The family drama that I’ve seen make its way across bookstagram the past few weeks definitely lived up to the hype for me!

Told in alternating POVs and timelines, it’s the story of the Jospeh family - their wayward father, their steely mother and the 3 boys. When Marley moves to town and becomes irrevocably tied to the family, she sees just how dysfunctional their family ties are.

This one really worked for me, as family dramas usually do. The alternating POVs gave so much insight to this little family and I couldn’t put it down! The story explores so many things - family dynamics, family trauma, small towns, loyalty and duty. The characters were INCREDIBLY flawed - all of them - and it made for such rich storytelling. I highly recommend!

The *one* thing that irked me the entire time is that the characters were all VERY self aware - but they were young and naive. It would take decades of therapy to get to their self actualization that they achieved at 18-25 years of age😜. Being in their heads propelled the story forward, sure, but it annoyed me that they were so well spoken at such a young age.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one. Character-driven books are hit or miss for me, and it really depends on the format I use (audio vs. physical), my mood, and the writing style.

I think I’m just at a time in life where this family drama hit hard and moved me. I loved the author’s writing style and how she developed each character so well. You loved (most of) them, but knew they were flawed.

I really enjoyed the brothers - all different, but all likable in very specific ways. The parents weren’t great, but you understood what demons they were struggling with.

Marley and Way’s marriage was so well done. It’s hard. Period. But their love was so evident.

Also a huge fan of the mid-1990s and small-town Pennsylvania setting. (Side note - is the 1990s historical fiction? Please say no because I was born then. Thanks. 😅).

While this dramatic family saga initially took some time to draw me in, I found that somewhere along the line I couldn’t put it down. The author does such an amazing job of letting you feel one way about a character before introducing a new perspective and suddenly turning everything on its head.

The way the story is told, starting with the ‘eerie discovery’ in the church attic and then rewinding to Marley’s arrival in town years earlier, really exemplified how so many decisions make up a life. And how things could be so different if we were to choose different paths, like that Charles Dickens quote: “...think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.”

Marley is, in many ways, that first link. Will she be the downfall of this family or its salvation? And the same can be said of the Josephs to her.

It left me thinking about how love, from just one person, has the power to change someone’s life, and also, how the lack of it can shape their very existence; the person they become and all of their actions from that point forward. By the end of this story, I felt compassion for every character, even the ones I had previously felt nothing but anger and resentment towards. The ending felt very cathartic and I was genuinely pleased with how it all turned out.

I really can’t say if the Josephs were the best thing that happened to Marley or the worst; I think the author would leave that up to each person’s interpretations. But I can say that the story felt very genuine, in all of the gritty and beautiful and heartbreaking moments that make up a family. And a life.

“There’s more to this life than just trying to survive it.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for allowing me to read this title in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by this author and I DEVOURED it. I loved the family drama, SECRETS, suspense / mystery aspect. It kept me wanting to know more and engaged. The ending broke my heart and I literally cried. Just loved the way this book was written and I highly recommend it!!

I loved this literary fiction book! It was definitely character-driven, but unputdownable at the same time. Normally character-driven books can be a bit sluggish for me and while I enjoy them, they aren't always quick reads. I flew through this book and found myself not wanting to read anything else. I loved the complicated Joseph family and of course, Marley.

I loved this story and it's accuracy in how easy it is to become stuck in a small town. I grew up in a small town myself and never really left (moved about an hour away). A sweeping novel of family and family relationships in an area like this. Despite our flaws, we tend to still have each others backs and generally, there is at least one family member who acts as the glue and keeps us all connected. Beautiful story.

I really liked this book. It fulfilled a challenge prompt of book with multiple viewpoints. I liked reading about the family dynamics and also the things we keep private even from those closest to us

Loved this story of a roofing family in Pennsylvania and the young woman who comes to town and becomes a part of the chaotic group. Well-drawn characters and a plot that seamlessly takes readers from the present to the past and back again a few times without missing a beat. I love small town novels where interesting things happen beneath the surface and Mercury is one of those books. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced readers copy. Amy Jo Burns is a writer to watch.

Seventeen-year-old Marley is new in town, but quickly becomes part of the Joseph family. She first dates one brother, then marries another, then mothers the youngest. Throughout it all, she strives to make a family out of them all.

This is a slow moving coming of age story. I feel like it could have been better served by spanning more time actually. I had a hard time reconciling the actions of all the characters with the fact that most of them were just in their very early 20s.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns was a book I was so sad to finish. From the time I got to the last page I was already missing Marley and the Joseph brothers. Set in 1990's in the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania-- seventeen year old Marley and her mom come into town and turn the world of the Joseph family upside down. Caught in a sort of love triangle with Baylor and Waylon, the elder Joseph brothers, and becoming a mother figure to Shay the younger brother. The Joseph brothers own a roofing business and dad Mick is quite a character. Elise Joseph, the mother, is cold to Elise but has many secrets of her own. The characters in Mercury were flawed but fabulous and this was a really outstanding literary fiction novel.

