Forget what you know about Eoin Colfer. You like his work? You’ll love this. You’ve never read his work? Be prepared to be blown away. You love his work? This is the best so far.
This is not a new book. In fact, it’s almost ten years old. It came out in Ireland way back when, and was just released here in 2007. In a way, I can see why. The book is full of Irish terms – which is natural as the characters are Irish – so it’s a bit of a slog for your average North American. Having lived in England, and read a lot of English and Irish YA, I guess I’m probably a little more familiar with these terms and slang than a lot of people, and it was still a bit of a challenge at times. Let’s just say that when he talked about Hurling, I had to go to youtube and find a video so I knew what it was. And I’m sure that this book, while extremely funny, is even funnier to the Irish who get the local/national humour. That said, it was not like reading something difficult or anything. Anyway, I guess Colfer had to get famous before they released books with such an Irish slant over here. I’m certainly glad he did.
This book is funny, heartwarming, a HUGE adventure, and a page turner. It’s got it all. And the best part is there’s a sequel. Now, you may not always be able to count on sequels, but thanks to Artemis Fowl, I feel confident that Colfer can pull one off and I’m really glad it’s sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me.
Have you read this? What are you waiting for?
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