Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Reviewed by Anusha

You are trying to replenish your magic after you messed up a mission and almost lost an important job. Suddenly, you see the worst kind of enemy walk out: a human. With almost no magic to save yourself, you try a last ditch effort. But this human is like no other. He seems to know exactly who you are and what you are doing. His assistant easily tranquilizes you before you can fully absorb what is happening. But you know that the information this human seems to know is dangerous enough to start a war.

In Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, the main character, Artemis Fowl the Second, is working with his butler and closest friend, Butler, to recover his family fortune. He is the special human, and he captures Captain Holly Short while she is replenishing her magic. Artemis is part of a family of crime lords, and after his father is captured, he wants his billionaire status, and his father, back. He holds Captain Holly Short for a ransom of a ton of 24 carat gold, enough to help his family. The police force thinks that they can get rid of Artemis easily, but he is not like any human they have ever encountered.

One of the reasons that I really liked the book is that Artemis Fowl is very smart and  determined. He knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. He always surprised me with his knowledge and how he stays one step ahead. He does not give up, even when he has to hard copy every page from the “Book,” run it through multiple different languages, and finally, enlarge and print every single character to compare them with the Egyptian hieroglyphs, staying up past midnight.

I also loved this book because of the adventure. There are many exciting scenes, and this book is filled with suspense and shock. In one of the scenes, Artemis finds out that his cameras have been playing a loop. Meanwhile, a criminal dwarf breaks into Artemis’ mansion and Captain Holly is on her way to regaining her magic. Juliet hurries to the cell as per Artemis’ orders. There, Holly, with her magic, uses it to manipulate Juliet. Then, she escapes, and the real adventure begins.

Overall, I would rank this book a 9/10. It is a great book for readers that love fantasy, lots of magic, a little bit of humor, and adventure. Eoin Colfer has also written many other books, such as The Fowl Twins, Highfire, and Airmen that you might want to read. This book is the first in a series of many, so make sure to check them out too. You can go and check this book out right now! Scholastic, 277 pages