Bog Child

Great Book - an amazing read

The book, Bog Child is a great novel by the late Siobhan Dowd. One day while digging for peat in the mountains with his uncle, Fergus finds a bronze aged dead child. T was on the edge of my seat every page of every chapter of this book.
This book is set in the great country of Ireland at this decade in time. As you read, if you just stop and close your eyes you can see the Valleys and the Irish spring hills unraveling before you. If you want to go on vacation there, save your money and read this book.
The main character is a teenaged boy fighting with the dilemmas that come with being a teen such as, girls, chores, family, life, and not to mention discovering the body of a child. Fergus is a great boy with a great heart and the book wouldn't be the same without him. Throughout the book, he has dreams that lead him to find out the story behind the buried girl.
Her name was Mel and later they find out she wasn't a child at all, she was a . dwarf. And that's why they killed her.
Who are they you might ask? Well I guess you will have to read it to find out yourself.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Even better than I thought it was going to be

To be honest, this book was so much better than I was initially expecting it to be. I guess that I shouldn't be surprised considering that it won so many awards, including the esteemed Carnegie Medal. Not to be redundant, but I have to reiterate how amazing this book was. Unfortunately for readers everywhere Dowd has passed away and the book has been published posthumously.

As for the details, Dowd's description of Northern Ireland during this tumultuous time is astounding. I truly felt the tension that Fergus felt and was able to get a clearer glimpse into the complicated world of Northern Ireland at the time. Fergus is an honest and compelling character who you can't help but root for as he directs his life through the myriad of issues that arise with his family, his country, his blossoming love life, and the girl he's found in the bog.

Having been to Ireland a few times myself, I believe that Dowd's account of the area is accurate in its culture and people. Also, it's refreshing to see a story told about this time period and area. I believe that readers need more historical fiction, especially regarding events throughout our history that have largely gone untold. The IRA and the fight for freedom from the British government, which is still an issue to this day, is something we rarely get a glimpse into.

I recommend this to all readers 15+.

-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseylibrary.com

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Slow Paced

Bog Child is a book about an 18 year-old boy named Fergus living in Ireland during the 80's and it's his last summer being home before going off to begin his own life. During this time, he finds a dead body and names it Mel. His brother joins a hunger strike, he gets his first girlfriend, and terrorism frightens Ireland. Besides this, there is little else that goes on in Bog Child. It starts off with some potential as Fergus finds this body but really little else happens. I was disappointed the further I got into the book because the story seemed to grow slower and more boring as time passed. Another issue was that the author threw in many terms and names that were not explained or were explained later in the story. Along with this, the author had a bad habit of using verbs in contraction (eg. I'd go, why'll I leave?) so sometimes I'd have to read the text again. Lastly, I was never really able to get a person connection with Fergus. The author never gave his thoughts or feelings on almost anything. Dialogue was the main source of understanding Fergus' feelings, which still is not very personal. The ending felt rushed but I was left content. Enough said, I'm sorry to say I will not be recommending this book. There was just something that was missing to the story.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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