Artemis Fowl II, boy genius, wants to restore his family’s fortune. How does he do this? You can find out in Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. You’ll find yourself asking, “What happens next?” This is a suspenseful book full of unsuspected twists and turns about the human and fairy worlds. You’ll always be surprised every time that you turn a page.

Artemis Fowl II lives in Fowl Manor. The manor once was a castle, but was downsized into a mansion. Now, it is a Victorian manor. Fowl Manor is jam packed with security cameras. It also has many safes. The safes are hidden behind family portraits. Every safe is taped by a couple of video cameras. Fowl Manor is located in Ireland as we know it today.

Holly Short, a fairy elf, lives in an underground fairy city called Haven. Haven is unknown to humans. The city is close to the mantle of the earth, but just far away enough to avoid getting fried to a crisp. The only way in and out are through vents that release hot air into the surface atmosphere. Every vent entrance is shielded from human eyes by a holographic projection that matches its surroundings. Haven is connected to other underground cities by tunnels through the crust. Haven looks like any human city, except for the lights on the ceiling that release a light and heat very much like the sun. Haven is completely uncontaminated and has stale, recycled air. Elves, pixies, centaurs, dwarves, gnomes, and sprites all live in the city while goblins and trolls roam the tunnels that exit the city.

One of the main characters is Holly Short, an elf. She is a female captain in the LEPrecon Unit, which is sort of like a fairy police. Her boss is named Root, also an elf. Holly is short and always wants to do something. She uses very advanced technology in her job ranging from video camera iris lenses to mechanical wings. Both of these were developed by Holly’s friend, Foaly the centaur.

Another main character is Artemis Fowl II. He has a brilliant mind which he uses for crime. He is only 12 years old, has black hair, pale skin, and is somewhat on the thin side. He has a loyal bodyguard whom he calls Butler. His dad was the multi-millionaire leader of an international crime ring. He disappeared on a business trip when his boat was sunk. Artemis’ mother, Angeline, went insane after his father disappeared. Her bodyguard, Juliet, is a peppy, young teenager who likes to do things her own way.

The book Artemis Fowl has a plot that never ceases to entertain you. You never know whose side to root for! It starts when Artemis Fowl II comes up with a plan to restore his family’s fortune. He first kidnaps the elf, Holly Short, and demands a ransom. However, he gets more than he bargained for! In an attempt to get out of paying a ransom, the fairies first try to annihilate Artemis with guns. Then, they try to “blue rinse” his house. That means using a special bomb that kills any living thing in the house. Artemis says that he can escape, but the fairies say that it’s impossible! Will the fairies be tricked, or will this be the end of Artemis’ scheme and life?

Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl is an outstanding novel! I recommend this book to all readers over the age of 10 because of the concept of ransom and the mild violence. It is a fantasy book, but it’s very interesting to read. I rate this book all four out of four stars because of the never ending action! Definitely do not miss this excellent book!

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Miramax Books, 2001