“Hassan stopped on the staircase, and Colin with him. ‘She wants to make me happy. We fatties have a bond, dude. It’s like a Secret Society. We’ve got all kinds of shit you don’t know about. Handshakes, special fat people dances-we got these secret fugging lairs in the center of the earth and we go down there in the middle of the night when all the skinny kids are sleeping and eat cake and fried chicken and shit. Why d’you think Hollis is still sleeping, kafir? Because we were up all night in the secret lair injecting butter frosting into our veins. She’s giving us jobs because a fatty always trusts another fatty.’
‘You’re not fat. You’re pudgy.’
‘Dude, you just saw my man-tits when I got out of the shower.’
‘They’re not that bad,’ said Colin.
‘Oh, that’s it! You asked for it!’ Hassan pulled his T-shirt up to his collarbone and Colin glanced over at Hass’s hairy chest, which featured- okay, there’s no denying it- minor breasts. An A cup, but still. Hassan smiled with great satisfaction, pulled down his shirt, and headed down the stairs.”
What pudgy high school male hasn’t referred to his chest as “man-tits”? Hassan and Colin are classic high school goofballs, even though Colin is somewhat of a genius. An Abundance of Katherines is Colin’s attempt to understand why he has been dumped by all nineteen of his girlfriends, who all happen to be named Katherine. He and his best friend Hassan decide to go on a road trip after Colin’s graduation, and it becomes sort of a coming of age tale.
Colin’s journey to understanding is one filled with many laughs and realistic scenarios, such as Hassan showing his chest to Colin. Colin’s pessimistic attitude towards life mixed with Hassan’s dry sense of humor leads to nonstop laughter. Their realness makes it easy to connect with both characters, and to see this story taking place in the lives of the people around you. One of the more humorous moments is when Hassan and Colin decide to pretend they are foreigners in Gutshot, the small southern town they land in during their road trip. Colin pretends to be French, and Hassan speaks very little English. Eventually Hassan translates Colin’s words to mean he has hemorrhoids, and the whole scene plays off of that misunderstanding.
This book is perfect for high school and above, especially for boys. It’s funny, which makes it easy to approach, and it’s told from a male’s perspective. It’s hilarious no matter what sex the reader is, and it’s definitely a must-read.
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