published by HarperTouch, 2005
416 pages
approximate age level: 14+
Alex Award recipient
Charlie Nancy is a rather banal young man. He has a mundane job, a passionless relationship with his fiance, and has no desire or ambition to improve his circumstances. Then his crazy, flamboyant father suddenly dies, with his hands on a buxom blonde while singing karaoke, and Charlie discovers his life isn't quite what he thought. First, his father was not just a strange eccentric, but was Anansi, the African trickster god. Second, he has a brother, Spider, who is everything Charlie is not – outgoing, lucky, charismatic, and in possession of god-like powers. When Spider decides to meet Charlie, and, unasked, takes over the spare room in his apartment, as well as a few other things, Charlie finds that his uninteresting life is over and he must come to terms with everything wild and mysterious he has been trying so hard to avoid, or face devastating consequences.
Companion novel to American Gods, Anansi Boys is a fun and original adventure that never takes itself too seriously. In this tall tale that expertly weaves African folklore into a modern plot, Gaiman is at the top of his game creating likeable, well-rounded characters, crazy scenes, and propelling the story forward with a fast moving, page-turning plot. This is an adult novel, but doesn't contain any content that should dissuade you from recommending it to teens. Gaiman is a big name in both adult and YA/children's lit (known by many as the "rockstar writer") and I think it would be easy to get teens interested in his works if they aren't already. Anansi Boys is also a recipient of the 2006 Alex Award.
Read-alike suggestions:
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Printz Award winner)
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