Odd and the Frost Giants (thoughts)

Well, by now y’all might have figured out that I’m a fan of Neil Gaiman (except for Preludes & Noctures, but we won’t talk about that). So when I say, “I just finished reading a Gaiman book…” you should be able to end that sentence with “…and you loved it, right?”

Well of course I did. :) I won Odd and the Frost Giants, a children’s novel Gaiman wrote for World Book Day, during Nymeth’s BAFAB giveaway, and of course I was incredibly happy. Due to a postal conspiracy however (my post office lately is on my black list), I didn’t receive it until Friday. Then my mom’s birthday and Father’s Day meant that I didn’t start it until today, because while it was a short book, I knew I wouldn’t put it down until I got to the end.

So, Odd is a half Viking, half Scottish boy growing up in Norway. His life is definitely not charmed however, and through a series of events, he ends up running away. Soon he meets a fox, who leads him to a bear, and an eagle seems along for the ride. And when they tell him their story, he’s off on an adventure to Asgard (land of the Norse gods).

Gaiman seems to have a thing for Norse mythology doesn’t he? Loki and Odin seem two of his favourite gods! In this book, though, they have a distinctly more child-friendly appearance than in some other novels I could mention (but won’t, in case you haven’t read them). As I’ve mentioned before, Gaiman’s one of those authors who’s comfortable in a variety of writing styles, so I’m never quite sure what kind of tone I’m going to encounter. Odd and the Frost Giants is perhaps the lightest novel of his I’ve read. And of course, it was magical with Gaiman’s trademark weaving of mythology into everyday life.

I always find it difficult to talk about shorter books, because I don’t want to give too much away. So I’ll just say that Odd is a very loveable protagonist, and that Gaiman brought the various landscapes to life; I felt like I was trekking through Norway and Asgard with him! I’d highly recommend seeking this one out, especially for the kids in your life (it’s nothing like Coraline, in case you were a bit worried). And of course if you’re a Gaiman fan, it goes without saying you’ll be happy. :) If not, this might be a good way to get a little taste of him; if you read it and Coraline around the same time (both short books), that would definitely help you decide whether to read Gaiman’s longer books!