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abaugher's review against another edition
4.0
very nice reading, although my teen daughter claims the accent is not authentic Irish. great story.
ilegnealle's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing for anyone who is interested in The Troubles but prefers to read fiction over nonfiction. It is written very beautifully, however, given the seriousness of the topic, it is quite depressing. I definitely cried!
witchshark's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sarahbergin23's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
thukpa's review against another edition
5.0
I was really interested in the Troubles in N. Ireland durning the time this story takes place, and of the age of the main character. I really loved reading this multi-leveled story about a boy who finds a body in the bog while digging sod that runs concurrent to the Troubles and his family's preoccupation with his brother wasting away on hunger strike in Long Kesh prison.
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent coming of age story. The author successfully weaves two story lines, centuries apart and illustrates how hatreds that are never overcome leapfrog through generations until someone decides to say, "enough."
bluestarfish's review against another edition
5.0
Fergus has to navigate politics, love, a bog person, and growing up in 1981 with a brother in HMP Maze. Beautifully written and a touching account of growing up.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
5.0
Ireland 1981. Fergus has a lot to worry about. 1. He has his exams coming up and is determined to pass so he can escape his small town and become a doctor; 2. His older brother is in prison for working against the Brits and has joined a hunger strike (shhh! don't tell ANYONE - mom says); 3. He has been enlisted to run mysterious packages across the border and Fergus is worried they are bomb related; and 4. Fergus has fallen head over heels for the daughter of the archaeologist who is studying the bog child Fergus and his uncle found in the countryside. Interspersed with the bog child's memories, this is a tale of a young man growing up during an unstable time, just trying to make to a better life.
Ages 16+.
Ages 16+.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully written story that taught me a lot about the Irish conflict of the 80s. While trying to achieve good grades, Fergus is pressured by a friend to join the nationalist, Irish terrorist group while he worries about his brother, who has joined a hunger strike in prison. Weaved with Fergus' story is that of the bog child he finds with his uncle. This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.
kadenmcguire's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story about the hunger strikes in Long Kesh in the 80s. Definitely not what I thought I was getting, as there was very little about the bog child at all (and the snippets of her past, though alright to read about, felt totally irrelevant), but I learned a fair bit here. Also appreciate the nuance and depiction conflicting feelings among family members - it made them pretty believable.