Laura

I saw Stephen Colbert talking about this on his show, and even saw the interview with Maurice Sendak. The book was so short, I thought why not get it. It is very funny, and amazingly, a pretty well written book. IMPORTANT NOTE: This is NOT acutally a children's book, and unless you want to explain some of the inuenndo, I wouldn't let kids listen to it. The introduction and interruptions by Stephen Colbert let you know from the start what sort of book you're listening to.

I have recommended this book to lots of kids and several adults. It's all around fun.

I like the introduction of the demons and particularly Number One.

My favorite character has always been Butler. I love the way Nathaniel Parker gives him that touch of humor that helps keep things from getting too heavy. I love all of his voices.

I love all the Harry Potter books, but this one really establishes Opal as a world class villan. She causes no end of trouble in this one, with groups of characters trying to get in one place and stop the she devil. Seeing as the main character is a genius, kids (and grownups) can actually learn some science content without it feeling like another boring lesson.

Okay, I'm not a kid, a tween, or even a teen, but I enjoy listening to this books. There are some pretty serious themes in the series--death, crime, loyalty, friendship, etc--and listening with your child gives you a chance to discuss these themes. It's also very entertaining for that time stuck in the car. Artemis learns a lot of things the hard way in this one, but I think it makes him a better person. As always, the narration is spot on. I love Nathaniel Parker almost as much as Jim Dale.

Book 2 in the series doesn't disappoint. This book is a bit darker than the first book, as there is a gang war going on, people are getting hurt, and Artemis is trying to get his dad back from the Russian Mafia. Nathaniel Parker's performance is outstanding. Some of my favorite one liners come out of this book. While there is a happy ending, this book could be a bit dark for young kids. As Artemis himself is only about 13, I wouldn't go younger than 10 probably.

I'm a school teacher and a parent, but I've always like fairy tales. Naturally a story about kids cheating fairies out of gold caught my interest. I have read the books, but I love the audio books just as much. This narrator is amazing. You can tell the difference between all the characters, and his rhythm is wonderful. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I've listened to this book at least 5 times. When I am working early in my room, I listen to the whole series, about 30 minutes at a time, from beginning to end. There are explosions and guns, and threats of death, so you may want to consider your child's age.

I graduated from High School in 1985, so I understood all of the little nostalgic stuff. This is a creative concept, and I enjoyed the coming of age aspect. I could have down without some of the foul language by the main teenage characters but it was kept to a minimum. Definitely a story that will be listened to again at some time. I even recommended it to a friend.

I loved this story! I am a self-proclaimed sci-fi enthusiast and this was a clever concept. Wil Wheaton reads the book well, and overall is is absolutely superb. My only complaint is that there was more foul language than I would have liked. I know is doesn't matter to most people, but it bothers me, and since I can't find many reviews on the site that touch on language and sexual overtones, I figure I should write my own reviews to help others and perhaps start a trend.
So to summarize: GREAT story if you like sci-fi television and movies or writing or have every joked about being the red shirt at any outing. Over-use of the f-word in my opinion, but not as bad as it could have been I suppose. There were no actual sex scenes, just one with a discussion of "sexual favors."