Artemis Fowl (Book 1)

Why I Think Boys May Enjoy This If ever there was a book series that could be used to introduce the concept of “anti-hero” to a middle grade audience, it is Artemis Fowl (or, you know, my novella Anchihiiroo – Origin of an Antihero, but I digress). Artemis Fowl II, in the debut book of this series, is the very definition of someone willing to do anything it takes (even a little kidnapping and ransom-demanding) for what is ultimately a good cause (trying to save his mother). One of my favorite things about this series is that Artemis, being a genius, has a very large vocabulary. The diction in this book is a lot more advanced and complex than many other middle grade books and I personally used it as a benchmark in my own writing for not talking down to a young audience (which I find many, many middle grade and even young adult books do). Colfer has found that great sweet spot to challenge young readers without dismissing their capabilities. That being said, the story is a simple one that is very easy and fun to follow. The basic frame of the story follows the “heist” format. There are twists and turns and plans on top of plans. Sometimes they work and sometimes they fail. Sometimes they seem to fail but end up working (think of a fairy tale version of Ocean’s 11). Apparently Colfer himself has referred to it as “Die Hard with fairies” with which I can’t argue. Colfer has created his own sub-society of magical fairy creatures that presents the underlying mystery and magic to the series. At the same time, Artemis is a regular (well, as regular as a multi-millionaire genius pre-teen with a bit of an evil mastermind complex can be) human kid who breaks open the mysteries of this underworld. When I first discovered this series years ago, I was excited to find a middle grade series that had a protagonist that wasn’t your bubbly “chosen one” stereotype. Artemis, due to his intelligence and resources, is way deeper and more complex than your typical middle grade hero. That alone is worth a read. Couple that with a fun and colorful underworld full of faeries, gnomes, and other supernatural beings and it’s a can’t-miss. Content/Appropriateness This book is more than appropriate for the youngest of readers. Any violence is cartoonish in nature, for the most part. There are no language or sexual content concerns either. As the series goes on, there are points that get a little darker, but never does Colfer waver from the PG family friendly nature of this first book. As an aside: there is also a wonderful graphic novel adaptation of this first book that can serve to help a struggling reader or a reader who might need a little more visual aides (or just someone who really likes graphic novels!). Rating 5/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys Review

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind descended from a family of wealthy criminal masterminds. After the family fortune is lost, his father mysteriously disappears, believed dead, and his mother goes mad from grief. Artemis decides to get the family fortune back in the most unusual way―by kidnapping a fairy and holding her for ransom. But as it turns out, Artemis may have underestimated the power of the fairies, and the lengths they would go to hold on to their gold. He also may not have anticipated the cunningness, and intrigue, of his captive fairy. What I liked: great story! So unusual and compelling. The characters are so well written and diverse, everything from goblins to centaurs, and they each have their own unique personalities and attributes. The plot is outlandish, but so interesting and different. What I didn’t like: the main character comes off a bit stoic, especially at first. True, he is an anti-hero, but he was almost too unrelatable at first. Still, his character improves as the book progresses, and by the end, the reader wants to know what happens to him (and the other characters) in the next book. 5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book. I purchased it years ago and forgot about it. As a former bookseller, kids came in droves for this series, then, as a librarian, kids continually checked it out, but I never read it until now. Perfect for middle aged/YA readers. Lets face it, Artemis Fowl is a rich, pampered brilliant bad boy. He's not a great role model, and yet his thought process is a bit like Sherlock Holmes; he is completely thorough and prepared. The Fowl fortune took a big hit when his father, Artemis, invested (unwisely) in shipping to Russia after the communist break-up. the Russian mafia was not pleased and blew his ship out of the water, taking a good portion of the family's investment and Artemis senior with it. Artemis mother, delicate in nature, took to her bed and young Artemis is left to his own devices, for the most part. He decides that he needs to restore some of the family fortune, and decides finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is his answer. He tracks down and deciphers The Book; the bible of fairies, and he captures a fairy - except he probably chose the wrong fairy for this endeavor. Holly Short was technically an elf, fairy, and leprechaun by trade (LEPrecon). Trying to make her way in a male dominated field, Holly allows her "magic" to slide by not performing the Ritual which would keep her powers intact. When she goes missing, Commander Root is not going to stop until Holly is safe. It's a test of wills, wits, skills, and magic between Artemis Fowl and the entire LEPrecon force. I get the attraction for kids. It's a fun, rollicking masterminded adventure for kids. Not to be taken too seriously, yet it provides fun entertainment and ignites the power of imagination. I was given a copy by NetGalley to review; the book was actually published in 2001, and a movie is currently being made, reigniting interest for young readers and movie goers. I found it fun, easy reading for middle grade readers.

Very much enjoyed this fantasy tale . No really certain I understand the universe this is in, or if the tale holds completely true, but it is a fun read.

