Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer
★ Top 25 book of 1999 · #13 on Best Books of 1999
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a wealthy genius and budding criminal mastermind who kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short. He quickly learns these fairies are dangerous, and the plan spirals into a twisting, magical adventure.
Best for: Young readers who like clever anti-heroes, magic, and fast-paced adventure
Artemis Fowl is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar.
What Artemis Fowl is about
Artemis Fowl is twelve years old, a millionaire, a genius and a criminal mastermind, born into a family empire built on crime. With his father missing and his mother unwell, he has the freedom to run his schemes, and his huge, loyal bodyguard Butler stays at his side. His latest plan is to kidnap a fairy.
The fairy is Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit, and these are not the gentle creatures of bedtime stories. They are dangerous, they have an underground civilization of their own, and Artemis's attempt to seize one of them goes badly wrong. Eoin Colfer's first book in the series is witty and quick, full of trolls, magic and clever one-upmanship, and it sets cold-blooded human cleverness against the older powers of the fairy world. It suits young readers who enjoy a sharp, mischievous hero.
Artemis Fowl on the Best Books of 1999
Artemis Fowl came out in 1999. Of the 52 books first published in 1999 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #13 on our Best Books of 1999 list.
Why it made the list: 506 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (58 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1999 list
- A Walk to Remember Nicholas Sparks, #11
- Stardust Neil Gaiman, #12
- The Code Book Simon Singh, #14
- Monster Walter Dean Myers, #15
See all Best Books of 1999 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1998 Best Books of 2000.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 357 want to read it, 18 are reading it now and 131 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.8 out of 5 from 58 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 81 | 55% |
| Reader love | 37 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 71 | 20% |
Questions about Artemis Fowl
When was Artemis Fowl published?
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer was first published in 1999.
Was Artemis Fowl one of the best books of 1999?
Artemis Fowl is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar. 506 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (58 ratings).
Why is Artemis Fowl on the Best Books of 1999 list?
506 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (58 ratings).
More of the best books of 1999
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling, #1
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, #2
- Wings of Fire A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, #3
- On Writing Stephen King, #4
- The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket, #5
- The Coldest Winter Ever Sister Souljah, #6
See the full Best Books of 1999, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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