The Supernaturalist [Paperback]

The answer is not a simple yes or no. The most honest reply would be to say that it is entirely different. For a start there's absolutely no magic - it's more science fiction, (though science fantasy would probably be a more accurate description). However, like AF it's full of futuristic high-tech gadgets and is incredibly imaginative and witty. There are plenty of laughs, thrill, spills and impossible adventures to keep you turning the pages, long after midnight!

Speaking personally, I didn't find Cosmo - the main character - as compelling/unique/vibrant as Artemis - but clearly Colfer is going for an entirely different protagonist here. He's far more the hapless under-dog than the wise-cracking evil genius. Supporting characters are fun, but I failed to bond with them - though the Bartolli baby (a 28 year-old man in a 6 year-old body is an imaginitive creation and great fun). The style is very action/comic book - and as ever the dialogue is superb.

So, dear Artemis Fowl fan, should you splash out on a copy or not? The answer is an unqualified YES. A great book, well worth reading - just be sure to approach it with an open mind, knowing it's taking a different (and at times slightly more mature) tack. Don't expect another Artemis ... just enjoy it for what it is!

The story is exciting, fast paced and full of unexpected twists and turns. I challenge anyone not armed with spoilers to predict the ending, it just can't be done. I enjoy a story like that, one that isn't too predictable, but looking back or re-reading after you've finished, there are many clues that you don't pick up on first time around. Or that I didn't, anyway. I read it again almost as soon as I'd finished the first time, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

The characters are all unique in their own way, although some are better than others. I personally found the main character, Cosmo Hill, much less interesting than Ditto (my favourite) and Stefan.

I don't see how anyone could not like this book, it is fast paced, funny and at the same time moving. Its version of the future is scary because sometimes it looks like the nightmare world in which it is set is where we are really headed.

I really hope there is a sequel, or even more than one, the way that it ends definitely leaves the possibility open. If there is one, I hope it will feature Ditto more heavily, he is the most interesting character not only in this book, but in any I've come across for a while. I really want to find out more about his history, and of course find out what the other creatures he mentioned are. Right now I'm hoping for more books following on from this story more than I am for another Artemis Fowl book. So, I've got my fingers crossed for a sequel, who's with me?

The book is set in the future, a polluted future full of supernatural entities. A future where "no sponsors" (orphans) are used as lab rats for big corporations.

In the opening chapter we meet a few needy souls. Cosmo Hill, inmate of the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, who at fourteen is having to stand down his cherished dream of being adopted. Along with the realisation that the orphanage was slowly killing him with product testing came the realisation that there were only three ways out - adoption, death or escape. With the first unlikely, the second undesirable, the only real option left was to escape. Within seconds of failure Cosmo is saved by an unlikely bunch of misfits - the supernaturalists.

I can understand why there is so much interest in this book, I can see it translating onto the big screen very well. It is a simple story, with numerous twists and turns, well told. If you enjoyed Eoin's previous works then you are just as likely to enjoy this. If you are blessed with a young imagination, and enjoy a good story well told, then give it a try, you may like it.