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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Oh how I love the Fowl family!!
So, the first book in this spin-off from my favorite series, Artemis Fowl, was not as up to par as I had wanted. However, Eoin Colfer definitely got back in the swing of all things Fowl with this second book! I enjoyed so much the shenanigans and crazy lingo being thrown around by both twins!
I do think Beckett is my favorite, his wildness and random ideas are just so unpredictable it's amazing.
Now, I do still feel like this series is just a little more geared towards a younger audience. As many have heard me say, Artemis Fowl is one all ages can enjoy. The Fowl Twins definitely have more of a childish humor about them. But I honestly don't mind that so they are still good reads in my opinion!
As far as genre, definitely fantasy and adventure. Obviously, based on what I wrote above, it's geared towards middle grade. Overall, a fun read for all!
So, the first book in this spin-off from my favorite series, Artemis Fowl, was not as up to par as I had wanted. However, Eoin Colfer definitely got back in the swing of all things Fowl with this second book! I enjoyed so much the shenanigans and crazy lingo being thrown around by both twins!
I do think Beckett is my favorite, his wildness and random ideas are just so unpredictable it's amazing.
Now, I do still feel like this series is just a little more geared towards a younger audience. As many have heard me say, Artemis Fowl is one all ages can enjoy. The Fowl Twins definitely have more of a childish humor about them. But I honestly don't mind that so they are still good reads in my opinion!
As far as genre, definitely fantasy and adventure. Obviously, based on what I wrote above, it's geared towards middle grade. Overall, a fun read for all!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The second in the Fowl Twins spin-off series from Artemis Fowl. I didn't really like the first one but saw this in a library and thought I would give it a second go. It was more enjoyable than the first, somehow, and I might read the third but it was really not much better and still noticeably aimed at a younger audience than the original series. It also made some retrospective retcons that undermined the original series - a very poor choice.
It pains me to rate this less than 5 stars, as I am a huge fan of the Artemis Fowl series and Eoin Colfer. By all means, this is a great addition to the series. However, this one had some really strange shortcomings, regarding race, language, and culture.
There was a larger than necessary focus on Lazuli being mixed, or in their vocabulary, a "hybrid". She has faced a lot ot hardship and alienation due to her being a hybrid, and the way they explore it is really weird for me to read, as I am an actual mixed person.
They first have one character sort of romanticize/fetishize the idea of being mixed, and Lazuli acts grateful for it. While in reality, in my personal experience (and I would think most mixed people feel this way) I just want to be treated normally. Not romanticized or fetishized, not disparaged. Just normal. Being fetishized is almost as uncomfortable as being disparaged, cause it's a reminder that many people seem to be unable to just see you as a person. It's either "you're exotic, and the future of mankind" or "you're disgusting and the downfall of mankind". Neither of these are good.
They then proceed to have a scene with Angeline Fowl, a white woman in a predominantly white community, try to relate to Lazuli being a hybrid. She compares her being half Russian descent and Irish descent as a sort of equivalent, despite the fact that Angeline comes from a privileged background. There has never been any indication of her having a struggle over being Russian/Irish, but she compares this to Lazuli experiencing systemic racism. And for some reason, Lazuli instantly trusts her because of this comment.
I would feel so weird if I met someone, they noticed I was mixed, and then they immediately had to comment on it. In fact, I've had this happen. It's weird. For people who aren't mixed, imagine someone walking up to you and immediately going "Oh! You're white! I see white people on TV, and some white people go to my church. I want you to know white people are valid and cool!". It's insanely awkward.
There are also many moments where in the narration, they have to keep reminding you that she's a hybrid, and pointing out how other people are kind of hybrids too. But the comparisons are never equivalent, and it unfortunately reads like what is: a white guy trying really hard to make a statement about race related issues he's never had to experience.
