The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer is the first in a series of Fowl books for a juvenile audience, targeted for 4-6th graders.
Myles and Beckett Fowl are part of quite a remarkable family and they themselves are also remarkable. Myles is basically a genius and Beckett... is definitely one of a kind. So, it isn't surprising when these eleven-year olds get into all sorts of trouble when left to their own devices.
Sniper fire, a disappearing island, several genius escapes, a few chases, a toy troll, a fairy in-training and a lot more mischief revolve around the boys. But with a bond like theirs, they are sure to make it out of any kind of trouble... right?
Let me start off by saying that, you do not need to be familiar with the Artemis Fowl world to start this series. Yes, you get some extra insight into the story if you have read the teen/tween series first, but it is totally not necessary. And boy is this book fun!
I love, love, loved the writing style of this book. The narrator is full of omniscient commentary and, though that usually bothers me, it really works in this book. I actually listened to the audio of the book and the narrator was fan-freakin-tastic! Seriously, the guy has skills and I had to give him his props. I'd recommend the audio for any long car ride.
I could potentially see younger readers getting a little lost in the plot but ultimately, I think most fantasy and action fans would enjoy this book a lot. Beckett is silly and rash, while Myles is smart and maybe a bit to serious for his own good.
Such a fun read and I can't wait to find out what Colfer has in store in the next book for the Fowl twins. This book gets a very high 4.5 stars from me.
That's all for now!
-M-