"American Gods" and "Heir Apparent"

Twofer today.

"American Gods" {Adult}
Neil Gaiman
Harper's Perennial 2001
ISBN 9978-0-06-055812-3

Shadow left prison with nothing to return to. But an encounter with Mr. Wednesday brings him a job, a new life, and a journey into the world of the gods. A storm is coming.

Yes, I know it's not a very good summary, but there is so much to the book, I didn't really want to give too much away. This was my first Neil Gaiman book ("Good Omens" excepted), and it is by far my favorite. The characters in the book are so real, so believable. And, if you know anything about any kind of mythology (well, maybe not so much Greek and Roman), you'll find something that will speak to you. I went through a huge mythology phase in middle school, so this book really delighted me every time something mythological would show up. If the mythology isn't enough to interest you, the book is plot-driven. You'll get caught up in Shadow, and what he has to do to keep on going. It's a great read.

"Heir Apparent" {YA}
Vivian Vande Velde
Harcourt, Inc. 2004
ISBN 0-15-205341-7

Giannine just wanted to play a simple virtual video game. And Heir Apparent had everything she was looking for: Dragons, castles, intrigue, cute princes. But now, she's not just trying to beat the game: She's playing for her life. And if she doesn't beat the game soon, it's really going to be Game Over. Permenantly.

I've always liked Vivian Vande Velde books, and one of her strong points is the female lead. She has a great tradition of books with strong femal protagonists who, while maybe not always being the bravest or the brightest, certainly make the book more interesting. Giannine is a bit harder to connect to than some other leads, but she has you rooting for her as she goes through the trials of "Heir Apparent". The narrative style is interesting, because it is in first person, but there's the duality of Giannine outside the game, and Janine inside the game. There's also the matter of Giannine losing one way and having to restart again and again. At first, it seems like that would get old really fast, but Vande Velde changes up the pathway every time. It's actually interesting to start trying to figure out the game as Giannine plays it. Not necessarily the best YA book I know, and not Vande Velde's best, but definitely worth a look.