Bog Bodies OGN: Nothing Appears as it Seems in the Bog

Bog Bodies follows a young Irish gangster named Killian. The book opens with Killian getting a knock at the door and finds his partner Keano on the other end asking for help with a job. What Killian does not know is that he’s being set up and is about to take a journey that will forever change his life. Running through the bog he stumbles upon a woman named “Neev,” who appears to be on the receiving end of a bad night and does not trust Killian or his intentions of helping her navigate the bog safely.

Declan Shalvey who we all know from his artistic abilities and the fabulous stories attached to it. With Bog Bodies we find ourselves on the receiving end his storytelling and getting our collective minds absolutely blown to bits. Bog Bodies is nothing short of a great suspense story that is completely left up to the reader’s interpretation (I will not talk about the end of the book due to its masterfully crafted ending). Declan Shalvey takes us on a great pace journey into the Ireland mountains and makes sure to pack plenty of emotion, heart, and a good cast of characters to sink your teeth into and perhaps choose a side to root for.

The dialogue is so natural that you feel as if you were camping in the mountains and being spun a tale of fear, regret, and suspense. Page to page you cling onto the characters as they start to take shape. Killian starts out just playing video games at his apartment minding his own business until towards the end where we start to see perhaps just a bit of regret and the realization of him coming to grips with who is really is on the inside. Keano is the guy you wind up sitting in the pub with going over your day with. Keano’s vocabulary is that of a crusty old sailor who has been at sea way too long and has the temperament to match. Gerry who is Keano’s partner on this run is the epitome of pure Irish madness. If Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs had a son it would be Gerry. Then we have Neev. For her discussion points, you will have to read Bog Bodies and get back with me.

So now that the table is set, we must talk about Declan’s partners in crime. Gavin Fullerton and Rebecca Nalty. Every great story must have great art and ink to assist in what the writer is their duties of spinning a great yarn, and that is exactly what Gavin and Rebecca do! Two of my favorite examples are on pages 5 and 6. On page 5 all you get is Keano’s headlights and dark country mountainous background. It’s dark, lonely, and provides you with the right amount of goosebumps in expectation for what will come. Page 6 we are introduced to Gerry as Killian opens the truck and finds Gerry hold a gun to Killian’s face. Gerry’s expression is that of Freddy Krueger and Norman Bates lightly mixed in a recipe that is creepy as hell. Nalty’s inks add so much spine-tingling suspense and emotion to this story that I really do not think anyone else could have spoken as magnificently through ink as she did.