I picked this book up on a lark, looking for something different to read. And boy was I rewarded. This book will make you laugh and keep you enthralled for hours. Although this is perfectly suitable for a young teen or a pre-teen, it's also sophisticated for an adult to enjoy, and a must read for lovers of Faery.

These books are dearly loved in our home - my children began reading them at around age 10 and have continued to go back to the series again and again.

These books are so fun! I really enjoy the adventure and I’m sure that the elementary age boys love to read about Artemis, the smartest boy in the world and dream about being just that smart themselves!

Stands the test of time as being one of the all time greatest introductions to a middle grade fantasy world. No matter your age Artemis Fowl's story is for you!

A great middle grade with enjoyable characters and an imaginative plot, which will be liked by readers both young and old.

Artemis Fowl is such a fun book! It’s magical and adventurous. I love the story of this young brilliant kid taking on magical creatures and navigating this strange world. Fans of Percy Jackson, Fablehaven, and Harry Potter will love this book!

An amazing creative book which will capture the hearts of both young and old. With the fantasy of a young boy surviving on his own with the help of a servant, we see the true colors of the young master as he travels through tunnels with the supernatural elements we thought were only in fairy tales. A perfect start to an enthralling series.

I've heard good things about this series, so I was excited to read it (especially with a movie coming out next year), but I honestly couldn't get into it. Maybe I'm too old to appreciate books written for pre-teens anymore.

Probably not going to read the rest of the series.

I think there might be a bit of Artemis Fowl in each of us, lurking. Artemis, 12-year-old boy genius, has his own agenda and has the brains to get what he wants. The question is, will he be a good guy or a bad guy in the process? The answer might be, a little of both. Along the way, Artemis is accompanied by his bodyguard--Butler and meets Holly Short--an elf and member of the LEP(recon) and its first female captain. Readers are also introduced to Holly's commander, Julius Root; Foaly, the technology expert and inventor for LEP; and Mulch Diggums, a dwarf who gave up his magic in pursuit of crime.

I loved this book! It was an engaging, fun romp through good and evil, through the human world and the Lower Elements. I empathized with Artemis' desire to run his family's criminal escapades juxtaposed to helping his mother--it's just too hard to be bad all the time and when it comes down to it, it feels good to do a good deed every now and then!

Artemis Fowl is the perfect vehicle for exploring an intriguing fantasy world.

The Artemis Fowl series is great, and this installment doesn't disappoint.

I don't read a lot of fantasy and am not a Harry Potter fan, but I thought I would give this book a try in case there was something I was missing. It was funny and suspenseful, but I doubt I would recommend it to others.

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

This is another book I was supposed to review a couple of years ago, but couldn't get the hang of NetGalley. I was actually sent both books 1 and 2, but after reading this one I just don't think I have it in me to read the second book as well. So my review for books 1 and 2 only really reviews book 1.

I thought the writing was a bit juvenile. The narrator (who I am assuming is the author because of how often he breaks the fourth wall) spends too much time trying to sound clever and I had a hard time with that. There was a lot of, "Perhaps now is a good time for back story," and "Of course he would come to regret that later, but it didn't occur to him now" type of writing. I've commented on other books before about this kind of thing. It bothers the heck out of me. It's not witty. It's not funny. It doesn't make for good storytelling, unless you're actually telling that kind of story. IIRC, Terry Pratchett was a master at this kind of thing. But unfortunately, Eoin Colfer is not. This type of story is full of backstabbing and violence, people wanting to get in for themselves and damn everyone else around them. It happens on both sides of the story. There certainly could have been some wit to the story, but I just didn't find it.

The story itself - not bad. The idea that a human can gain knowledge about an entire culture that no one else on the planet really knows about is interesting. The interaction between the races - also interesting. The characters though were just one-dimensional. I liked Holly, to a point. She was one of the central characters, but ended up barely a character. The same with Artemis himself. He was a "criminal mastermind" who was only 12 years old. He spoke like an adult. He was always two steps ahead of everyone around him. He had Butler and Juliet doing everything he told them to do, even though they were very much older than him. I know it is their training, but come on. And yet he barely figures as a character. Most of the story involves a centaur named Foaley (come on) and the LEP Commander Root. A lot of it is their insane banter. There were a lot of pages in this book, but honestly not much happened.

Admittedly, I was disappointed. For a book that had some pretty adult ideas in it, it reads like it's written for a pre-teen. And that's fine. Maybe pre-teens love this book (I don't know, I haven't read their reviews). But as an adult I did not find it engaging or entertaining. Sorry, but it was just wah wah for me.

Another strong entry in the hilarious anti-hero series, Artemis Fowl.

Not bad for kids who want to see their age represented by an able minded kid. But boy was he a ridiculously unlikable brat!
I'll keep Charlie Bone or Arthur Penhaligon any day!

Was a great opportunity to reread this book. Have started an Artemis Fowl movement with a grade twelve student who loved these books when he was younger. Well, he still does. Our plan? Get all of grade seven reading and loving the series, too!