American Gods by Neil Gaiman
(Format used for this read: print–paperback from the library)
I honestly never would have picked this book up if my friend Jamila wouldn’t have recommended it.
And y’all I am SO glad she DID tell me to read it!
Because it was some kinda weird and some kinda GOOD.
Here is the summary:
“Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.
But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.
Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined. Soon Shadow learns that the past never dies . . . and that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.”
It took me a couple weeks to finish this book which is ALOT slower than usual for me.
There was SO much to absorb and unpack…but it was fantastic.
It is a blend of fantasy and ancient & modern mythology.
So I wasn’t only just entertained but it made me do a little educational research on mythology too which was cool.
And which I also did in the last book I read…so that’s a weird coincidence 🤣
In the book, the “old” gods of various civilizations and cultures now manifested in America (Odin, Anansai, Anubis, Bilquis, Mama-Ji to name a few) are about to be in battle with the “new” gods of American culture (Technology, Media, etc) because their powers have waned due to lack of believers.
Super interesting novel and I will definitely check out more of this authors work!
*ps I hear this is a show on Starz now so I’m thinking I need to do a 7 day free trial and binge watch all the episodes so far!