THE LOST COLONY by Eoin Colfer
    Category:  Fantasy
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  9/12/06
    Publisher:  Miramax
    Reviewed by:  K. Osborn Sullivan
    Rating:  4 Stars


    Artemis Fowl is back (finally)! I was terrified that my favorite Irish billionaire genius teenager was gone for good
    because author Eoin Colfer has been publishing a variety of books in the last couple of years that had nothing to do
    with good old Artemis. But, fortunately, the boy genius hasn't been forgotten. He's back and more brilliant than ever in
    this fifth installment of the high-tech fantasy series.

    As THE LOST COLONY opens, Artemis is fourteen years old and experiencing the uncomfortable pangs of puberty.
    While that alone is enough to keep most teens busy for a few years, Artemis has to contend with his surging hormones
    while trying to save an entire fairy race as it teeters on the brink of extinction. But it's that kind of multitasking that has
    made Artemis Fowl an international sensation.

    THE LOST COLONY has all the elements that Fowl fans have come to expect, including a dizzying array of fairy-
    issue gadgets, danger whizzing past our heroes from a variety of sources, ingenious plans, and a bodyguard who is as
    loyal as he is lethal. This book also includes a few new characters who were, for the most part, likeable and fun. The
    one notable exception is a twelve-year-old French girl who could give Artemis a run for his money in the genius
    category. She is pretty, rich, and highly annoying. I often found myself wishing that one of the other characters would
    "accidentally" dunk her in a sewer, or shave her head, or something equally unpleasant. Is it wrong for me to have
    feelings of aggression toward a fictional character? No, I don't think so. And you'll understand what I mean once you
    read the book.

    Fans of the ARTEMIS FOWL series will not be disappointed in this newest adventure. There were a few problems
    with the story, including some hard-to-follow descriptions of how Artemis and company escape their latest
    predicament, and an irritating French girl (see above). Overall, though, I found this an enjoyable book with an ending
    that knocked me for a loop. And, as always, I was left wondering what mischief Artemis will dream up next.
Artemis Fowl Bk. 5:
The Lost Colony
by Eoin Colfer