Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett, when combined, are like the chocolate and peanut butter of literature. Good Omens is a ridiculous, fun book. Only a couple of kooks (I say with the utmost respect) bouncing off each other's energy could write this.

This back-and-forth definitely seeps into the narrative itself. The story is introduced by the the demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale. They come from opposite sides of the cosmic coin, but find themselves 'friends' after thousands of years on earth, a home base both come to enjoy more than Hell or Heaven, respectively. Their easy lives are threatened with the coming of the Anti-Christ, whose arrival will signal a war to end earth and determine if Heaven or Hell will emerge victorious.

The outcome depends on which side the Anti-Christ chooses when he comes of age at eleven. As Crowley considers the conundrum, he explains the Anti-Christ is, "potentially evil. Potentially good, too, I suppose. Just this huge powerful potentially, waiting to be shaped" (58). There are many more players in this game, but potential is the main character.

To preserve their beloved status quo, the odd couple join forces to keep the Anti-Christ true neutral and incapable of choosing either side. All hell breaks loose, so-to-speak. If you have read any of Prachett's books you will know once his characters set off into motion they raise ruckus and rarely end up where they had planned. Gaiman's style is similar, though his stories are more grounded in the flow of his fully fleshed-out worlds, whereas Prachett's stories are more driven by the whims of his characters. Yet both authors derive extreme delight from absurdity, and that's what unifies this zigzagging narrative.

Overall, this book is a fun read, filled with a bunch of unexpected turns. If you enjoy well-written nonsense, then you'll definitely like this one.

Rating: 4 stars