Ah, behold, my favourite Neil Gaiman book. The only Gaiman book I'd read before this was Stardust, and while I liked it, I wasn't overwhelmed.
American Gods was different. It was... an eye opener into the genius that is Neil Gaiman. It showed me exactly how inventive and imaginative and overall brilliant Gaiman truly is. He's one talented human, and he puts it to excellent use.

I love mythology and religion, and the idea of having old, ancient even, Gods re-invented in America from ideas and vague beliefs carried with a few people overseas is simply fantastic. It was this, the plot premise, that drew me in and made me pick this out of all his books. And I am not sorry, I think it was the only one could have got me as completely hooked as I am.

What Gaiman does with the Gods is interesting, and as with many of his ideas, not easy to pull off, but that's his genius. He does pull it off. In a way that's both better and more interesting than you ever thought imaginable. He re-creates Gods we already know and love, he creates entirely new ones, he gives all of them personality, and he makes you believe in every single one of them. It's astounding really.

The thing about American Gods, and the real, honest reason this is my favourite book of his, is Shadow. Out of all the books I've read, he is by far my favourite character. It even goes for most movies and tv-shows too. I know some people don't like him, but for me, he was everything I ever wanted everyone else to be. He's down to earth, he doesn't complain or state disbelief, he just goes with the flow, accepting whatever impossible truth thrown his way. He never makes a big deal out of it, and most of this is probably that he doesn't seem to mind if he lives or dies. And it's liberating, both for him and for me. Because I get a character that's much like myself. Someone who doesn't make a fuss of things, and tries his best to understand, instead of narrowing his mind (the maincharacters from Neverwhere and Anansi Boys do quite the opposite and it annoys me greatly, thank god they change). Shadow -thinks- for himself, he has an abundance of reason and wit and I love him. I really, really do.

Everything about this book is A+. Just read it and see for yourself.