3.5/5 stars. Imaginative, atmospheric and well-written. 
 This review was originally posted on my blog at: https://clairehuston.wordpress.com/20... 
 I can't quite remember if I read Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I think I may have, but it was so long ago I can't be sure. So to all intents and purposes, this is the first thing I've read by him and I was looking forward to it very much. 
 The book is short (235 pages) and I read it quickly, finding some sections gripping. However, my overall experience was a bit flat. That is, I reached the end of this book, closed it, placed in on the table next to me and thought, "Huh." 
 Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It's an original, inventive and incredibly well-written story. All the characters are well-drawn and I particularly enjoyed the Hempstock women who, at points, reminded me of the wonderful witches in Terry Pratchett's Discworld. The plot is solid, the fantastical elements are woven into the everyday reality of our narrator's world seamlessly and there are a few truly frightening moments. 
 Perhaps I was disappointed because I was expecting more of an adventure tale when this story is reflective and melancholy, an ode to lost childhood and the slipperiness of memory. Also, something I can't put my finger on just felt "off". Maybe it's the narrative point of view: the story is told by a man in his forties, re-accessing and reliving memories from when he was seven. At times the point of view is entirely consistent with the level of maturity and knowledge we might expect from a seven year old. But at other times this consistency slips, muddling a more adult consciousness with that of the child. 
 My instinct tells me this isn't Gaiman's best work and I look forward to reading something else by him.