Artemis Fowl-Artemis Fowl, Book 1

I first read this book as a kid, but reread it as an adult and still loved it. It's a great book and series. I highly recommend it if you enjoy fantasy.

Raise your hand if you're here because you saw the movie of the same name, thought it was a train wreck, and sought out the book based on reviews. Just me, then? Ok.Artemis is a genius twelve year old with a missing father and extremely talented bodyguard. It was difficult to not compare the book to the movie throughout, and the book wins in every way.Character dialogue us just sassy enough to amuse younger readers, breaking off before naughty words to leave an implication. The references are broad, such as shown here:"Root was right to be nervous. If he’d known how this straightforward Recon assignment was going to turn out, he would probably have retired then and there. Tonight, history was going to be made. And it wasn’t the discovery-of-radium, first-man-on-the-moon, happy kind of history. It was the Spanish Inquisition, here-comes-the-Hindenburg bad kind of history. Bad for humans and fairies. Bad for everyone."Fantasy creatures live in these pages as easily as the humans, most of the races loathe to trust each other. The action scenes are vividly described, with witty banter even in the tensest moments.A decent read, but not compelling enough to make me want to binge the rest of the series.

Brilliant young fantasy novel! The explanations and backstories for different people and things are fantastic, and I would recommend/give this book as a gift.

Why I Think Boys May Enjoy ThisIf 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/AppropriatenessThis 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!).Rating5/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys Review

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.

Book arrived on time, came in perfect condition. Needed this for a gift for a friend.

I enjoyed the book! A little YA for me, but still fun to read! It’s neat being on the other side of good and bad for once! Movie actually did a decent job too!!

Artemis Fowl has been on my radar for many years but never quite made it to my reading list. So when the Disney movie was released earlier this year, it popped up again. The first thing I did was watch the movie, which may have been a mistake. Although the effects, some cast, and the style looked very impressive, the actual movie was nowhere near what I was expecting. I thought the acting was wooden and it was a struggle to watch.Given my disappointment, I found myself doubting that it would be worth reading the books. So, I did what any person does these days and I asked social media for the answer. The Instagram replies I received told me to forget the movie and read the books. Thankfully, I took the advice.Book one, Artemis Fowl, introduced me to the world of Fowl. I thought it was an interesting spin that the main character was on the wrong side of what we normally term as right. Artemis is a crook, and I don’t think I’ve ever read an MG/Teen book that is from that point of view.He’s highly intelligent (beyond his years), rich, devious, endearing, loyal to his family, respectful to the family ‘help’, and there wasn’t really anything that stood out that I disliked about him (Although I couldn’t stand him in the movie as he seemed very cocky and one dimensional (maybe it was how the actor was directed to be)).The story is based around his devious plan to make some money from the very secretive, highly organized, and tech-savvy fairies who live hidden away from the world of surface-dwelling humans. It seems that there has been a rivalry and dislike of each other for a very long time ... from both sides.Even though Artemis is the main dude in the series, the actual story focused more on the the characters on the other side. My perception was that we shared most of the time with Captain Holly Short, the fairy who was trying to gain favor with her superiors, but somehow ended up in the clutches of Artemis. Everything is all about her rescue and it was like Artemis (the core series naming character) only pops into the story at various times. It’s something I’ve never really consciously noticed in other series.Also, something to note is that the movie has the whole 'missing dad' arc that's totally different in the book. The movie adaptation seems to have twisted it so much that it's like an alternate story.Given how late I am to the Artemis Fowl party, I expect that most people who read this review will have already read the Artemis Fowl books long before me and have their own opinions. It’s nice to finally be onboard. I did enjoy the book way more than the movie and it looks like I have a lot more reading to do to get through this series - 6 more books to go. Plus there is a new series called Fowl Twins, of which I’ve already bought the first book and have it parked to read early in 2021.In a Nutshell:A good start to a series that I know is already a winner with a bazillion readers. Recommended for readers who are after a bit of magic and fantasy mixed into a teen-spy-criminal type character with money to burn.

I first read this book when it first came out, nearly 20 years ago. It was responsible for falling in love with books. I recently re-read it and was once again pulled into the deep world of this amazing series! I read it when I was 12 and again at 31! It is timeless!

I think it could use a bit more funny stuff from A.F. and his giant bottles but overall it was awesome

Il libro è in inglese e io lo volevo in italiano Franco

I love this book absolute stunnerwould definitely recommend to lots of early teen boys didn't think it was so good