Thursday, December 15, 2011

Why Nerdfighters are Cool (34 & 54)

Oh look! I do read books with boy protagonists! This shouldn't be so surprising. John Green is one of several YA rockstars. For real. This man is one of the most witty, brilliant authors I have ever read. And that's not just an opinion - he's won all sorts of fancy-shmancy awards too.

An Abundance of Katherines

Child prodigy Colin has only ever dated Katherines. And not just a couple. Number 19 breaks up with him at the beginning of the book, prompting him and his best friend Hassan to take a random road trip. And then he meets a Lindsey... (who is dating The Other Colin). Plus, the grave of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

PLUS, during the whole novel, Colin is trying to attain "genius" status by perfecting a theorem to predict the outcome of relationships. Primarily, the 19 relationships he's had with Katherines. The math is even explained, more or less. It's funny and snappy and freaking hilarious.

Looking for Alaska

Still keeping the wit alive, John Green's debut novel is a bit heavier than Katherines. This time, the MC Miles is obsessed with last words. He goes off to boarding school - to seek a Great Perhaps - and makes a bunch of wild and crazy, serious thinking, pranking friends, including "The Colonel," Lara, Takumi and Alaska.

It's also very deep, but I can't tell you why or that ruins the whole book. Well, I can mention their English (I think) class where they discuss suffering and the meaning of life. But nothing else. Just read it. Please? Further justification - look at the fancy-shmancy Prinz Award stamp on the cover :)

A warning - in both of these and other books on my list, there's plenty of drinking, sex, smoking, kissing, swearing, etc. that some people have found offensive since they're about and for teenagers. Just so you know.

More Blessed Word Count: 15,493

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