter a store in Tennessee. It's the beginning of a joke, and the punch line is "sodomy"." {pg 30}
"Je m'apelle Pierre," Colin blurted out after the boys had introduced themselves. "Quad je vais dans la metro, je fais aussi de la musique de prouts." (my name is pierre. when i go to the metro, i also make fart music." {lol french!!! pg 51}
"i worked in that factory sixty years to the day. i have the world record. they named the break room after me, because that's where i spent most of my time." & "Well, the first thing that you have to understand is that in the country we were't ever poor. Even in the Depression, i wasn't ever hungry because when Dr. Dinzanfar had to lay people off, he never fired more than one person from a family." { i love this. because as long as you have food, water and a roof over your head, you are never truly poor!" pg 81}
the footnote on page 54. very interesting, Nikola Tesla!
"But he always had books. Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they'll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back." {MY FAVORITE!!!! pg 110}
Pg 131. Hassan Snaps!
"where did i get it? Smartypants, getting a gun in Gutshot Tennessee is easier than getting chlamydia from a hooker." & "no, not officially. But you know what they say about Gutshot: the population never goes up and never goes down, because every time a woman gets pregnant, a man leaves town." {page 39}