by Eoin Colfer
Part of Artemis Fowl, book 1
First published 2002
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl has a problem. His family's fortune has vanished, and he needs money fast. Most kids might ask for an allowance. Artemis decides to kidnap a fairy. He discovers that fairies are real, living in a high-tech civilization beneath the earth. They have weapons, advanced technology, and their own police force called the Lower Elements Police. When Artemis captures Captain Holly Short, a fairy officer, he thinks he's found the perfect ransom opportunity. But Holly's colleagues won't negotiate easily. The fairy world mobilizes against this human boy who dares to threaten one of their own. What starts as a simple kidnapping scheme spirals into something much bigger. Artemis must outwit creatures with centuries of experience and technology beyond human understanding. Two worlds collide as the boy genius faces opponents who match his intelligence and exceed his firepower. The stakes keep rising, and Artemis discovers that some prices are higher than money.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, young-adult
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Lower Elements
Period: 21st-century
280 pages · Paperback · Puffin Books