This is more of a 3.5. 
 I have mixed opinions on this one. While on the one hand, I loved the story about the gods, American and how cleverly Gaiman weaves all these concepts together into one mystical tale of subterfuge, there was a lot of fluff. I also don't believe the payoff for all the time spent in Lakeside is essential to this book and feel like it could have easily been removed without affecting the story at all. I heard from someone this section was originally meant to be a separate short story but Gaiman decided to incorporate it into American Gods. I don't think this was a wise decision, as those sections often frustrated me with how much they ripped me away from the story I really wanted to read: the gods. I also was not a fan of Shadow as a character and found him much more boring than even Laura or the gods that had only passing moments. That said, the gods were all brilliant characters, and I really enjoyed the postscript because of this. I loved the schemes, the deals and the way belief and symbols worked. I also loved the visits to places such as House on the Rock because I have been there AND IT IS THAT DISTURBING and AMAZING. 
 Overall, the lack of a strong protagonist and the meandering nature of large sections of the book up until the half-way point place it in my good but not great category. I will have to take care with my Gaiman choices from now on and choose the ones most likely to appeal to me, without Gaiman's trademark for getting lost in his own worlds.