Book of the Month: Artemis Fowl

I realized, as I got ready to post this, that it's Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss's birthday. So, happy birthday, Dr. Seuss. Go out and read a book in honor of that. I suggest Oh, the Places You'll Go!. Now, on to the post.

Artemis Fowl

by Eoin Colfer

Cover Review: There are several different versions of this book, so I'm going with the one I have, pictured above. This cover is eye catching, with its shiny gold look. It's made to look like the fairy book from the novel, and even includes some fairy writing. I think it's well done.

Blurb: 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.

My Thoughts

I think I started reading these books about a year ago. I'd heard of them and when I finally decided to try the first book, I fell in love. Now I've read all but the last two, which I just requested from the library.

The protagonist of the book is Artemis Fowl, the most brilliant twelve year old you've ever met. And technically, he's the antagonist of the plot. Artemis has sass, smarts, and lots of money. Imagine a sort of mini Tony Stark. The other main character is Holly Short, a female police officer. She's kick-butt, awesome, and a little (read, a lot) headstrong. Later, she and Artemis team up, and they are so great together.

The other characters are great too. Butler, Artemis's bodyguard, Foley, a centaur, Julius Root, Holly's commander, and Mulch, a dwarf. As the books progress, you come to know and love each of them, to various degrees.

The plot is that Artemis kidnaps Holly to ransom her so he can find his father. (His father is important in later books.) The rest of the fairies come to rescue her, but have to deal with Artemis. There's battles of wits, fighting, and politics. The whole thing is great fun.

And then there's the worldbuilding. The author is Irish, so it's set in Ireland, the perfect setting considering all the magic and fairies. But the fairy world is the best part. It's built underground and has the most amazing tech. Blasters, awesome suits, ships, and more.

Once you read this book, you'll want to continue the series. Artemis and Holly grow closer and work better together. The books get complicated, but continue to be great. There's also been rumors of a movie for a long time, but as of now, nothing has been made official.

My Rating:

This book is perfect for anyone twelve or over who enjoy tough fairies, difficult dilemmas, and wits.

Let's talk! Have you read Artemis Fowl? Do you like crazy smart characters? Tell me in the comments.