Artemis Fowl

by Eoin Colfer

Book Overview

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. With two trusty sidekicks in tow, he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786817070
• ISBN13: 9780786817078
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed the exploits of this teenage criminal mastermind!

I enjoyed this new take on fairy lore and that the main character, Artemis, is a teenage criminal mastermind. This book may be listed as a YA novel but I'm in my fifties and found this a very enjoyable read! I can't wait to read what adventures he gets into next!

False advertising

Display image is for 1st edition, but current edition paperback edition arrived.

Not what I ordered

I got a completely different edition than what I ordered (pictured dark blue with “AF” in gold, Artemis holding the glowing fairy book). What I received was a gold cover with just the title on the front - no illustration. Not what I ordered!

Amazing!

This series is so great! It's intelligent and interesting, not to mention action-packed and full of fantastical fun! Read all the way up until the last book and you will not be disappointed! (don't read the last book though)

Great Book!

I had seen a number of my students reading these Artemis Fowl books, so I finally decided it was time for me to try them too. I was not disappointed in this first book, as it introduced a whole new take on the concepts of elves and especially dwarves (who we all knew liked to dig, but not quite in this way!). Artemis is a smart, likable character, even though he is a criminal, and this is the dilemma the reader faces: can I really like someone who does things in a selfish way? Ah, but is he always selfish? That is what makes this a good book!

Maggie Grace

I love the Artemis fowl series! It is a fun mix of modern tecnoligy and the farie people. It is about a 12 year old genius who is also a criminal mastermind. He is constanly trying to out fox the magical creatures. It is tale of how no matter how differnt people are they can always become friends and work together for good.

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer

When you think of fairies, do you think of cute little winged creatures? Well, you are wrong. The book I read was Artemis Fowl. This book is about a boy named Artemis Fowl, who tries to kidnap a fairy and demand a ransom. He kidnaps Captain Holly Short, a recon officer. Her superior, Commander Root, sends an LEP (Lower Elements Police) retrieval team to try to rescue Holly. Butler, Artemis' bodyguard, is there to meet them. That is when things get a bit crazy. Trolls start breaking in. A dwarf starts digging his way in. There's more... I like this book, because of two reasons. First, the author really described the characters and the setting. Second, because he uses a lot of foreshadowing in the story. That is also bad, because he doesn't tell you right away what Artemis' plans are. But that is also good, because they leave you thinking "What is his plan?" If you are interested in magical creatures, kidnapping, magic, and series, then pick up this book and don't put it down until you finish!

Wish I could write this title in code.

After reading this book in one sitting, I think I've finally discovered my true reading level. I may not be that young, but as I've been told repeatedly that I've yet to grow up, I think I can easily qualify as a "young" adult reader. This is a book that I had a lot of fun reading. I even busted the code (believe me - not a hard task) and started deciphering the code at the bottom of each page. I'm sitting here with a soft pencil, decoding like a cub scout with a secret decoder ring. Eoin Colfer is a genius, with a vivid imagination and a wonderfully wicked sense of humor. He has produced a well thought out novel, nicely bound and presented, somehow combining a brilliant 12 year old millionaire criminal mastermind, a loyal butler named Butler who just happens to be a killing machine, a dwarf with a mighty forceful tunneling action, a techie wise-cracking centaur who can give Ian Fleming's "Q" a run for his money, a tough military-type girl scout fairy and her old fashioned boss, a havoc wrecking troll, and a support cast of dozens. It's got magic, intrigue, deception, kidnapping, blackmail, computers, weapons, code-breaking, violence, and projectile flatulence and can't be faulted for the sheer brilliance of the scheming. As soon as I finish my decoding, I'm off to book 2, "The Arctic Incident". Your kids will love this one, and so will you. Amanda Richards October 3, 2004

Fantastic

Artemis Fowl is a twelve-year-old boy who just happens to be both a genius and a criminal mastermind. In a desperate attempt to restore his family's fortune, Artemis comes up with a plan to steal gold from the fairies. Along with his trusty butler sidekick "Butler", he travels to Vietnam on a quest to find a volume of fairy commandments. Once this is achieved and the book deciphered, the next logical step would be to kidnap a fairy and wait for the ransom money to arrive. However, when Artemis kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon, it seems he's made a mistake. Because these aren't the cute little elves of bedtime stories. These fairies are armed, dangerous and ready to fight. And they will stop at nothing to get Holly back.The book has often been claimed to be the "next Harry Potter", but while it shares the same fantastically imaginative storyline and colourful descriptions, this is far darker and more humorous than JK Rowling's books. The main characters are all unique and loveable, particularly Holly, Foaly and Root. Even the anti-hero, Artemis Fowl himself is strangely appealing, despite his more dubious characteristics. As the book goes on, you begin to see that he does indeed possess a conscience, he is just careful never to let it get in the way of his evil schemes.Artemis Fowl is full of humour and action. The author has produced an imaginative, fast-paced adventure, which combines magic and technology. The style of narrative is fairly informal, making it easier and more enjoyable to read. Although the first chapter is quite slow, the action soon speeds up and never stops. The story was absorbing, exciting and I read it straight through in a couple of hours without stopping. Where the "Goblet of Fire" was quite frightening, Artemis Fowl is full of humour and the typical fairy magic is replaced with action and wit.I think that this book would be less appealing to younger children in the way that Harry Potter managed to be, but older kids, teenagers and adults alike should enjoy the mix of fantasy, humour and adventure. Overall: five stars, and I will definitely be reading it again. This is no copy of Harry Potter; Artemis Fowl is a completely original work but is still deserving of all the hype. I am sure I will be buying any future books in the series.