Mini-Review: Artemis Fowl and The Lost Colony

I just finished the The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5). This is the 5th book in the series and each one has been more enjoyable than the last. It is a perfect series for tween and teen boys, many who will connect with Master Fowl; he is one-of-a-kind, a loner and relates directly to a fringe society. We see Artemis grow and develop into a brighter and increasingly moral person. We experience his moral dilemmas and we see how we works through them. What I loved about this book is seeing Artemis finally start to notice the opposite sex. Colfer introduces a new female antagonist that seems to have captured Artemis' heart. She also appears to be young Master Fowl's match in many areas. There are a few surprised tucked into this book and I am very interested to see how Colfer will resolve them!

Once again, Colfer has created a breathing and very realistic world in the Artemis Fowl series.Many fantasy authors have problems weaving their worlds into present day, whereas Colfer presents the technology, magic and characters as if they are and have always been a part of our world. It does make me wonder if this series does paint a specific picture about brains and money; either they go hand-in-hand or you could never live up to what Artemis has been able to achieve. But, is this any different from playing certain video games or watching some cartoon shows?

I place this series in the younger Young Adult category, mainly because of Artemis' age. Only recently has he started to come to grips with the early onset of puberty and the growing pains of defining his own actions. He has a strong support group of humans and faeries, which lends to a warm and caring extended family. Something that many can identify with and hope to emulate.

Here’s Some Advice. Stay Alive.

The Hunger Games (Audiobook) by Suzanne Collins

Set in a future America, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a stunning novel about a post-apocalyptic society where the divide between the haves and have-nots has created a truly tieredsociety. Interweaving themes of survival, fantasy, big government, family and competition fill this tense and emotional work. The main character of the story, Katniss Everdeen, is a heroic young lady who is just starting to understand herself and the larger world around her. I forsee Katniss as a heroic, Harry Potter-esque young lady who is desperate to do the right thing and try to make the world a better place
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When I was listening to the book, I was stunned at the realism of the characters and the society. As much as I believed in the characters, I was torn by the world that was presented. It was a truly frightening world in so many ways. Poverty and depravity mixed with adults and children trying their best to survive. Add a dystopian and technologically advanced society that exists on the backs of the poorer and destitute areas of the country. It is a frightening and all too real vision of the future. As I listened to the tale, I couldn't imagine a society becoming that depraved--could we ever to to the point described in the book? The gladiatorial combat of the Colosseum was one of the first incidents to come to mind. Then you throw in society's addiction to reality-based competition shows and it doesn't seem to far-fetched.

I listened to the audiobook that I downloaded from my local library's Overdrive account. Carolyn McCormick does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and breathing their thoughts and emotions. She made an enthralling and addictive story even more enchanting! The pain and emotion that she lent to Katniss is palpable; her stumbling, her indecision and her growth are all charted through the words, written and spoken.
The book is a very current mix of reality television, video games and action movies. It has the beginnings of a coming-of-age tale, but I need to experience the other two titles in the series to see where it ends. I was reminded of the 1987 film, The Running Man and the similar (but not seminal) video game, Super Smash TV. I would imagine that there are many similarities to Survivor, but I have never watched that television series.

This book is aimed at young adults (teens) and anyone interested in alternative/fantasy fiction. There is a lot of violence sewn into the book, but it is a necessary part of the tale. I would caution anyone under 12 from reading it.

As most anyone who has read the book will testify, it is very hard to put down, The storyline is engaging and well-paced. Even the moments of exposition were tantalizing enough to keep me wanting to learn more about Panem and what happened to society.

Suzanne Collins has woven a rich tapestry. I can't wait to start listening to the next book!

Step Out of Time...READ!

I love this image of the Good Doctor displaying an identification card with an image of the first Doctor Who, William Hartnell. Many sites are referring to it as a library card. Who am I to disagree!

 It is a great image and a fantastic reminder of the Doctor's history. I would love to see the American Library Association run with this campaign. "Step Out of Time...READ!"

So, You Want to Be a Librarian?

People always ask me about getting a job in the library. They gush about how amazing it must be to get to read all day. I gently remind them that I am not reading right now; I am helping them. Then they talk about how nice it is to be surrounded by books all day. I agree with them.

I love being a public librarian. Not just for the books, but because I am able to directly serve the people in my community. If you are thinking about entering the profession, I urge you to take a look at the following slides. Thanks to Stephen Abram for the initial link.

If you want to work in libraries

View more presentations from Ned Potter.

Who is Artemis Fowl and Why Should You Care?

I was a little reticent to start the Artemis Fowl series. While managing a public library branch, I have seen the Fowl books check out over and over, without really getting any feedback from the kids. Also, the Fowl books never seemed to be picked up by the adults like the Harry Potter series and some of the other fantasy and YA titles.

I purchased a copy of the graphic novel for my library and decided to give it a go. I enjoyed it, but it never sunk its teeth into me. It wasn't until I downloaded the audio version of the book (from my library's Overdrive service) that I was able to enjoy it fully.

Before I listened to the audiobook, I would peruse my shelves for something to read during lunch. I would often skip the Fowl book due to my lack of knowledge of the character. What I had skimmed from the cover made me think that this was a book about a spoiled and brilliant rich kid that had an evil side to him. For some reason, I aligned it with the Series of Unfortunate Events, which I could never get into.

After listening to the first book, I devoured the next three in the series and I am happily making my way through the next few. Eoin Colfer has created a truly believable world where the Faerie realm does exist. And it exists in a plausible nature through the use of extremely advanced technology and magic. The Faerie magic is grounded in nature and never moves past a utilitarian Swiss Army Knife-type of use. There aren't complex spells and nothing to scare away the parents who are frightened of Harry Potter.

The more of the Fowl books that I read, the more that Artemis' world view and family change. We first meet Artemis at age 12 and we learn that his missing father is the last in the line of the Fowl Family Criminal Syndicate. And Artemis must do everything that he can to keep his family coffers intact and constantly replenished. He hatches an overtly evil scheme that starts his ascent to a more natural moral code.

Through the Fowl series, we meet an intriguing and well-developed cadre of characters. Butler is Artemis' protector, bodyguard and moral ambassador. He reminds me of a very dangerous Jiminy Cricket. There is a regular cast of Faerie characters that become part of Artemis' family and we become as attached as he does. I won't go into detail here, because the Faerie characters are an amazing creation and need to be discovered for yourself.

I like to recommend the Fowl books to tweens and teens that are a little hesitant to jump into fantasy and scifi. Artemis is a good role model for tweens--which might sound funny after reading the first book--but you see his growth and his desire to make the world a better place. Plus, he has really cool techie toys!

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