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A child prodigy does not necessarily grow up to be a genius adult. Imagine being studied, challenged, and revered as a child only to slowly grow up as a smart, but not genius level, quirky adult. In John Green's An Abundance of Katherines, Colin Singleton is all too painfully aware that his best years might be long behind him.
Colin was a child prodigy. Now he is just a quirky young adult who remembers inane facts and has a thing for girls named Katherine. In fact, he has had 19 girlfriends named Katherine, all with their own stories and all with their own reasons for dumping Colin. When K19 dumps Colin, he can't bring himself to just go on with life as usual. His wise-cracking Lebanese friend Hassan has a wonderful solution: a road trip!
The two boys climb into the car and head off into the sunset with no real destination in mind as long as it is not home. When they end up in Gutshot, Tennessee, they realize the small town has more to offer than just the body of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. With a motley crew of people centered around a tampon string factory and the impetus for WWI, Hassan and Colin find jobs, first kisses, another Colin, and a theorem that can predict the longevity of relationships and reveals Colin's life as a Dumpee.
Have you ever watched a movie where not much happened, but the witty dialogue kept you giggling and hanging on until the end? That is the gist of An Abundance of Katherines. The quirky relationship between Colin and Hassan will have you laughing from start to finish. I can honestly say there isn't much action to this story, but that won't stop you from enjoying the story. Colin's obsession with Katherines and intrigue with Lindsay leads him to develop a mathematical equation that explains the life of a relationship. For a washed up prodigy, his success with the equation is reliant upon his need to feel useful and intelligent again. Both boys are such unique characters, you will wish you knew them in person!
This book has some mild intimate content and a decent amount of choice language, but that isn't the reason I would save this book for an older student. The dialogue is so quirky and fast it would most likely be lost on a younger student. It requires a unique sense of humor and appreciation for sarcasm and wit to enjoy this book. If you enjoy those things, you will undoubtedly love this book. If you are looking for a linear story with a beginning, a middle, and a conclusion, this book might not be your cup of tea. The other cool feature of this book is the footnotes. They add to the story in unique ways, giving snarky remarks regarding the story, confirming or denying tidbits of information, and developing the characters further. So don't overlook the footnotes, and if you need a witty book to make you laugh, Katherines is waiting for you!
Everyone thinks of their grandparents as those innocuous, cookie making, gray haired oldies who always make you feel better when things aren't going well. But what if your grandmother or grandfather had a dark past? And what if that dark past is coming to the surface now that they are suffering from dementia? In Chris Lynch's short novel Kill Switch, he explores just such a terrifying issue.
Daniel is going off to college in the fall, so he wants to spend as much time with his grandfather, Da, as possible. Da's Alzheimer's or dementia makes their "quality time" less quality and more spotty. Still, Daniel has always had a soft spot for Da and is willing to cope with his bad moments for those few, brief, clear moments. When Da starts saying weird things, Daniel just attributes them to the dementia, but the arrival of his past coworkers tips Daniel off to the fact that Da may not have worked in the government's agriculture department as he previously told them.
With Da more agitated than usual, Da, Daniel, and Daniel's stoner cousin Jarrod take off on a road trip to nowhere. They have no destination and no real purpose, but Da seems to think they are being followed, so they continue on. Meanwhile their family is home fretting about their whereabouts. But when the trip hits some strange snags, they worry that Da might be right about his past, and they might be in real danger. But the worst danger might be that Daniel has the ability to follow right in Da's footsteps.
A novella or short novel is a funny thing. It is significantly short than most novels (under 200 pages), but longer than a short story. It has the need to be clear, quick, and concise like a short story, but it has a little more wiggle room like a novel. Still, a short novel has to be pretty lucid in order to accomplish what larger novels do in 400-500 pages. Chris Lynch is usually a master at this, but sadly, he failed miserably with this novel for me. I was stoked to read this book; I mean, the premise is just awesome! But in execution? It really didn't work. The writing was first person narrative, which I usually enjoy, but it was very... how do I put this... nebulous? It was unclear and unfocused and shifted too quickly without any transitions. I found myself flipping back a lot because I missed things despite usually being an attentive and careful reader. It wasn't me, though; it was the strange way tis book was written.
Writing style aside (and mind you, this is not the usual style Lynch writes in, at least from the books I have read), the characters weren't important enough to me either. You had a young boy who loved his Alzheimer's patient grandfather... you want to love this kid, right? Nope. He was odd, punchy, and there was something to him I didn't like that I still haven't been able to put my finger on. The cousin Jarrod was just a putz, but the way they treated him was strange and grating at times. Then comes Da, who you should have sympathized for, and you did... sometimes. The rest of the time I found myself wondering what the hell was going on, and by the time I figured it out, I didn't care anymore.
I am sad to say I wouldn't really recommend this book to my students. I think they would get too lost in the strange storytelling to get anything out of the book, which is frustrating to any reader (including myself). I am sad and surprised to see this caliber of book from Lynch. Usually he nails the short novel and I love them for my emergent, older readers who need a short but fascinating book. maybe next time, Chris Lynch. Maybe next time.
The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson is just pure serendipity! Everything falls into place, shows up at the right time, and works out in the end. Pearson created a story that makes you feel good. Destiny Farrady is in the latest of many, many boarding schools she is shuffled in and out of. She keeps to herself and doesn't bother making friends, because inevitably she will just have to leave them! The only thing she is looking forward to is her aunt's visit on her birthday because she knows her parents won't be coming. They never come. In fact, they have essentially forgotten they even have a daughter. But when her aunt cancels her visit, Des is so upset she doesn't know what to do... until she spots the beautiful car in front of the school with the engine running. Des needs to take this car, but she can't drive. She sees another student, a boy she has been interested in, dodging his work duty detention and convinces him to drive the car- but she doesn't tell him the car isn't hers! Then, two other students happen by and want to tag along. Soon, the foursome is off on an adventure that will change their lives. With a hilarious and adorable quest with no destination in sight, the four students start driving to the nearest city. They happen upon a poor lost lamb and adopt it as their "dog" (affectionately referred to as Lucky and explained as being a "Lamberdoodle" when they are told livestock isn't allowed in the city limits. They stumble upon a great thrift shop where they find poodle skirts and funky outfits to change into instead of their uniforms. Des even finds a stack of cash in the glove box to fund their little excursion. The conclusion of their "fair" and perfect day leads to more than just one revelation of their lives and budding friendships. This is an absolutely adorable book with a sweet story of four kids who are trying to find their way in life. It is a quick read, and it keeps you interested with something always happening on the road trip. The language is very readable and not terribly complicated. There is also a bit of seriousness as Des deals with her family and deeper troubles in her life, but these issues are handled with a delightful optimism that will put a smile on your face. In fact, I would like to rename the book to "the Smiles Between". If you just need a feel-good book that will make you happy for your friends and family, this is it!
