Read The Opal Deception Artemis Fowl Book 4 Eoin Colfer 9781368036993 Books

Product details Age Range 8 - 12 years Grade Level 5 - 9 Series Artemis Fowl (Book 4) Paperback 384 pages Publisher Disney-Hyperion (November 6, 2018) Language English ISBN-10 1368036996

The Opal Deception Artemis Fowl Book 4 Eoin Colfer 9781368036993 Books Reviews

• Why I Think Boys May Enjoy This
  
  If ever there was a book series that could be used to introduce the concept of “anti-hero” to a middle grade audience, it is Artemis Fowl (or, you know, my novella Anchihiiroo – Origin of an Antihero, but I digress). Artemis Fowl II, in the debut book of this series, is the very definition of someone willing to do anything it takes (even a little kidnapping and ransom-demanding) for what is ultimately a good cause (trying to save his mother). One of my favorite things about this series is that Artemis, being a genius, has a very large vocabulary. The diction in this book is a lot more advanced and complex than many other middle grade books and I personally used it as a benchmark in my own writing for not talking down to a young audience (which I find many, many middle grade and even young adult books do). Colfer has found that great sweet spot to challenge young readers without dismissing their capabilities.
  
  That being said, the story is a simple one that is very easy and fun to follow. The basic frame of the story follows the “heist” format. There are twists and turns and plans on top of plans. Sometimes they work and sometimes they fail. Sometimes they seem to fail but end up working (think of a fairy tale version of Ocean’s 11). Apparently Colfer himself has referred to it as “Die Hard with fairies” with which I can’t argue. Colfer has created his own sub-society of magical fairy creatures that presents the underlying mystery and magic to the series. At the same time, Artemis is a regular (well, as regular as a multi-millionaire genius pre-teen with a bit of an evil mastermind complex can be) human kid who breaks open the mysteries of this underworld.
  
  When I first discovered this series years ago, I was excited to find a middle grade series that had a protagonist that wasn’t your bubbly “chosen one” stereotype. Artemis, due to his intelligence and resources, is way deeper and more complex than your typical middle grade hero. That alone is worth a read. Couple that with a fun and colorful underworld full of faeries, gnomes, and other supernatural beings and it’s a can’t-miss.
  
  Content/Appropriateness
  
  This book is more than appropriate for the youngest of readers. Any violence is cartoonish in nature, for the most part. There are no language or sexual content concerns either.
  
  As the series goes on, there are points that get a little darker, but never does Colfer waver from the PG family friendly nature of this first book.
  As an aside there is also a wonderful graphic novel adaptation of this first book that can serve to help a struggling reader or a reader who might need a little more visual aides (or just someone who really likes graphic novels!).
  
  Rating
  
  5/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys Review
• I actually enjoyed this off-beat little book more than I had expected, considering it has taken me years to getting back to reading it. I originally bought it for a defunct e-reader connected to another store--and I never finished reading it. I started over at the beginning, since it had been so long since I first sat down with it. This is an interesting, quick read. The pacing is pretty good. The story is quite funny and charming at times.
  
  I do wish there had been some formatting differences for the rather frequent point-of-view shifts. Sometimes there was no indicator, such as spacing, asterisks, a divider, etc. There was a lot of "gross-out" content. I really grew a little weary of the dwarf and his flapped trousers... For parents, there is a bit of light swearing consisting of mostly "damn" and "hell" (and a few made-up and implied explicitive phrases). Some may be concerned about the death of a rabbit at the hands of the flap-trousered dwarf.
  
  Overall, this was an entertaining read. I will likely be "back" for book two, once I've cleared up some of my slush-pile. I don't regret re-purchasing this in format, at least, it filled a few sessions of light reading for a few days.
• I made it a third of the way through this drivel before calling it quits. I had no preconceptions about this beyond seeing that is had a Disney designation on the title page. ( format) The main character should be Foul, not Fowl. Rotten genius of a boy, Artemis does not say he is looking for gold to cure his mother or find his father. He is looking to revive the coffers of a thieving family. I see Disneyworld thrown out there quite often, guess a plug for the outrageously overpriced theme park (Anyone pick up that Artemis is the genius (f)owl from Disney's The Sword In The Stone?) The characters are one dimentional, the story went all over the place. While I had no problems with the vocabulary, who exactly is the author targeting?I
  
  My last point, and this can be said of every aspect of reviews, from books to other products If you like something a lot, give it a 5 star rating. Hate it? Give it one. I get not being able to change your mind and not able to fix it here, but if you just flat out rate a book wrong, you do a disservice to the author. I have this book two stars only because someone took the time to write and publish a book. The only 1's I door out to to poorly written and poorly edited books. No excuse for bad editing.
• This is a great introduction to Sci-Fi for any kid in love with fantasy. Colfer mixes "real" magic with scientific advancements to create a race of creatures utterly and believably delightful. The snarky and pithy dialogue mixed with potty humor (e.g. a dwarf who eats and digests soil is constantly farting dirt missiles at would-be assailants) is sure to captivate the 9-12 age range of both genders. There is a redemptive quality of the book. There's really only one character (the main female role) that is entirely "good" but nearly every character has positive moral growth even with all the stealing, fighting and poor model behavior throughout.