Customer Reviews

The Supernaturalist (Golden Duck Awards. Eleanor Cameron Award for Middle Grades (Awards))

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The story begins with Cosmo Hill at the Clarisa Fayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, and this Institute makes Oliver Twist's orphanage look like a day spa. No-sponsors live here - children without biological or adoptive parents. And here they conduct scientific experiments on these "expendable" children, the same experiments that our society currently conducts on animals. It's a gruesome, heart wrenching sight.

A chance comes for escape, and Cosmo breaks free of Clarissa Frayne, although suffering terrible injuries while doing so, and before he is found by anyone that would deliver him back to the testing lab, he is rescued and healed by the self-titled Supernaturalists. They can see "Parasites", blue creatures who thrive on energy, and who are believed to suck the life source from humans. The sole purpose of Supernaturalists is to eradicate this strangely listless, supposedly evil species. Not many people can see these Parasites, but Cosmo can, and delighted to have found purpose, and finally something resembling a family, Cosmo joins forces with the Supernaturalists.

And then the story moves from a simple fight against these Parasites to a remarkable, breathtaking series of twists and turns. Some may be predictable, but many are not, and all are exhilarating. During one such twist I found myself staring at the page thinking, "I should have known", smiling, and impressed with Colfer's seemingly boundless creativity.

The only complaint I have is that during action sequences I had to pay very close attention to make sure that I was understanding what was happening, and even doing so, wasn't certain that I had it right. Also, some of the physical descriptions were lacking - again, I had to struggle to see them, and even so, wasn't certain that the image I was supposed to see was what my mind formed. Also, Cosmo was functioning fairly well for a child who had only one year left to live - given that the life expectancy of kids at Clarissa Frayne was 15 years.

But Colfer excels in other ways. He has a razor sharp wit which had me laughing on nearly every page, and an excellent feel for the emotions of teenagers. And his ability to create unique and fully realized universes within a bare minimum of pages is beyond compare.

If there were 10 stars, I would give this a 9. It's not a perfect work. There are only 5, and I think it's closer to "I love it" than "I like it", so I'm giving this a 5.

Usually I don't enjoy science fiction novels yet this one caught my eye. The first chapter was a little boring, but the action quickly heated up. The characters have great personality's that fit in perfectly with the plot. All the character's past's get twisted in with why they do things in the story and it's as if the characters link together to form a chain that is the plot. The futuristic setting only adds to the fascination you will feel while reading this book. This action packed psychedelic novel is something you HAVE to read if you are a lover of science fiction or realistic fiction. The author is very intelligent in the things he makes his characters do and feel. He also lets the character's seem partly mysterious because you don't know everything about their life and how they feel which adds to the excitement. This book is filled with excellent characters and an intelligent story line that everyone can understand!

When i first picked up the book i thought that it was another badly written book that was all about what things in the future would have. IT IS NOT. While this does take place in the future (the darker side of the future) it focuses on so many other things. The plot kept me involved from the start, from the exciting and dangerous escape of Cosmo and Ziplock, to the climactic and plot-twisted ending of the book (which just kept me having to tell somebody about).

The characters are so well represented, and i loved reading about how the Supernaturalists were like an immune team. Cosmo is the perfect character to focus on, because of his constant curiosity and charming nature, while Mona, Ditto and Stefan all have traits that are just too much to include here.

The plot is definitely the most exciting and creative part of the story. I don't think i've ever read a book with a plot that built up to the climax so well and left me as surprised at the plot twists (The first one I kinda saw coming, but the one near the end that leads to the climax took me completely by surprise)

this book definitely goes up there with Colfer's other masterpieces - Artemis Fowl 1 + 3 (the second one i found a little boring. The wish list was well written, but i didn't really like the characters or the story)

BUY THIS BOOK, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF READING IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER And over and over......

BRAVO COLFER!!!!!

Okay, maybe it is just me, but I love Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl was cool, The Wish List was good too, but The Supernaturalist was GREAT!
Cosmo Hill is a great main character and its just keeps getrting better after the first chapter. Believe me, this is not a waste of time.
If Eoin Colfer keeps on writing, heck he could be the greatest author in American history. Artemis Fowl, GREAT, GREAT novel. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident GREAT GREAT novel. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code The best one yet, The Wish List, maybe if you are not a Catholic you won't like the whole religious thing, but hey I'm Hindu and I like it and The Supernaturalist is a great book too!
Sequels would be awesome to this book, even though it sets up to one, but hey I'm glad it did. Its climax is not poor and it has great exposition about Satelite City, and everything is just great!
Please buy this book, listen to me from a TRUE Eoin Colfer fan, get this book it is not a waste of time.

As you are no doubt aware, "The Supernaturalist" is the latest book by Eoin Colfer. I won't bother with a synopsis, (you can read Amazon's own above - no point in reiterating it here). Let's get right to the point. If you're an Artemis Fowl fan and haven't read it yet, then the question you'll want answering is: is it as good as the fantastic Fowl series?

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!

