Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Who is Artemis Fowl?
A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionare.
And he is only 12 years old.
Yet as crafty as he is, Artemis may have met his match in Captain Holly Short, an elf from the LEPrecon Special Forces, when he plots to steal the richest treasure the world has ever known - the timeless treasure of the fairies!

~Bought, paperback copy
Published: 2001 by Scholastic Inc.

My review:

I will try not to squeak in happiness. This is an amazing book! I've read it at least four or five times.

There are good reasons for loving this book. The characters are awesome - I mean, a rich child prodigy who kidnaps a fairy?! Artemis Fowl is clever and always a step ahead. Then there is his bodyguard, Butler, who is pretty freakin' amazing as well. I don't use freakin' lightly. He is among the biggest humans in the world, with special knowledge of weapons and hand-to-hand combat. He does most of the physical work, while Artemis does the intellectual work. They make a good team.

Then of course, is Holly Short. The first female recon fairy - the test case. When she is kidnapped, she doesn't blubber or freeze, like I know I would - she thinks of a plan to get out. She is just as ingenius as Artemis, in some cases. Of course, Foaly, the computer geek centaur, is worth a mention, as well as Holly's boss, Commander Root. While their role is relatively smaller, they stop time to try and get Holly back.

But the characters are not the only reason I love this book. The setting is awesome - a manor/modern castle in Ireland, and the underground world of the fairies, are thought out in detail. Colfer doesn't just wow you with technology - he explains exactly how this technology works, and wows you with that. For example, he doesn't just tell you they stop time - he explains the process.

While this might seem like it's drag down the pacing, it doesn't really. Instead of the headlong rush to the climax you see so often in YA, here it's more of a leisurely jog through the park. If "leisurely" included kidnapping, explosions, fairy magic, and trolls. It's well-written and a refreshing change from those novels that just rush, rush, rush.


There is no doubt that this is one of my favorite books. While it's on a serious topic - kidnapping - it is filled with humorous moments and witty dialogue. I first read this back in fifth grade, and I still love it. 5 stars!