Reviews

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

lalawoman416's review against another edition

5.0

Brilliant. Old gods, some brought over by prehistoric peoples, other by immigrants, still others of the land, are slowly losing their power as people stop believing in them and start worshiping the new gods of TV, tech, money, etc. The old gods decide to take a final stand against the new gods. In the middle of all this is an ex convict, Shadow, who, fresh out of prison, is recruited to work for Mr. Wednesday, a god, in his quest for war. It has everything, fantasy, mythology, crime procedural, romance, mob literature... You name it. Fun. Not as fun as Good Omens but now we know who the funny one was in that duo.

chastitymarie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

lledoux66's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

louisadassow's review against another edition

4.0

A beautifully woven plot, threaded with Gods and humour and dreams. There are powerful descriptions and passages which allow the mind to run.

The catch is the constant and incessant sexualisation of woman. There is no female interaction where her boobs are not mentioned, or her sexual power or lack thereof are pertinent to the story. Once noticed, this persistent obsession really began to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

maali92's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

katiescho741's review against another edition

2.0

I was surprised I didn’t enjoy this book. The premise is interesting - all the old gods of the settlers who came to America gather together for an event - but I just got to a point where I wasn’t interested in reading on.
I enjoy Gaiman’s writing style. He’s got a dark sense of humour, and adult irony that makes me laugh. So it was a surprise to me that I didn’t enjoy this more.

rj_owen's review against another edition

4.0

Not as good as Neverwhere. Very confusing at times, but such a unique story.

danoreading's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars. I liked this, but didn't love it. I love Gaiman, but think that his style best fits the short form.

liakeller's review against another edition

4.0

This is a long one and I really didn't get hooked until about 1/2 way through. interesting story that left me confused only to help me find the answer later in the book. So crazy creative - Gaiman has the most interesting brain!

graywild's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Shadow leaves prison to restart his life.  Unfortunately his old life doesn't exist anymore.  He is hired as an assistant to Mr Wednesday but it is not clear what his job entails.  He is drawn into a war between the old gods which have come to this country with the immigrants and the new gods (such as TV and Media).  Long book at 500+ pages but a quick read.  It helps to understand some mythology but it is not completely necessary to get into the book.  Recommend.