I became a fan of Eoin Colfer after reading the Artemis Fowl series. Unlike the Supernaturalist, the Artemis Fowl books have in-depth characters, unique plots and witty dialouge. Here, Colfer seems to focus purely on the technological aspect of the story, and forgets the rest. Sure, while we get a blow by blow description of the characters plugging in some electro gadget or other, we wonder what this has to do with the story.
The charactars are pretty stereotypical, with nothing particularily unique or fascinating. The plot is interesting enough, and the setting, while grotesque is well presented.
The problem is, the characters don't seem to interact with the setting or eachother. When Colfer throws in the "plot twists," there is no slow suspensful build up to make them as shocking as they could have been. It's as if someone said, okay the bomb blew up in the Restaurant! Versus, showing people eating and minding their own business, and then showing the villian with the bomb.
What this book did do for me, is help me appreciate how good the Artemis Fowl books really are. I've felt that the Supernaturalist is Eoin Colfer's second dud (counting the Wish List.) I really hope he doesn't suffer from Sophomore Slump, and brings back the sparkle and magic of Artemis Fowl. Perhaps this book should have spent some more time in the editing room, replacing the technology with actual human emotion.

I have read all of Eoin Colfer's books (The Artemis Fowl ones and The Wish List) and I'll have to say that this is definately in the top two with the second Artemis Fowl book. I've been thinking about how to write what this book is about and I decided that what the front flap of the book said is the best thing. So read that and.... OK. Here's my thouhgts

It was written in the style of Eoin Colfer's other books with interesting characters and a witty sense of humor. It shows a world in the future (Satalite City to be exact) and it's a future world like never before. Its great! And it gripped me from start to finish. It was one of his best plots and ideas yet. It had twists and turns that kept the reader with their mouths open. And it had the same sort of rescue-every-thing-is-going-wrong kind of ending, just like the other books. And I thought the ending to this book was much more powerful than other of his other books.

If you've read any of his other books and liked them or not even read any of his books this is a must buy!!! And I loved the cover too. You should definately get it!!!

This is not Aretimis Fowl. If you come in excpecting Artemis Fowl, you are likely to be disappointed. This is a very good book. Eoin Colfer uses his ability to write fantastic characters that you find your self torn between who you like the best, similiar to Aretmis Fowl. Take it from me, an average 14 year old boy much like Cosmo, Colfer captures his feelings greatly. However, sometimes the plot moves a bit to fast and some of the early plot twists are a tad predictable, despite it you will find yourself loving this book. The one thing that seperates this from Aretimis Fowl is the fact that this one has a better ending then any of the three. Overall, a book you won't be sorry you read.

This book was awesome. It was about 14-year-old Cosmo Hill. In it he escapes from Clarissa Fraynes Orphanage for kids without parents. They are also called no sponsors. Anyway, when he escapes a boy named Stephen finds Cosmo. Stephen leads a team that finds and kills parasites. Parasites are little blue creatures that they think suck the life out of people. The tea consists of Cosmo, Stephen, Mona, and a Bartoli baby named Ditto. Bartoli babies are people that were experimented on by a man named doctor Bartoli. The babies are really small. Ditto is a 28-year-old in a 6-year-old body. I would recommend this book to anybody that likes fantasy books or books about the future.

You may say I'm a 'false' Colfer fan because I am giving this lower than four stars. But I have read all of Colfer's books and have enjoyed many of them. I am giving this a low review because Colfer has done much better.

The Supernaturalist is not as good as Artemis Fowl, but then again, I think Colfer's Fowl series is his magnum opus so pretty much the bulk of his other novels will be dwarfed by it. However, compared to its other novels the book falls flat.

None of the characters are as engrossing or compelling as those from Colfer's other novels. The kids from Benny and Omar and its sequel(s) are instantly likeable and easy to identify with. Characters like Artemis Fowl and Meg Finn (from the wish list) are a bit harder to like yet are also intriguing. None of the characters here are really memorable. The one standout is Ditto, an adult with the body of a seven year old. (A Bartoli Baby experiment--don't ask). He's a hillarious character and by the end is also one of the most intriguing.

The story has a teenager named Cosmo Hill escape from a sadastic orphanage (think Oliver Twist on crack) and meets the Supernaturalists. Like him, the Supernaturalists see blue creatures that others cannot, creatures that apparently drain lifesource and are mysteriously multiplying. But it turns out that there's a deeper conspiracy lurking behind.

One thing I will comment on is the plot twists at the end. We do a fair number of twisting and turning, things we thought we knew are *completely* flipped over upside down. Some of these things are surprising but don't require a whole lot of suspension of disbelief, which is something other authors cannot do.

I guess what this book is lacking is substance. None of the characters are really intriguing, the villain of the piece is one-dimensional, a far cry from Artemis Fowl and Furty Howlin (from Benny and Babe), and the whole tone of the book is generally unpleasant. Which is the point of course, but if Colfer can inject some humor into the Devil and Hell, surely he can lighten up some atmosphere in here.

There was one funny injoke I found here, although I doubt if it was intentional or not. A character called Faustino works for a company called Myishi. Faust (or Faustus) is the name of a famous literary character who sells his soul to the devil, and Myishi is the name of a devil from Colfer's previous novel, The Wishlist. Probably a coincidence, but I got a chuckle out of it.