What's it all about? Can life be reduced to fit into an mathematical formula?
Colin Singleton, a former child prodigy, has just been the victim of another dumping by a girl named Katherine. You would think someone with his brains would be above this but no, this is the 18th time a Katherine has said no more...and there was one Katherine that Colin dumped himself...so it's 19 Katherines in total.
It's the summer before college begins and Colin and his best friend, Hassan, have decided the only thing that can save him from the deep funk he's wandering around in is a road trip. The two guys, utterly comfortable with each other, start driving. They drive, eat and talk their way down the road until they land in Gutshot, Tennesee home of the tomb of the Archduke Ferdinand.
Colin flashes anagrams as the two guys explore life and search for adventure and answers. Their conversations are hilarious. Eventually, the two guys take a job in Gutshot doing interviews of elderly townspeople. Through the interviews and the exposure they get to meet the kids in the town and learn a few lessons not contained in the algorithm Colin believes will make sense of the world around him.
272 pages 978-0142410707 Ages 14 and up
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com