Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer Book Review

The excerpt from an entertaining novel “Artemis Fowl,” written for older children details the story of Artermis Fowl. The author uses a mysterious tone, along with irony, diction, characterization, and many other literary elements in order to encourage the reader to continue reading.

To begin with, the author utilizes irony to help develop the characterization of Artemis Fowl. Since this is the start of the novel, telling the reader so early about Artemis Fowl as a person may stimulate the appeal of the readers. The author says that the “main problem” why “various psychiatrists have tried and failed” to describe Artemis is because of “Artemis’s own intelligence.” The utilization of irony makes the audience stop and think about who Artemis Fowl is and why the psychiatrists cannot figure him out. This will then lead the reader to be interested in what they’re reading and force them to interact with the text. Thinking about this use of irony may be intriguing to the readers and, as a result, encourage them to continue reading.

To continue, in order to obtain the attention of the primary audience of older children, the author avails childlike diction to make the text more engaging. At the beginning of the novel when the author is describing the way Artemis Fowl has confused and deceived the psychiatrists who have tried to figure him out, he uses words such as “bamboozles,” “puzzled,” and “gibbering.” These terms have a component to them that can be deemed as childlike, and puerile; the informal tone establishes a connection with the reader. Because of this, the young children reading this novel will have their attention grabbed, and they will likely continue reading further. 

Furthermore, the author implements rhetorical questions to further emphasize the characterization of Artemis Fowl. Much of the excerpt discloses who Artemis Fowl is and more about the novel using rhetorical questions. As the author tells the readers that there is “no doubt that Artemis is a child prodigy,” he questions the audience by asking “but why does someone of such brilliance dedicate himself to criminal activities?” The implementation of the rhetorical question can encourage the reader to continue reading because rhetorical questions force the reader to contemplate why Artemis would put his time into criminal acts. This will likely make the reader want to know the answer to the question and carry on reading; it forces the reader to engage, consider, and hypothesize about what they have read. 

Moreover, for the purpose of grasping the reader’s attention, the author applies alliteration to make the novel more interesting for the older children. The author tells readers that the most effective way to “create an accurate picture of Artemis” is to tell by his “villainous venture” which is now a famous account of his. Alliterative sounds create rhythm and can encourage the reader to continue reading because it creates a catchy and musical effect that will appeal to the audience of older children. It's also a clear way to indicate that the alliterative words are linked together thematically, and it puts a spotlight on the topic. Alliteration sounds pleasing to the readers and will grab their attention. 

In addition, to achieve the task of grabbing the audience’s attention, the author employs personal pronouns to make the text more alluring for the readers. The author addresses the reader directly by using the word “you” when explaining how the “tale unfolds” and tells the reader that describing Artemis Fowl “ was not easy.” The employment of personal pronouns can encourage readers to continue reading because the use of the word “you” makes the reader feel included while they read. Using personal pronouns makes the text seem as though it is directly addressing the reader, making it distinctive and more likely for them to continue reading.

Soon after that, the author makes use of simile to emphasize the characterization of Artemis Fowl. A copious amount of this novel tells who Artemis Fowl is as a character using different elements to interest the reader. The author says that Artemis Fowl has lost the colour from his skin from spending long amounts of time in front of the monitor. He proceeds to compare his skin to be “white as a vampire” and nearly “as testy in the light of day” to highlight not only his physical features,  but also his temperament. The use of simile can encourage the reader to continue reading because similes allow the older children to use their imagination to interpret Artemis’s features and personality. A simile can create a detailed picture in the reader’s mind, helping to engage and absorb the reader into the novel.

Finally, the author closes the passage using short sentences to make the end of the excerpt more prominent to the readers. When the “waiter” comes to the table, Artemis makes observations of his expensive wardrobe and newly done fingernails to prove his identification as false. The waiter submits to defeat and says “It is true. Amazing.” The author chooses to end the passage with short sentences because short sentences stand out, create rhythm, and are fast pace. Concise sentences allow the author to place emphasis on that particular sentence. These short, and brief sentences are also used to make a point and establish a certain tone.