There's also a heavy emphasis this time around on fairy accents, and some being described as painful to listen to because they speak English badly. Which is so weird, cause I don't remember fairy accents ever being a topic in the original series, and especially not in a disparaging way. The idea of cringing or grinding your teeth over someone's struggle speaking English feels weird.
This was still a good read, but man it had a lot of weird moments. It makes me feel a bit differently about the first volume, since the first volume centered a spanish bad guy who was constantly talking in fakey spanish and broken english. I kind of gave it a pass the first time around, but with all of the weird stuff in this one... I dunno. Feels uncomfortable. Also, Myishi isn't a Japanese name. Couldn't he just google Japanese names before naming his character?
There was a larger than necessary focus on Lazuli being mixed, or in their vocabulary, a "hybrid". She has faced a lot ot hardship and alienation due to her being a hybrid, and the way they explore it is really weird for me to read, as I am an actual mixed person.
They first have one character sort of romanticize/fetishize the idea of being mixed, and Lazuli acts grateful for it. While in reality, in my personal experience (and I would think most mixed people feel this way) I just want to be treated normally. Not romanticized or fetishized, not disparaged. Just normal. Being fetishized is almost as uncomfortable as being disparaged, cause it's a reminder that many people seem to be unable to just see you as a person. It's either "you're exotic, and the future of mankind" or "you're disgusting and the downfall of mankind". Neither of these are good.
They then proceed to have a scene with Angeline Fowl, a white woman in a predominantly white community, try to relate to Lazuli being a hybrid. She compares her being half Russian descent and Irish descent as a sort of equivalent, despite the fact that Angeline comes from a privileged background. There has never been any indication of her having a struggle over being Russian/Irish, but she compares this to Lazuli experiencing systemic racism. And for some reason, Lazuli instantly trusts her because of this comment.
I would feel so weird if I met someone, they noticed I was mixed, and then they immediately had to comment on it. In fact, I've had this happen. It's weird. For people who aren't mixed, imagine someone walking up to you and immediately going "Oh! You're white! I see white people on TV, and some white people go to my church. I want you to know white people are valid and cool!". It's insanely awkward.
There are also many moments where in the narration, they have to keep reminding you that she's a hybrid, and pointing out how other people are kind of hybrids too. But the comparisons are never equivalent, and it unfortunately reads like what is: a white guy trying really hard to make a statement about race related issues he's never had to experience.
There's also a heavy emphasis this time around on fairy accents, and some being described as painful to listen to because they speak English badly. Which is so weird, cause I don't remember fairy accents ever being a topic in the original series, and especially not in a disparaging way. The idea of cringing or grinding your teeth over someone's struggle speaking English feels weird.
This was still a good read, but man it had a lot of weird moments. It makes me feel a bit differently about the first volume, since the first volume centered a spanish bad guy who was constantly talking in fakey spanish and broken english. I kind of gave it a pass the first time around, but with all of the weird stuff in this one... I dunno. Feels uncomfortable. Also, Myishi isn't a Japanese name. Couldn't he just google Japanese names before naming his character?
Quite fun overall, but I do wish Lazulai was a little more interesting.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love, love, love this series! So much more so than the original books. The dynamic of the brothers makes for some interesting reading, and Colfer's highly inventive mind brings pure joy to the page. Can't wait to read more!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was prepared to give this four stars, since I actually quite enjoyed the middle of the book and got several laughs out of it. I also really enjoyed the twins' parents having a more prominent role in this story. However, Colfer's new style of writing drags scenes out much longer than needed, so the ending held my interest less than the middle. This new series still can't compare to the original Artemis Fowl books, but I am still curious about Lazuli's origins (and wish she got more screen time), and the twins are quite fun to read about, with Beckett being such an oddball and Myles being even more insufferable than Artemis started out as. I do hope we see some character growth from them though (more than Beckett "having a thought" and Myles "doing something active") in the future, just as we did with Artemis.
I loved the first book in the series and I love Eoin Colfer in general having grown up with Artemis Fowl, but I had to push my way through this one.