Artemis Fowl Literature Guides
Great summer read! Artemis Fowl and The Atlantis Complex is a real page turner perfect for lazy summer days!
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. With two trusty sidekicks in tow, he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold. Of course, he isn't foolish enough to believe in all that "gold at the end of the rainbow" nonsense. Rather, he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of them and wait for the ransom to arrive. But when the time comes to put his plan into action, he doesn't count on the appearance of the extrasmall, pointy-eared Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) Unit--and her senior officer, Commander Root, a man (sorry, elf) who will stop at nothing to get her back.
Fantastic stuff from beginning to end, Artemis Fowl is a rip-roaring, 21st-century romp of the highest order. The author has let his imagination run riot by combining folklore, fantasy, and a fistful of high-tech funk in an outrageously devilish book that could well do for fairies what Harry Potter has done for wizardry. But be warned: this is no gentle frolic, so don't be fooled by the fairy subject matter. Instead, what we have here is well-written, sophisticated, rough 'n' tumble storytelling with enough high-octane attitude to make it a seriously cool read for anyone over the age of 10. --Susan Harrison
Eoin Colfer's bestselling antihero is back in Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident--the superb sequel to the hyper-hyped Artemis Fowl, shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. The Arctic Incident sees the slightly older, perhaps slightly more mellow arch-criminal Artemis recovered from his last adventure, richer now that he has his half of a hoard of fairy gold, and happier since the Clarice Starlingesque superfairy Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon returned his mother's ailing mind to full health.
But there is still much unfinished business: Artemis Fowl Sr. disappeared when a daring escapade designed to free his family from their criminal--not to mention deeply lucrative--past and move the family's assets into legitimate enterprises went horribly wrong. Held captive by the Mafiya (the Russian organized crime syndicate) for over two years, he has been declared officially dead, but Artemis Jr. knows in his heart (yes, he does have one) that his beloved father is still alive, and he is determined to find him. Meanwhile Captain Short is temporarily on assignment to Customs and Excise as punishment for letting Fowl separate her and her People from their gold and is finding her stakeout duties a little dull. It soon becomes obvious that the pair have need of each other's considerable skills, and before long they are on track for an adventure that will ultimately have far-reaching consequences for both of them.
If you enjoyed the first book, you won't be disappointed by the second. Initially the pace is a little slower, and the slightly more mellow Artemis is certainly a tad unnerving at first (particularly as one of the things that made him such an unusual character was the fact that there was something distinctly unlikable about him), but once the sparks between Holly and Artemis begin to fly, and the adventure that tests their endurance to their emotional, physical, and intellectual limits begins, the pages just keep on turning.
The high-tech hocus pocus, the complex underworld, and the James Bond-style storyline will keep even the most reluctant reader enthralled. Add to the mix a fair dollop of humor, the occasional sprinkling of right-on commentary about the state of the planet, and enough hooks in the story to ensure you will be clamoring for the next book. This chilling, thrilling adventure is a seriously cool (in more ways than one!) must-read for anyone age 9 and older. --Susan Harrison
In this third installment to Eoin Colfer's funny, fast-paced, fairy-filled adventure series, boy genius and arch criminal Artemis Fowl once again can't resist plotting the perfect crime--and, once again, he can't keep from stirring up so much trouble that the fate of the entire fairy world teeters in the balance.
The once hard-boiled Artemis has softened a bit between his bestselling debut and the seat-of-your-pants Arctic Incident, and that trend continues in The Eternity Code: He's still plotting for a billion-dollar-plus payoff for the Fowl family, but now his enemies are human (chiefly Jon Spiro, a ruthless businessman Artemis tries to blackmail using stolen fairy technology) and he has to turn to his old adversary-turned-friend Captain Holly Short and cutpurse dwarf Mulch Diggums for help. The dialogue and action prove as smart and page-turning as ever this time around, with Artemis struggling to bring his faithful bodyguard Butler back from the dead before racing Mission Impossible-style to triple-cross the double-crossing Spiro.
Colfer's young antihero might be getting more likeable all the time, but that hasn't taken the edge off the Tom-Clancy-meets-Harry-Potter action. Artemis has to agree to a memory-erasing "mind wipe" from the People after helping them recover their technology, but only a foolish fan would count Artemis out after this blockbuster "final heist." Book four can't come soon enough.... (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7 -Identity fraud is at the heart of this fourth book in the series. To all appearances, Opal Koboi, pixie and archenemy of the fairies, is under close surveillance as she lies in a coma. Artemis Fowl, the brilliant 14-year-old criminal mastermind, has had his mind wiped clean of all knowledge of fairies, and, therefore, of all prior goodness he has learned. When the real Opal escapes and leaves behind a DNA-perfect clone of herself, her revenge against all those who opposed her commences with deadly fury. Among the barrage of high-tech gadgets and continuous action sequences and plot twists are moments that give even Artemis Fowl pause as he contemplates friendship, responsibility, and death. The prose is clunky and the characters speak in clichés, but those who enjoyed the earlier books won't care. The humor (heavily dosed with flatulence jokes) and creativity carry the narrative through the tight spots and impossible situations.-Farida S. Dowler, Mercer Island Library, WA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
In this sequel to The Opal Deception (2005), 14-year-old Artemis discovers an unraveling time tunnel connecting demons with the earth. These imps have sworn revenge on humans, and their unpredictable appearances threaten to expose the entire fairy world. As always, Colfer delivers not only continuous action but also witty wordplay and dialogue, understated humor, and plenty of magical technology and gadgetry. A must for kids who have enjoyed Artemis' previous escapades. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
In the seventh Artemis Fowl title, the 15-year-old mastermind focuses his ingenuity on global warming while struggling with a devastating illness. After Artemis invites four fairy friends to Iceland for a demonstration of his latest invention, the Ice Cube, it becomes clear that he is suffering from the Atlantis Complex, which manifests as obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, and multiple personalities. If this weren’t enough to worry about, a spaceship crashes and disgorges amorphobots programmed to kill. Colfer keeps the action moving with laughs and gadgetry as he bounces between several plotlines that spotlight peripheral characters. A treat for series fans. Grades 5-8. --Lynn Rutan