This was an excellent book. It could be a little daunting at almost 600 pages, but it really is a quick read. Gaiman does a great job of weaving an intriguing, interesting, and amazing tale.
I don't want to describe too much of the book, because you are given very little from the beginning and part of the magic of the book is that Gaiman very deftly weaves in details as the story progresses. You start out with your main character, Shadow, who is just getting out of prison. On his trip home, he meets Mr. Wednesday, a very mysterious character, who gives Shadow a job. The two then embark on a very odd trip throughout America, although the main part of the story really does take place in the Midwest.
I really can't say enough about this book. It's only the second book I've read by Gaiman. The first was Stardust, which is also fantastically written and is more fairy tale than science fiction (think along the lines of The Princess Bride). I think some people may be automatically turned off by Gaiman because he's considered science fiction, but you really owe it to yourself to try at least one of his books. While some of the things in American Gods are definitely science fictiony, it really doesn't read like that. It truly is just a great story. If you love words and how they work together, then you really need to read Gaiman. You won't regret it.
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