Artemis Fowl
The Artemis Fowl Series
Eoin Colfer

Miramax (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7868-1787-9 (0786817879)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7868-1787-0 (9780786817870)
Publication Date: March 2003
List Price: $5.99

Review: A kid genius, fairies, sprites, gnomes, and magic! This book, which is titled Artemis Fowl, encompasses all of these things, and more! Artemis Fowl, written by the former elementary school teacher Eoin Colfer, is the first installment in the "Artemis Fowl" series. This book is targeted towards children in their early teen and teenage years.

Artemis Fowl is an Irish boy of only twelve years of age, yet his knowledge surpasses that of any intelligent adult’s. He is descended from an extremely wealthy family of criminal lords and is the only son of the bedridden Angeline Fowl and the missing Artemis Fowl senior. Artemis Fowl takes advantage of his father’s absence and his mother’s illness to abandon school and devise strategies that will restore his family to its former prosperity and greatness.

With his freedom, Artemis begins to research fairies, and through his studies, he discovers that fairies do indeed exist. An even more interesting piece of information he derives during his explorations of the topic is the fact that fairies possess a large amount of gold. Artemis plots to steal this gold from the fairies and use it to restore his family wealth. He captures a fairy by the name of Holly Short and plans to return her to her people only when they agree to pay him a large portion of gold as ransom. Artemis’s search for gold rapidly transforms into a full-scale war with the fairy police. He is forced to make critical, life-altering decisions that could possibly determine the outcome of the war. This war of the worlds may put the survival of both the human and fairy races at stake.

Artemis Fowl proved a greatly appealing story; its contents differ dramatically from that of any other book I have read before. For instance: Mr. Colfer’s depiction of fairies. Fairies are generally described as tiny beings that happily assist or accompany man. In Artemis Fowl, fairies are portrayed quite differently. The fairies in Artemis Fowl bear a few similarities to traditional fairies, such as the fact that they are (somewhat) magical. However, the fairies Eoin Colfer created are aggressive creatures that fiercely defend their race against humans and any other dangers that threaten to wipe out their species.

Not only are the mythical creatures in this book unique, but so is the book’s subject: Artemis Fowl the Second. This boy’s personality is extremely intriguing and fascinating; his intelligence quotient exceeds that of nearly every human in the history of mankind, though he is only twelve years of age. Artemis the Second not only possesses a ridiculously intelligent mind, but also the steadfast determination and shining confidence to reach any goal he sets in mind. However, beneath his intellect, willpower, and assurance hides a pitiful young boy who yearns for the return of his father and the recovery of his bedridden mother.

In addition to creating distinctive characters, Eoin Colfer has also produced an exhilarating and electrifying storyline that is completely and wholly original. With the turn of every page of Artemis Fowl come unexpected twists and unforeseen events. However, though the plot of the story is complex and interesting, the tone in which it is written in is not very intricate, which many teens may find objectionable.

Artemis Fowl will be converted into a movie; however, the cast, director, and release date remain unknown. Out of five stars, I give Artemis Fowl a rating of four.

Review written by Denise, Grade 7. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: This book is amazing! Being a fairy tale for our current times, it combines a mixture of humor, suspense and action in a real page-turner novel. Sure enough, fairies grant wishes, but they could just as well blast whoever opposes them to smithereens!

Fairy Captain Holly Short, part of the LEPrecon, an elite branch of the Lower Elements Police is set out to confront a rampaging troll that’s causing havoc amongst human cities somewhere deep within Italy. This encounter leaves her magic completely drained, leaving her no choice but to set out to Ireland to carry out the ritual that rejuvenates her powers.

This is the moment when Artemis Fowl comes in. The last one in the Fowl bloodline, he and his bodyguard Butler will stop at nothing to get their hands on large amounts of money. They devise a plan in which they capture a fairy and hold her ransom. Due to extensive research, Artemis finds out all of the fairies’ secrets, and he is willing to use them to his utmost advantage. He succeeds in kidnapping the poor fairy, and he is now holding her inside his vast estate. It is up to the rest of the LEP to rescue her from the grasp of the immoral human.

In my opinion, the book is very well-written. The characters, settings and plot are very realistic and one could actually believe the events were happening due to the way the author explained the lives of the fairies. He made them seem almost human. That’s the only part I thought could’ve been better. The author portrayed the fairies as basically “humans with wings”. Mr. Colfer could’ve enhanced this aspect of the book a bit better.

This book, being the first in the series, won several awards. It received the Children's Book of the Year award at the 2001 British Book Awards. The book was also presented with a Garden State Teen Book Award in 2004. Also, as of this day, a movie adaptation of this novel is in production.

Overall, I find the book very creative. I would give it 4.5 stars, with one star being “bad,” three stars for “average,” and 5 for “excellent.”

Review written by Milosz, Grade 7. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: A fantasy world filled with fairies and magic is revealed by Artemis Fowl in the first book of the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer.

