I’m not as big a Neil Gaiman fan as many seem to be (no knock on them, he’s clearly a great writer just not always to my taste) and quite frankly, I put this book off for a while, because I really didn’t like Anansi Boys (which I foolishly read first).  American Gods, as least for a while, was widely considered Gaiman’s best novel and it lived up to all of the hype. The fantastical elements of the story worked well.  There were a ton of very interesting characters (Gods and Human) who our narrator met throughout the novel.

The big reveal at the end is perfect. Looking back to early in the book it really made some scenes at the time I thought were kind of minor seem much more important. There were a ton of small touches Gaiman added that I really appreciated, such as explaining that the lame tourist traps (like world’s largest Carousel) are strong places for the Gods. Just an all-around terrific read.