Review: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Review:

 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer was a great book. It tells the story of a young, intelligent boy who discovers the existence of a secret world inhabited by fairy folk from legend. This is extraordinary in itself; however, the plot thickens when the twelve year old mastermind, Artemis, decides to exploit the fairy people for his own ends.

First and foremost, Artemis Fowl was entertaining and humorous. I loved how all the characters interacted and how funny and sarcastic some of them, such as Foaly, were. I found the story really unique and Colfer’s ideas fresh and welcome. The fairy people live in underground cities as the surface has been taken over by humans. It was easy to visualise the world that is created in Artemis Fowl. This story focuses on the attempts of the Lower Elements Police (LEPrecon) to foil Artemis’ extortionate plan. Artemis Fowl is well written, the characters are 3D and the setting vividly depicted.

Importantly, Artemis Fowl also had times when it dealt with serious issues. The novel explores the way in which the most thought out plans can change in an instant and the consequences which result from making certain decisions. Artemis is so focused on restoring his family fortune and finding his missing father that he loses sight of how other people might be affected by his actions. Artemis is also forced to consider how important money really is if he doesn’t have happiness.

There are many interesting characters in the book such as Captain Holly Short, Commander Root, Butler, Foaly and Mulch Diggums. The varied characters made the book really exciting. It would be too difficult to choose a favourite character as I liked them all.

The word fairy is a collective term used to refer to an assortment of unusual beings including elves, gnomes, pixies, sprites, goblins, dwarves and centaurs. These beings have various powers but they also have certain rules which they cannot break such as not being able to enter a dwelling without permission. They also have much more advanced technology which is extremely sophisticated which gives them an added advantage over humans.

Artemis Fowl was a very interesting book and I enjoyed it a great deal.  It is well worth a read as it is laugh-out-loud funny. Those who enjoy reading about villains as a main character will love this as well as those who enjoyed H.I.V.E by Mark Walden. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series.

Book Rating: 5/5

Cover Rating: 4/5

Author: Eoin Colfer