Artemis Fowl

Rating:
Summary: should not be compared to potter
Review: As a children's book buyer in the UK I was able to read this prior to release. I don't think it should be compared to Harry Potter as the book deals with totally different areas of fantasy literature. I really enjoyed the book, as did my son and husband, we all thought it was a grittier read than Potter and we all found it extremely funny. I hope Eoin Colfer becomes a household name, as he deserves to be, and I will certainly be recommending it in the UK. FANTASTIC.

Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter it Ain't!
Review: Like the first individual reviewing this book, I too was excited by the possibility that I might be able to read something comparable to Harry Potter. Certainly the hype surrounding this book led me to believe that this might be the case. Much to my great disappointment, I found Artemis Fowl to be far less entertaining, or imaginative than Harry Potter. Eoin Colfer does have a talent for description. He paints with words beautifully. Unfortunately, most of his leading characters lack a great deal in the "likeability" department, especially the main character, Artemis Fowl. His last name should actually be "Foul". Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but I really don't find a twelve year old child who lies, cheats, steals...and even tortures some of the other players in this story...endearing...even if it's in an attempt to replenish his family's diminished fortune. This is due to the fact that his father, a notorious criminal, has been missing for months and is presumed dead...murdered...and his mother is in a drugged stupor in a darkened upstairs bedroom, unable to recognize her son or surroundings. Nor do I find tunneling dwarfs who use exploding farts...(yes, you read that correctly)and other secreted bodily fluids as weapons as entertaining. However, to give Colfor his due, the characters of Holly, Root and Foaly are winners. Had he written the book entirely about them, I would have enjoyed it a great deal more...to say the least. This book is only the first in what is obviously intended as a series. A "Leprechaun" code which appears at the bottom of every page can be decoded to win prizes, the first prize being a part in the already planned movie. So, even if this is far from being great literature, it will have it's avid fans and followers, I'm sure. I for one will not bother with the next book and will instead wait patiently for the next Harry Potter.

Rating:
Summary: Not the next Potter
Review: Artemis Fowl is often compared to Harry Potter but it doesn't live up to the hype. Sadly, Colfer isn't as good of a writer as Rowling. His writing was both dull and cliché ridden, and the main character mean-spirited and unlikable. This is besides the fact that Artemis Fowl promotes and glorifies extortion, which will not thrill watchful parents. Admittedly, Harry Potter has its faults but is a more enjoyable read. I advise Potter fans to look elsewhere for a substitute until book five is published.

Rating:
Summary: Believe the hype!
Review: Being an avid reader, I bought this book based on an initial article that I had read about it being the next big thing since Harry Potter. I was anxiously awaiting the next installment of the Potter series, so I decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did. I could not put the book down! My biggest letdown is that the book is over, and when I reread it, I know what will happen. The intermingling of magical elements into modern society was very believable. The contrast of technology and magic is an interesting tangent. The characters are believable and lovable, even the villians, and they all show their strengths and weaknesses. The book had action, warmth, and humor. It is a book that I will read and reread!

Rating:
Summary: Three Generations Entertained:
Review: Colfer's newest work, Artemis Fowl, is a delightful, energetic piece of science fiction posing as fantasy. He introduces technology and asks the age old question, "What if?"
Colfer's witty writing style makes this piece a delight for all ages. While recommended for grades 6 and above, due to the reading skills required, this book provides the perfect opprotunity for parents (or grandparents in my case) to read to their children. The plot and clever use of language is sophisticated enough for the reader to enjoy; while the high energy, vivid, even graphic descriptions, fully engage the over eight year old crowd who have outgrown many books they are capable of reading. In my case, reading this book to my 10 year old grandson allowed me to not only spend time with my grandson, but to also elicit giggles from him and his hard to please mother. We were each engaged by the story's wit and pace. Like the Harry Potter books, reading this book causes both reader and listener to ask, "When is the next book coming out?"