We find ourselves in the middle of a complex plan to restore the Fowl family’s fortune. Ever since Artemis Fowl’s father, Artemis the First, disappeared, Artemis’s mother, Angeline, has been bedridden and the Fowls have lost their billionaire status. Artemis resolves to steal gold from a fairy. When Artemis finally gets his hands on a copy of the Book, a book which has the rules of the fairies, his plan starts to come together. The setting rapidly changes to underground where the fairies leave. Here we follow the life of Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit, who is assigned to a mission above ground to capture a destructive troll. While she is performing the Ritual, a way that the fairies can restore their magic, she is captured by Artemis and his faithful manservant, Butler. The fairies are challenged for the first time by Artemis, but they are never defeated. Or are they …

The opening paragraph effectively sets the tone and introduces Artemis in a clever way:

“How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed. The main problem is Artemis’s own intelligence. He bamboozles every test thrown at him. He has puzzled the greatest medical minds, and sent many of them gibbering to their own hospitals. There is no doubt that Artemis is a child prodigy. But why does someone of such brilliance dedicate himself to criminal activities? This is a question that can be answered by only one person. And he delights in not talking.”

The complexity of Artemis Fowl’s character is both baffling and engaging. You will never know what Artemis has planned next. The fairies are entertaining as well. The way that they plan ahead for every situation possible and the technologies that they have discovered is wonderfully brilliant and creative. It is also interesting to see that as much as the fairies dislike humans, they are quite similar to humans. For example, the prejudice that Holly faces because she is a female is very much like what human females have faced for a long time. The fairies react with each other just as humans will react in these situations, and their humor is also similar to humans. Their hatred of humans is simply another example of prejudice in the world. The battle of technologies and intelligences keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final resolution. The plot is complicated and at times hard to follow, and I would sometimes find myself having to reread passages, but it is the definitely worth it.

Artemis Fowl is an ideal introduction to the “Artemis Fowl” series, and definitively sets the scene for magnificent books to come.

Review written by Julia, Grade 8. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: If you ever dreamed of a book that was interesting, exciting, and would make your parents scold you for staying up all night, Artemis Fowl is an ideal book for you. Written fabulously by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl is the first book in a series of six, with the main character being the one and only Artemis Fowl.

Even though Artemis Fowl the Second comes from a family of criminals, his family lost a huge amount of their fortune when Artemis Fowl the First was killed in the Arctic in a business deal. Artemis’s mother has gone insane from losing her husband. Artemis the Second is determined to restore the Fowl fortune with the help of his bodyguard Butler. They are planning to steal fairy gold.

However fairy gold does not come cheaply. First Artemis has to prove that fairies exist, and that they actually own gold to be stolen in the first place. Countless theorizing and researching, Artemis soon encounters a fairy: Captain Holly. She is the only female officer of the fairy police force: LEPrecon. Holly and Artemis soon realize they will be in a battle far greater than anyone would have thought ...

One of the many things I liked about this book is the way it was written. For instance, I liked how average kids, younger than Artemis Fowl himself, could understand what he is thinking and can follow along. Then entire plot is a new twist to literature. Showing that kids can have a brain of an adult and use it wisely, it proves how successful kids in our world can become. The only thing I can think of that I did not enjoy was the code written in the margins of every page that can be decoded! It makes me wonder how long it will take eager readers to decode it. I could see no flaws in the book itself.

I recommend this book to both girls and boys who love fantasy and mystery. I am sure adults can find entertainment through this book too.

The book Artemis Fowl has been expanded into five additional books in the Artemis Fowl series. It is also the winner of the 2004 Young Reader’s Choice Award.

Review written by Anand, Grade 7. Date of review: April 2009.

Review: The book I reviewed was Artemis Fowl. This book was written by an amazing author Eion Colfer. This book is the first in this amazing series.

Do you like dangerous adventures, critical thinking involved with your reading? Then the book Artemis Fowl is the book for you. The book Artemis Fowl takes place in a magical land we know as Ireland. The main character is a boy genius at twelve years of age, the one and only Artemis Fowl. His family has an awkward reputation; let’s just say they have a background of thievery. Artemis and his butler try to steal something very valuable from the Fairy Folk, their gold. These fairies are not the ones you usually hear about. They are armed and dangerous. One thing leads to another and the situation goes from bad to worse.

I really enjoyed this book; it keeps you on your toes with twist and turns every chapter. For example in one chapter there is a peaceful evening for a very unlucky fairy. Her name is Holly, she is performing a ritual to get some more magic. Then suddenly she is shot with a tranquilizer and captured by Artemis. I believe people with the love of excitement, adventure, and being on the edge should read this amazing book.

This book is a very fictional adventure. This book is suggested to anyone of all ages.

Review written by Carly, Grade 6. Date of review: October 2008.

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