Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

    Review by:  Chris

Title:  Artemis Fowl

Author:  Eoin Colfer

Collection:  Juvenile Fiction

I didn’t know anything about this book when I decided to read it.  I picked it up because I know the series is popular with tweens, and I wanted to find out why.  Within ten pages, I was hooked, and the popularity of the series became clear.  Unlike more traditional fantasy novels, this one is almost like a noir detective story.  The title character, 12-year-old Artemis Fowl, is a criminal mastermind from a once-distinguished Irish crime family, and the book is full of delightful supporting characters, like Captain Holly Short, an officer with LEPrecon, which stands for “Lower Elements Police reconnaissance.”  In this first installment of the series, Fowl successfully kidnaps Short and ransoms her for fairy gold.  There is also a hilarious sequence with a dwarf petty thief, named Mulch, whose unusual bodily functions are sure to be a big hit with 10-12 year-old boys.  I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for him in future installments.  Indeed, I’m eager to go on to the next book in the series to see if Short and LEPrecon are able to capture the child genius or if his intelligence continues to be one step ahead of even the most advanced technology and magic.