Rating:
Summary: one of the best books ever
Review: Artemis Fowl was fun and exciting. I couldn't put this book down. Who knew fairies could be so tricky, especially the LEP officers. These aren't your regular fairytale fairies. I was so enchanted by it that I immediately started book 2 in this series. I have to know what happens next!

Rating:
Summary: Finally an intriguing main character
Review: Even at eighteen I found this book extremely amusing. It is a very interesting take on the definition of fantasy, combining the real world/magic elements of Harry Potter and the feeling and pace of a Crichton technological thriller. A perfect recipe for a fast entertaining ride of a story.

My favorite aspect of this book is Artemis Fowl himself, the most intriguing character in all the young adult books I have read. At last, when I am sick and tired of do-gooder righteous main characters, we have a character that is readily associated with a monster and a vampire. On top of that, he is incredibly rich, a genius, and a criminal mastermind. He also has a bone to pick with the Russian Mafia (more so in the second book). He stands precariously on the line between good and evil, probably closer to evil, which makes me love the kid even more. If I were twelve like he was, then I would probably have a huge crush on him.

I can only wish that this book had come out when I was young enough to appreciate it in full. It is way beneath my reading level now, but even so, as an extremely visual person, I found the descriptions a bit underwhelming, but otherwise this book had me hooked. A must-read for anyone of the age group and any adult and older kid who wants a good fun read.

Rating:
Summary: Artemis Fowl: First of an Obsession
Review: I can't see how anyone could sleep through this piece. It is a tale of a young criminal master mind/ kid genius for which the book is titled.

The plot starts out with him tracking down a faerie and tricking her into letting him copy her book. Then, he decodes the language in which it is written, and kidnaps Captain Holy Short of the Lep police and holds her ransome.

What really makes this an interesting read, is Artemis's character, and how nothing is exactly how it seems. It is also fun to watch him find ways around traps that Lep trys to use.

This is a grade 'A' book, and everyone should read it.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: This book is one of the best I've ever read, Eoin Colfer definitley outdid himself in this and every other Artemis Fowl book. It takes place in Ireland, where Artemis Fowl, a wealthy preteen, who's obsessed with fairies, takes him and Butler on a ride downunder to steal the wealth of these creatures. The LEPrechaun unit featuring the spunky and only female officer Holly, is called in to stop Artemis from his mischeif.
Written with a coy attitude, and constant character POV rotation, Artemis Fowl is a great read for all ages.

Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I've been planning to read this book for a while due to its popularity, and have only recently gotten the chance to sit down and read it.

While I certainly wouldn't list this book as a classic, it was thoroughly entertaining and quite action packed. So if you're looking for something new to read for fun, I'd recommend this book because it's just out there.

A quick run down of the plot: Artemis Fowl, 12 year old child prodigy borne of a powerful and shady family (no, not the mafia. The Fowl family is much more than something like that.), is trying to regain the family fortune unwittingly lost by his father (currently MIA) by kidnapping one of The People; Captain Holly Short, member of the LEPrecon for ransom. Of course, boy genius has a whole lot in store for him even he does have each and every step calculated. The plot would be boring otherwise, no?

The book contains a quirky mix of modern technology, wit, deviousness, a dash of magic, and snarky characters that you grow quite fond of. (Technology and deviousness seem to dominate the book) It's not extremely difficult or long to read, although sometimes I would get confused with some of the technological jargon later on in the book.

The plot, as I mentioned before is entertaining and action packed especially as you pass the first part of the book. Artemis Fowl is interesting in that the main character is actually sort of the bad guy. I feel that the plot could have been tied up a little more tightly and made more plausible, but other than that I liked it a lot.

The characters are all interesting, and my favorite is Artemis Fowl. What can I say? I have a thing for child prodigies. He's my favorite character because he's intelligent, cool and in control. People just have to bend to his will one way or another. Yet underneath that in control exterior he shows really does lay a 12 year old boy with emotions like every other child. It's just buried REALLY deep underneath the devious and calculating genius.

I'm going to get books 2 and 3 now that I know I'll actually read them.

It's a new kind of fantasy fiction so kick back, relax, and get ready to be swept with the flow.