bookperson
Written on Feb 7, 2020
really enjoyed the fact that artemis wasn't redeemed in the eyes of the narrator and all of his wrongdoings were still bad
Join the world of Artemis Fowl, the number one bestseller by Eoin Colfer.
AT JUST TWELVE YEARS OLD, ARTEMIS FOWL IS A CRIMINAL GENIUS.
No scheme is too dastardly, no plot too devious. And he's just discovered that fairies are real.
Poor fairies.
But these are not the cuddly creatures of bedtime stories. They are armed. They are dangerous. And when Artemis captures Captain Holly Short for her fairy gold, he messes with the wrong elf.
Holly isn't armed but she's incredibly dangerous, and pretty annoyed with all the kidnapping.
Artemis Fowl is about to find out that fairies fight back . . .
Let the misadventure begin.
'Fast-paced, tongue in cheek . . . laugh-out-loud' - Sunday Times
'A huge hit' - The Guardian
'Artemis is a brilliant creation' - Anthony Horowitz
***Winner of the WHSmith Children's Book of the Year Award and Children's Book of the Year at the Children's Book Awards. Shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award.***
- ISBN10 0141339098
- ISBN13 9780141339092
- Publish Date 7 March 2002 (first published 1 January 2001)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
- Imprint Puffin
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 320
- Language English
Reviews
really enjoyed the fact that artemis wasn't redeemed in the eyes of the narrator and all of his wrongdoings were still bad
ammaarah
Written on Jan 27, 2019
Artemis Fowl is an interesting character. He's a genius and a mastermind, but instead of using his abilities for good, he turns to a life of crime and evil. He's always one step ahead and he's the type of genius who leaves hints about his plans in the hope that other people with figure them out and try to stop him. While he does some terrible things that no normal 12 year old would even consider and has questionable motives, he still has limitations - weaknesses and lines that he won't cross. I'm excited to continue the rest of the series and witness his gradual change from villain to hero.
The other characters - Butler, Juliet, Commander Root, Foaly and Mulch are interesting and lovable characters, but for the most part, they are quite one dimensional with rare glimpses of character depth under the surface. I'm hoping that they become more developed characters in future Artemis Fowl books. This reread of Artemis Fowl also reminded me about my love for Captain Holly Short, the first female officer in the LEPrecon division.
The Fairy World that Eoin Colfer creates in Artemis Fowl revolves more around science. The fairies live underground because humans have polluted the planet surface to such an extent that it's become poisonous to them. There's elves, dwarfs, trolls, goblins, sprites, centaurs and pixies. The world that Colfer creates is quite interesting and the technological advancements and gadgets are quite cool. However, Colfer tries too hard to push his eco-friendly agendas in Artemis Fowl
I'm obviously not the intended target market for the Artemis Fowl series and Artemis Fowl feels quite juvenile and I'm not a fan of toilet humour and low verbal insults, but I still have fond feelings towards a series that I loved when I was younger.
funstm
Written on Dec 5, 2018
3 stars from me. 4 stars for target audience. And I do remember that I would've rated this around 4 when I initially read this.
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Sep 14, 2018
While I love the Artemis Fowl series, book two has never been one of my favorites. The second book in the series is all about getting Artemis's father back from the Russian mafia, with a much more entertaining subplot of a goblin rebellion underground. It's necessary in that it sets up much of the events of the rest of the series (with its directly to The Opal Deception and The Time Paradox, and that's just off the top of my head). However, Artemis really shines when he's plotting, and plotting is minimal in this one.
Fortunately, the faeries are excellent in this one. In particular, Mulch Diggums and Foaly shine as strong, individual personalities and they held my attention. You have to know that a series that went on as long as Artemis Fowl has some good content, so there's bound to be a book here or there that isn't shiny. For me, the series gets boring whenever Artemis is with his family. Thank goodness he spends more time with Butler and Holly.
mitabird
Written on May 19, 2018
sstaley
Written on May 11, 2018
boghunden
Written on Jul 27, 2015
I knew next to nothing when I started it, I mean, I didn't even know that Artemis wasn't the hero of the story, but rather the villain. Imagine my surprise! He and his 'servant' Butler made for a very good and fun team and I just really liked Butler, he was just right up my ally.
Another character I really loved was Holly Short. I loved her right from the beginning and I found myself wondering what part she'd play in this story. I really really loved her!
The world building was pretty good, I think. Had I known fairies was a (big) part of this book, I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but to my surprise I really liked them and their world.
The overall plot was simple and easy to follow, and even though it was somewhat predictable, there was still some twists and turns that kept me interested the whole way through.
I'm wondering if Holly will be in the next book as well? I certainly hope so!
nitzan_schwarz
Written on May 3, 2012
Well, Artemis Fowl has been on my To-Read list for about... six years, when I was twelve myself. And, in all fairness, had I read it back then I would've enjoyed it... not so much now, though.
The only reason I picked it up--aside for the conviction I had to at least read the first of this loved series--was because I found myself in school, waiting two hours for a friend to finish her class - and was bored as hell. A quick swift around the library proved to come up with nothing interesting to pass the time with, aside for Artemis Fowl, and so I figured I can kill two birds in one stone - pass the time with a book and cross this one of my list, once and for all.
It wasn't a very good way to pass the time, though. It is not a bad read, but I can't say it was a good read, either. I had to struggle with the pages, while chanting to myself "finish this book! Don't give up!". The fact I had to convince myself to continue lowered the stars dramatically.
The idea behind the characters is intriguing enough, I'd give it that; A genius criminal of twelve years old, fairies and Centaurs, Trolls and Bodyguard butlers... But I had not seen any development in any of the characters, and felt that many times - the book was plain boring. It got to a point where I said: Okay, I won't be able to read this book at home while I have so much better things to read, and I started reading through this book, a few pages at a time, in school breaks and free periods, where I had nothing else to really do. That says something.
Again, in all fairness, I would've been pretty satisfied--even given it more stars--had I read it when I was twelve, which is the main audience of this book. But I didn't, and at my age, 18, this was no longer something I could really enjoy reading. Too bad, really, but hey - at least it's off my list now...
celinenyx
Written on Mar 11, 2010