Author: Eoin Colfer
First Published: January 2001
Publisher: Hyperion
Series: Artemis Fowl #1
280 pages (paperback)
I’ve heard a bunch of good things about this series, so I looked into it. I was a bit surprised that it was a children’s series, because the people who were praising the series didn’t seem like the type who read children’s books, but I was looking for something easy to read during my commutes to campus, so why the hell not? It seems like a light hearted read, which was exactly what I was looking for.
Artemis Fowl is a genius and millionaire 12 year old. His father mysteriously disappeared years ago and his mother has been depressed and holed up in her bedroom ever since, leaving little Artemis on his own most of the time. This is fine by Artemis because he’s quite independent and in fact, very mature and advanced for his age. It’s also beneficial that his parents aren’t really around because Artemis is a criminal mastermind, and not having the parents around makes his criminal activities a little easier to conduct.
His latest crime? Kidnapping a fairy. Yes, a real fairy! Artemis has big plans to obtain some fairy gold as per old legends and myths, but little does he know what the fairy world is really like. He captures Captain Holly Short, a member of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) unit, and her colleagues are determined to rescue her from Artemis’ clutches.
The idea of Artemis as a criminal mastermind really appealed to me for some reason. A lot of children’s books often have a more traditional protagonist, someone more heroic and ‘good’. This is the first children’s book I’ve read where the protagonist is a self proclaimed criminal mastermind; it made for a rather interesting read. Artemis isn’t actually a bad guy, he just happens to dabble in criminality because it’s the only way to get what he wants. There are some things that he wants — such as his father’s return, or for his mother to notice him — that can’t be bought with money.
I was a little surprised that there was a fantastical element to the book. When I was looking up the series, I guess I somehow missed the fairy stuff, which I know is really hard to miss when you’re looking up Artemis Fowl on the internet, so no, I don’t know how that happened. You can imagine my surprise when I’m reading and reading and suddenly fairies are introduced. I know fairies are an integral part of the Artemis Fowl series, and for the most part I didn’t mind them, the fairies are alright. But I hated the dwarves. They just seemed too silly, even for a children’s book. I mean, one of them had an attack where he shot poop out his butt … so weird! And yes, I know, this is a kid’s book and I’m a mid-20’s adult, but I’ve always considered myself a kid at heart. Even I felt a little “WTF” when I read that part.
As for the actual story, it was alright too, a little simplistic but entertaining enough. Reading this book was kind of like watching a Saturday morning cartoon, it was funny and charming. It easy to pick up and put down repeatedly, which is a good attribute for a commute-ride-book. Never had a problem following the story. I’m not dying to know what happens to Artemis next, but I wouldn’t mind reading book two to see what misadventures he gets up to later. This book was certainly fun to read, it had its silly moments and laugh out moments, and lots of action too.
My Rating: 3/5
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