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Cover of Odd and the Frost Giants
4.0

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Odd and the Frost Giants

by Neil Gaiman

Book Details

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing
Published:2008
Pages:96
Format:BOOK
Language:en
ISBN:9780747595380

Reading Info

About This Book

Odd's luck has been bad so far. He lost his father on a Viking expedition, his foot was crushed beneath a tree, and the winter seems to be going on for ever. But when Odd flees to the woods and releases a trapped bear, his luck begins to change. The eagle, bear and fox he encounters reveal they're actually Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giants who have conquered Asgard, the city of the gods … Can a twelve-year-old boy reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the frost giants and relea

Our Review

When a boy named Odd, whose life has been defined by a crushed foot and an endless winter, ventures into the forest and frees a trapped bear, he unknowingly steps into a mythic conflict that will test his cleverness over his strength. This compact adventure plunges the reader directly into a world where Norse mythology is real and dangerously close to being lost forever, as Odd discovers his three animal companions are none other than the gods Odin, Thor, and Loki, trapped in beastly forms by the frost giants who have seized their home.

What makes this tale so compelling is its quiet subversion of the classic hero's journey; Odd's greatest weapon isn't a sword or axe, but his resilient spirit and unconventional thinking in the face of overwhelming brute force. Readers who appreciate mythic retellings with a heart will find a deeply satisfying protagonist in Odd, a boy who proves that wit and kindness can be mightier than any hammer. This is a story that champions intelligence and perseverance, leaving a lasting impression about the true nature of courage.

Themes

Adventure stories

Subjects

Adventure stories