Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on
I just don't like this book.
For me, this takes all the things I like about Artemis as a character, squashes them, and replaces them with all the stuff I passionately dislike in a Chivalrous Hero. Holly's downplayed, Foaly doesn't shine in field work at all, and Butler too dampened by concern for the people he loves to be the fearsome Butler I've grown to love.
Juliet's fine. Mulch is fantastic. No 1 is... well, he's No 1.
From a writing and storyline standpoint, The Atlantis Complex feels so far removed from the mood of the rest of the series. At the end of the story, Artemis himself even comments that it feels different than the other ones. For some people, this change may be good; for me, I just kept waiting for it to be done.
To be perfectly honest, I'm also not crazy about the way Atlantis Complex was handled. This is one of the earliest YA/MG examples of mainstream fiction - especially fantasy! - touching on mental health that I can think of. I wish it had been handled with a little less jabbing and more seriousness.
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Original Rating: 2 Stars (2010)
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 3 August, 2010: Finished reading
- 3 August, 2010: Reviewed
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 3 August, 2010: Reviewed