“An Abundance of Katherines” is a young adult novel that examines the question “Who am I?” The main characters of this story are all at points in their lives when they do not know who they are or where they are headed, something that many people have experienced or will experience some time in their lives. The award-winning author John Green ties these characters’ stories together using both comedy and romance, and this book is sure to please more than just young adults.

The story is told in third person but focuses on Colin, the main character and a child prodigy. After he is dumped by the nineteenth Katherine he has dated, his couch potato friend Hassan convinces him to leave town to get his mind off the breakup and also to make some progress on his relationship theory called the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability. Colin and Hassan make their way from Chicago, Illinois to a town called Gutshot, Tennessee where they meet a girl named Lindsey. There all three find employment and romance as well as their own identities and how they each “matter” to those around them and to themselves.

The way that John Green brings together comedy and romance to develop the characters and the plot keeps the reader interested and leaves him or her curious about how the story will continue and resolve. However, there are times when the exciting pace of the story suddenly slows down, and this may make the reader a little impatient for progress. Through the questions and discussions the characters have with each other about their place in the world, the book truly involves the reader in the discussion and makes him ask himself similar questions.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an exciting and fresh young adult comedy/romance. But more importantly, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking about what “the moral of the story is…” John Green’s ability to cause the reader to pause and reflect on love and life lessons is something everybody should experience! 4 out of 5 stars!