Ireland in the 1980s was a place of violence, bigotry and racism due to the dreaded troubles. Not the best place for a teenager to be living. This is the unfortunate situation that belongs to Fergus McCann. The only person who seems unaffected by them is his Uncle Tally who unsurprisingly is the one who is with him when Fergus discovers a body in the bog whilst they are digging for peat. The perfectly preserved Mel has apparently been murdered and it is a mystery that provides Fergus with an outlet from the real world. He has to suppress all the pressures building around him: his mam and da’s arguments, his A-levels, his brother’s hunger strike in prison and his growing feelings for the funny and beautiful Cora to try and interpret the anomaly of the bog child. This is a strong and emotive novel that conveys many messages subtly to the reader. Issues both current and ancient are brought up in this tale of love, friendship and hate and are dealt with elaborately through the many characters. It is a very skilful piece of writing that once you have started reading you will find hard to stop. It is a book that would be recommended for 14+ and will be appreciated by both boys and girls. The story contains a maturity that will allow teenagers who are planning to progress onto adult books, a stepping stone in which to do so. All in all, a fantastic novel!
Douglas, 15