A twelve-year-old genius criminal mastermind takes on the world of Faeries. He develops a ploy to kidnap one of them and hold her for ransom for a fortune in gold. I was basically impressed. When I read reviews of this book and heard stories about it, I was intrigued. I was a bit worried though thinking it would be a bit too childish. Now I am not sure if this book targeted children. Yes, the main character is only twelve years old, but to say he acts much older would be beyond understatement. One slight nit-pick I have about the story. For a character whose name is the title of the book, he is not in it very much. Sure, he is central to the story, but not much focus is placed on him. Instead, we spend a lot of our time with the faeries and see all the buffoonery that ensues in their culture. And they are buffoons. I think that is the real genius behind this story. Artemis is a criminal doing illegal things. He does show later on that, he does have a heart and a conscious, but he is a career criminal. How do you make people sympathize with somebody like that? You show his victims as people whom you would like to be victimized. Colfer does this very well. The faeries have a society that is not above things like corruption, arrogance and prejudice. Their actions are intended to be comical and they are. These faeries are so full of themselves you want them to be taken down a notch. This may be a good book to read for your children but you may want to read it yourself before exposing them to it. There is what some may refer to as "bathroom humor," and a twelve-year-old criminal to consider.

I picked up this novel, the first book of the Artemis Fowl series, after having finished both the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series and absolutely loving both of them. I kept hearing that "if you like Harry Potter you'll like Artemis Fowl too," so I gave this a shot. It's just OK, for me personally. I think the writing style is brilliant and descriptive, inventive, and extremely detailed. The writer clearly invents a brand new world within modern society with lots of rules, orders, mythology, and new ideas about the way things work -- or, rather, how the worlds of humans and mythological creatures intertwine without man's knowledge. This is a book that could easily be loved by both boys and girls of all ages. For me, I wasn't so much a fan of the dark, heavy-handed writing style. The story is very militant, suspenseful, mysterious, and seems much much more like a film noir than an optimistic adventure story. There are moments of humor, but they're typically very dry and not the laugh-out-loud kind. Untypically, a random moment or two from a certain burrowing critter surprised me out of the blue (or, blew? LOL) and did make me laugh out loud -- partly because it completely broke the tone of the book and surprised me! If completely unfamiliar with the Artemis Fowl series, borrow the first book from the library first before purchasing, just to make sure the reading style fits your style too. It's well written but could be a matter of personal preference. For parents and content-conscious readers: No sexual content. Mild PG language. Bodily function humor. Very militant, war-like plot.

This was a really good story. I love the characters

I love fantasy. Have read and re-read Harry Potter countless times. But I am by no means unable to enjoy reading other fantasy books. I loved the Bartimaeus trilogy and then someone told me about this series and I jumped right in. This being the 1st series in the novel, was a great read. I am not giving it 5 stars. The 1st book of most series aren't necessarily the best. You get to know the basic plot and characters of the series and hopefully the following books will build on this even better. Artemis character is very very interesting. As is Butler and Holly. For those of you with active imagination, you won't find it hard to visualize the "people". It is a book about a 12 yr old but certainly not limited to readers of that age. I am excited about this series and I recommend it for people who are looking for a new fantasy series to read. This one is different from Harry Potter because half of it is set in our world with normal people. Artemis is a genius but posseses no magic or superpowers . The writing is lucid and very easy to read. The book is absorbing, couldn't stop turning the pages. Seems less emotionally intense than Harry Potter, but that's not a bad thing at all.

No es otra historia para niños, es una de las mejores, una de esas lecturas que te impiden dejar el libro de lado

It was a really interesting and a captivating book. Before buying it I thought it will be an easy read but u was mistaken.. It was a mix of genres which made it really exciting. The LEP technology was intricately written which made it hard for me to understand the technical terms. A solid read for all ages.. 9/10

I loved it! Heard about the disaster that was the film and what people said about the character intrigued me. While I find the natural prodigy character type annoying, at least he achieves things through his own efforts. His elaborate plans are very impressive, if off-putting for him as a character. But he does have some humanity that betrays his cold cunning. I think I’ll be reading more of this series soon.

学校に寄付したら先生や生徒もとても面白いと喜んでいました。 良かったです。

I read this book as a child and loved it so much. I bought this copy for my younger cousin who's favourite thing is reading. Also, as the main character is Irish I thought she'd get a kick out of it. It's a bit more difficult reading for an 8 year old so you might need to help with some words but it's worth it for the rich complexity of the story. Buy this book before you even attempt to let your child see the horror show that Disney turned it into on screen. They made what is a clever childrens book into a generic and watered down film that couldn't even engage someone who is tied to a chair and forced to watch it. (Obviously a touchy subject for this lover of the original book!) Great book, can't recommend it enough.