The Catalogue of the Universe revolves around the friendship of the two central figures, Angela and Tycho. The characters are introduced in a parallel fashion, both waking at two in the morning of the same day, Angela to witness her mother scything the front lawn and Tycho to overhear a desperate phone call to his parents from his sister Africa.

A more simplistic approach to their friendship, which began in first grade but has become strong in their last years of high school, might cast Angela as the emotional romantic and Tycho as the rational scientist. To Mahy's credit, however, the relationship is much more complex than that.

Angela is described as breathtakingly beautiful and confident in social situations whereas the insecure Tycho sees himself as ugly and ineffectual with women. The two, however, form a friendship around mutual interests which include not only a fascination...