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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I picked an interesting time to read this book. At the end of the longest winter in memory, I'm reading a book about a boy who goes on a quest to end the neverending winter in his corner of the world.
Odd is a boy whose father died and his mother remarried. His leg is shattered in a woodcutting accident, and he's largely considered useless. Then winter goes on longer than it should. He returns to his father's cottage, where he's led by a fox to where a bear is trapped in a tree, while a one-eyed eagle looks on.
It turns out the animals are really Loki, Thor, and Odin, trapped in animal form by the frost giant who tricked his way into Asgard. Off goes Odd and his fallen god friends into a journey through Norse legend to stop the frost giants before the world is locked into winter forever.
Odd and the Frost Giants is a fairly straightforward middle grade chapter book. Kids familiar with Norse legends will get more out of it than those who aren't, but it's not a requirement. The story fits nicely into existing legends.
While the story is about a hero with a disability, it doesn't entirely skirt the trope of curing the disability as a reward for saving the day. The story is also lacking in female characters. There are precisely two: Odd's mother, and Freya, whose shrieking isn't worth her beautiful face. Hardly what I'd call decent representation.
Still, it's an entertaining story, creatively crafted. It could work well as an introduction to Norse mythology, or it could complement what a kid already knows about it.
I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Neil Gaiman. That's probably the next best thing to a parent reading it to you as a bedtime story.
Odd is a boy whose father died and his mother remarried. His leg is shattered in a woodcutting accident, and he's largely considered useless. Then winter goes on longer than it should. He returns to his father's cottage, where he's led by a fox to where a bear is trapped in a tree, while a one-eyed eagle looks on.
It turns out the animals are really Loki, Thor, and Odin, trapped in animal form by the frost giant who tricked his way into Asgard. Off goes Odd and his fallen god friends into a journey through Norse legend to stop the frost giants before the world is locked into winter forever.
Odd and the Frost Giants is a fairly straightforward middle grade chapter book. Kids familiar with Norse legends will get more out of it than those who aren't, but it's not a requirement. The story fits nicely into existing legends.
While the story is about a hero with a disability, it doesn't entirely skirt the trope of curing the disability as a reward for saving the day. The story is also lacking in female characters. There are precisely two: Odd's mother, and Freya, whose shrieking isn't worth her beautiful face. Hardly what I'd call decent representation.
Still, it's an entertaining story, creatively crafted. It could work well as an introduction to Norse mythology, or it could complement what a kid already knows about it.
I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Neil Gaiman. That's probably the next best thing to a parent reading it to you as a bedtime story.
A fun tale rooted in Norse Mythology. Much cute, much wholesome.
Okay, I wanted to come back to this review because I have been sitting the thoughts this novella left me with and I think my original review did not do it justice.
Firstly this story has such a wonderful protagonist. Odd is odd. Most of all though, Odd is loveable. He is the kind of character you want your stories to be about. He is kind, thoughtful, touch as nails and surprisingly intelligent. He does have his flaws like any good protagonist does. He is the kind of character that feels like a friend while you’re reading and after reading the book.
The story is great. It’s a story framed with Norse mythology. The big 3 Norse gods show up and are all wonderful additions to the cast. The antagonist is a frost giant. And despite all of those characters there book does not resort to violence. Instead it lets the characters solve their problems through other means.
Finally, I did want to say that while there is stuff with Gaiman going on in the media, I try not to let that get in the way of enjoying a good story. So if you are the kind of person who can distance the author from the work the I one hundred percent recommend this story. If not, but you want a story that has a protagonist that is (almost) as loveable as Odd then I recommend The Line by Amor Towles. It is a totally different kind of story but the protagonist is another who will be my friend for life.
Okay, I wanted to come back to this review because I have been sitting the thoughts this novella left me with and I think my original review did not do it justice.
Firstly this story has such a wonderful protagonist. Odd is odd. Most of all though, Odd is loveable. He is the kind of character you want your stories to be about. He is kind, thoughtful, touch as nails and surprisingly intelligent. He does have his flaws like any good protagonist does. He is the kind of character that feels like a friend while you’re reading and after reading the book.
The story is great. It’s a story framed with Norse mythology. The big 3 Norse gods show up and are all wonderful additions to the cast. The antagonist is a frost giant. And despite all of those characters there book does not resort to violence. Instead it lets the characters solve their problems through other means.
Finally, I did want to say that while there is stuff with Gaiman going on in the media, I try not to let that get in the way of enjoying a good story. So if you are the kind of person who can distance the author from the work the I one hundred percent recommend this story. If not, but you want a story that has a protagonist that is (almost) as loveable as Odd then I recommend The Line by Amor Towles. It is a totally different kind of story but the protagonist is another who will be my friend for life.
I loved this story. Words cannot describe how enjoyable and PERFECT this book was. Meant for kids, but great for all ages. What a great portrayal of the Norse Gods, and the main character was easily loved. Gaiman's writing continues to be brilliant.
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A very good story, with fairy-tale-esque elements in the best way, but with uncomfortably accurate Norse mythology references, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for the intended middle grade audience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
Graciosa novela corta (cortísima) juvenil sobre los dioses nórdicos. Recupera algunos personajes de American Gods desde una perspectiva más tradicional.
El argumento es simple y muy típico de esta mitología. Se podría resumir recordando a Terry Pratchett: "los dioses estaban enzarzados en una batalla eterna con los Gigantes de hielo, que se negaban a devolver el cortacésped y bajar la música" (cito de memoria). Lo típico, ahora ganan los dioses, ahora los gigantes, huy huy, que viene el Ragnarok, el invierno eterno.
No tengo más que decir, la novelilla se lee en dos patás y no da para mucho más. Es un viaje del héroe clásico, como diría Joseph Campbell.
El argumento es simple y muy típico de esta mitología. Se podría resumir recordando a Terry Pratchett: "los dioses estaban enzarzados en una batalla eterna con los Gigantes de hielo, que se negaban a devolver el cortacésped y bajar la música" (cito de memoria). Lo típico, ahora ganan los dioses, ahora los gigantes, huy huy, que viene el Ragnarok, el invierno eterno.
No tengo más que decir, la novelilla se lee en dos patás y no da para mucho más. Es un viaje del héroe clásico, como diría Joseph Campbell.
This is something to read over your lunch break, it is that short. It's sort of a cute little Intro to Norse Mythology 101, although the myth geek in me would like to point out that Loki being a fire god isn't exactly undisputed... He seems to be in all of Gaiman's work though, and fiction being fiction... He does a great job with Odin in all his books though.
Fun, short audiobook. We listened in the car on the way back from a camping trip.
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
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
A great, quick read. Plays with Viking mythology and allows a ten-year-old to be a hero. Could be great for a young boy.