Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman is the story of Odd, a 12 year old boy whose father was killed on a Viking expedition, and whose foot was crushed by a falling tree. After his mother remarries, he feels more and more like an outsider, so Odd decides to go into the woods to live in his fathers cabin - even though it's still winter ... a winter that shows no sign of ending. On the way there, he rescues a distressed bear, and the two are then joined by a fox. When these two animals start speaking, and meet up with an eagle with the same power, Odd feels like his luck is changing. It turns out that the three creatures are Norse gods (Thor, Loki and Odin) who have been trapped in animal form by the Frost Giant who is determined to make winter last for ever. Odd now has the chance to become a most unlikely hero and help restore the gods to their rightful place and save the world from endless cold. What a delight this book is - it is short, but it's a great read, taking you into another world and showing it through the eyes of a young boy who can hold his own against the gods! Fabulous characterisation and spiky dialogue (as you would expect from Gaiman), that definitely takes you into another world. It's very short, and if you chose to read the audio edition narrated by the author, you may find yourself entering an almost a dreamlike state. I would have preferred a few more twists and turns, but for anyone looking for a quick read full of feeling, then this could be the book for you.
My STAR rating: FOUR
Length: 144 print pages.
Price I paid: £4.00
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD.
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