“Artemis Fowl is a charming character who reminded me a lot of a young Sherlock Holmes.”

Review by Rayleigh Setser

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius, and above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories—they’re dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

I enjoyed this exciting adventure!

Artemis Fowl is a charming character who reminded me a lot of a young Sherlock Holmes. His genius makes him alluring and keeps him always one step ahead of everyone. The plot is a fun one and I loved how different yet familiar the fantasy world was. I recognized most of the fantasy creatures, though it was interesting for them to be changed a bit from their traditional roles.

Holly Short reminded me a lot of Judy Hopps from Zootopia; which was a fun comparison. Her personality, her kind heart, her courageous actions, and her determination to never give up on a job well done provided the perfect nemesis to Artemis's schemes.

I did like that Artemis is portrayed as the villain in this story and his illegal actions weren't justified just because he is twelve years old or because of the reasoning behind his actions.

The only reason that I docked a star is for the 5+ curse words that were thrown in after the 75% mark and the portrayal of a minor consuming alcohol. Since this book is a middle-grade book, the inclusion of these words was just unnecessary and one phrase was repeated several times by one character in a single scene. And Artemis pours himself and another minor a glass of champagne while acknowledging that he is a minor and making a comment that "mother wouldn't mind just this time". I really don't appreciate the casualty of underage drinking in a book meant for young readers, though Artemis is portrayed as the villain (as I mentioned earlier) so his actions are connected to being "bad". Still, I didn't care for how this particular scene was handled.

Content Ratings:

2. Very mild action (mentions common injuries like broken bones, without gruesome details).

0.  None.

1. Infrequent substitute cursing (less than 10 "craps" etc. and/or book-specific curse words).

Other Trigger Warnings:

N/A

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