I enjoyed this literary fiction book. It was heavily character driven, but easy to read and hard to put down. I found myself flying through the pages. I loved the complicated Joseph family. I highly recommend this book!

I was immediately entranced by Marley West's journey in search of belonging and family in the small town of Mercury. The Joseph brothers add depth to the story with their enigmatic presence, keeping the narrative rich and engaging.

Burns' writing is beautiful and poetic, with each sentence crafted with care and emotion. While the book's first half held my full attention, I found the pacing slightly slower in the second half, with some minor disruptions to the flow of the plot.

Despite these minor drawbacks, "Mercury" remains a compelling read that I highly recommend. Burns' talent for creating vivid characters and evoking a sense of time and place shines throughout the novel, leaving readers eager for more.

In conclusion, "Mercury" is a beautifully written story and will linger with me. I eagerly anticipate exploring more of Burns' work.

I adored this book. Please give me all the family drama, all the dysfunction, all the poor communication, hurt feelings. disappointment, throw in people so desperately longing to love and be loved but unsure how to do it and I am here for all of it.

I was immediately drawn into the Joseph family story. I cared about each of the siblings and wanted to see if Marley could save them from themselves.

I have so many thoughts - is this book a reverse gender Little Women? Marley, like Laurie in LW, is beloved by all the siblings. The roofs they built provided what the Josephs were looking for: stability, security, comfort. The Great House is Mick: broken, disheveled, pieced together. I could go on all day.

This is my first book by Amy Jo Burns and I LOVED it. I can’t wait to check out her backlist. She wrote vivid characters that seemed real. I felt so invested in this family. This family has darkness and sadness but it didn’t feel overwhelmingly heavy.

This was a compelling portrait of a family and character driven novel, with some unexpected twist and turns that kept me intrigued. I appreciated the fact that the author had a robust cast of characters, but I don’t know if this book was long enough to give each their due (other than the main character Marley). Just as I was getting invested in another family member, the focus would shift - it was well plotted, but then I would feel left hanging. The writing was lyrical, and had a melancholy dreamlike quality, but everything in this book felt depressing, there was not a lot of joy. I had got the same vibes as I did while reading Hello Beautiful - which is beloved by so many readers. If you’re looking for a similar ‘portrait of a family’ read, this would be a great book to pick up!

“Mick enjoyed Shay, but only in the way a dog jumps for joy at seeing himself in a mirror. The dog thinks someone has come to play, someone who resembles him and stares deeply into his eyes, waiting for this newfound reflection to blink. What Mick never said but meant: I don’t love you. I love the likeness of me.”

RIYL: Family drama; flashbacks; multiple viewpoints.

Mercury is somewhat of a slow build, but still manages to hold attention. The family dynamic and dysfunction are the center of the novel with Marly often caught in the middle of chaos. She is a strong character that does her best to keep the family and their business together. The members of the Joseph family are well developed. I loved reading about a family who makes a living with their hands (and backs.) The chapters dealing with their viewpoints add to the story, but some readers might feel like they are slowing down the novel.

Readers who prefer a fast pace may become frustrated, but the novel is sewn together like a fine quilt. I do feel the storyline involving the church discovery did not find closure, although that is picking on a well-written novel. I enjoyed Mercury a great deal.

Very well written story about family dynamics and everything that goes with it. One person changes a family forever. Small town secrets shake up everything and everyone. This book will hit home with so many people. Would definitely recommend.

This book was full of family drama, which I enjoyed. It is one of my favorite tropes in books. I did enjoy this book, but I am not sure why it was so hyped up. I believe since it was so hyped up, I felt a little disappointed. Otherwise, if you enjoy family dramas, this would be a great book for you. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the arc.

Wow, this was such a complex story about small towns and getting stuck, family and secrets, and love. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
I was not expecting to love this one, and yet, here I am. A true family saga, this book was written so eloquently and honestly. It captured the nuances in the concept of family legacy, especially within a small town, as well as generational impact of family dynamics.

I thoroughly enjoyed how this book was laid out, with chapters offering up a portrait of the characters, both as individuals and as members of the family as a whole. The author did a stellar job of offering only a glimpse of what each character was going through from the eyes of another, really only allowing the reader to understand each character when they had a chance to tell their story themselves - just as it is in life. Your idea of who someone is, why they behave the way they do, and their views and impact on the world is only just that: an idea - only the individual truly knows ( and that’s assuming they have insight ).

I loved Shay and Baylor - the latter possibly being an unpopular opinion - but I knew for the start of this novel that Baylor was misunderstood in many ways. He, like the rest of us, is wildly imperfect, but his character is one that will stay with me for a long time.

This is one of those books that may have slipped under the radar, but I’m here to tell you that it is an excellent read, and absolutely worth your time.

~👩🏻‍🦰