APA Citation(s): Colfer, E. (2001). Artemis Fowl. New York City, NY: Viking Press.
Colfer, E. (2002). Artemis Fowl: The arctic incident. New York City, NY: Hyperion Books.
Colfer. E. (2003). Artemis Fowl: The eternity code. New York City, NY: Viking Press.
Plot summary: As the son of a crime lord, Artemis Fowl has largely devoted his life to criminal pursuits. The Artemis Fowl series follows the title character as he first kidnaps a fairy (yes, they exist, and are actually pretty savage), and then joins forces with them in order to rescue his father.
Relation to other works: The author describes the series as being, “Like Die Hard, with Fairies.” Fans of Artemis Fowl might also enjoy the Anthony Horowitz Alex Rider series, as it is similarly action-packed.
Appeal: These books are certainly page-turners, and it is jam-packed with action. Moreover, Artemis and his bodyguar, Butler, can pretty much solve anything and get out of any sticky situation, which makes for a pretty entertaining, fist-pumping read.
Audience or readership: Ages 10 and up.
Limitations or weaknesses: Artemis is a difficult nut to crack; I found him completely unrealistic and, actually, grating. At a certain point in the book I actually started to root for the fairy he had kidnapped because I disliked his character so intensely. While I do believe that Colfer intended to create an anti-hero for his series, I think he may have went a little too far in cultivating such an abrasive personality.
Overall assessment: This series doesn’t appear to offer a lot in the way of introspection and character-development, but it does feature a ton of fun action sequences. Both the characterization and quality of writing, in my opinion, does improve over the course of the series, and the third novel was my personal favourite of the bunch. For a fun, escapist read, this is a great option to pick up. Grade: B-
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