Character Analysis
Poor Katrina doesn't get a cool nickname like her pals JATT and SOCT. If it was up to us, she'd have an acronym that had something to do with how pretty she is… not because Shmoop places a premium on looks, but because Colin, Hassan, and Lindsey are always going on about what a looker this girl is.
It's abundantly clear that this ditzy, bubbly, homecoming queen runner-up is easy on the eyes, but she's also, well, easy. Lindsey gives us the back-story on how she and TOC got together, and tells us that Katrina is "easier than a four-piece jigsaw puzzle" (14.1). Ouch. So it's really no surprise when she hooks up with Hassan too—the only problem is, she's still messing around with TOC on the side, which makes for one big love triangle.
Katrina's appearance in the novel offers some really solid information about the leading posse. She shows us that Hassan isn't afraid to live a little when it comes to women, and she's enrolled in community college, which makes our favorite slacker interested in going too (finally). Katrina also gives us some insight into Lindsey, who isn't as pretty or popular as her flirty friend, but is way harder to get.
Katrina also shows Colin how other people get over relationships. While he's all mopey for days and weeks after a Katherine dumps him, Hassan and Lindsey get on with life right away after discovering Katrina and TOC's forest rendezvous. They are no drama queens, and without Katrina there to stir up the pot, we—and Colin—wouldn't get to see that.