“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”

These profound words are found in John Green’s novel “An Abundance of Katherines,” a story of a teenage boy uncoincidentally falling in love with 19 different Katherines and being dumped by each and every one.

Colin Singleton, a certified genius, cannot seem to find the love he’s always imagined and creates a formula as to why he’s never found what he’s searching for. Colin and his best friend, Hassan, have just graduated from high school and decide that, if they’re going to do anything exciting, it must happen the summer before college.

However, Hassan doesn’t believe college is for him. As Hassan sees this as the last hoorah for the duo, he convinces Colin to go on a road trip which takes them to a small town supposedly holding the body of the man responsible for starting World War I.

Gutshot, Tennessee deserves the definition of a small town, consisting of a few homes and this memorial site along with a few other necessary stores. Colin and Hassan stumble upon the Wells family and are offered a job at the family business: the memorial touring system and novelty shack.

Lindsey Wells, the owner’s daughter, is a small town girl completely content with where her life is and isn’t scared by the idea that she will live in Gutshot her entire life. She becomes close with Colin and Hassan even though her boyfriend does not approve. This twisting story of romance and mathematical equations paints a picture of summer romance and long-lasting friendship. 

Just one of Green’s incredible novels, “An Abundance of Katherines” gives hope to the single reader that, eventually, the right person will appear and change the perspective of life all together. Finding love is not easy, but it is not something to give up on. If Colin can be dumped 19 times and still find it, so can you. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars