Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is a story that shows the dysfunction of family in a pretty dysfunctional small town in Pennsylvania.

When Marley comes to town with her single mother, she is the one that sets the crux of the book in motion. Her power over the Joseph boys is remarkable and her maturity at this young age was immense. She seemed to be omnipresent at times because she got into all of the Joseph families heads.

The author’s strength is in her multi-layered character building. I felt like a knew each character quite well. I found the discord between Elise and Marley to be incredibly well written. They were the adage of: so close and yet so far.

Themes of mental illness, egotistical misogyny, sibling relationships, motherhood, and mystery were all woven through the storyline. Book clubs will get a good discussion out of this one.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC ebook

Set in the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania is the setting for this character-driven novel of a roofing family. A family saga full of engaging characters following all the ups and downs of the Joseph family. A family that loves deeply, but doesn’t know how to show it. Marley, is the main character, married to Waylon Joseph, and becomes adopted mother to all of them.

I really enjoyed this book and thought the writing was well done. It is a multilayered story of the complex family dynamics of the Joseph’s. By the end of the book you come to understand each family member with more profound insight. My first book by Amy Jo Burns and look forward to reading more books by her.

Touching on family dynamics, resilience and survival, identity and belonging, love, secrets, and forgiveness.

I generally prefer more plot driven books but something about this book really pulled me in. It's a story of a family and all their mess. It does have a slight mystery involved but it is not the primary focus of the book. I cared about the main characters, I wanted to find out how their relationships with each other would end up, and I also wanted to find out how the mystery all tied together in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this messy family story and would definitely read Amy Jo Burns again!

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author.

Baylor, (Bay) Waylon (Way), and Shay (baby) (and they called him that too) Joseph are brothers and roofers who live in Mercury, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh and they are all in the roofing business with their father except for Shay since he was too young at first.

Marley moves to the town with her mother. She first dates Bay and then falls in love with Way. Marley just wanted to fit in with this family of men and her in-laws. Elise was a stiff one and Mick was a tough one.

All the brothers are different in their personalities and demeanor and I can personally say that I liked Shay the youngest the best who wasn't prominently portrayed more for me when he was 10 in the beginning of the book.

It wasn't a depressing book nor sad but it wasn't a happy one either. I wouldn't call them a dysfunctional family but Bay and Way sure were fighting a lot maybe because they were a year apart in ages.

Overall, it was a good read.

I liked this one! This story invites readers into the heart of a small Pennsylvania town where the Joseph family's dynamics shape the narrative. This has all the vibes of the 90s, and the story revolves around Marley, a newcomer drawn to the Joseph brothers and their blue-collar world. What unfolds is a captivating coming-of-age drama filled with layered characters and complex family dynamics.

This is primarily a character-driven narrative that delves deep into the lives of its protagonists. Marley, the central figure, quickly becomes intertwined with the Joseph family, revealing the intricate web of relationships and secrets that define them. Despite the family's flaws and struggles, I found myself rooting for Marley and empathizing with the challenges she faces.

I loved all of the characters from the stoic Elise to the resilient Joseph brothers, each member of the family contributes to this story. As the story unfolds, themes of motherhood, family ties, and independence emerge, adding depth and resonance.

One of the book's standout aspects is its exploration of the tension between individual identity and familial expectations. As Marley navigates her place within the Joseph family, she confronts the sacrifices made in the name of love and loyalty. Similarly, the Joseph brothers grapple with the weight of tradition and the desire for personal fulfillment, ultimately finding redemption and growth amidst adversity.

While the lack of communication bugged me, it ultimately adds to the authenticity of their struggles. Despite its flaws, this story offers a poignant portrayal of resilience, loss, and the journey toward self-discovery.

This was a compelling blend of drama and heart, offering readers a glimpse into the complexities of family and the resilience of the human spirit. Thank you so much NetGalley and Celadon for this advance copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

• blue collar family drama
• secrets, mystery, a touch of romance
• melancholy vibes

Very character driven story which pulled me in right away. I really enjoyed all of them and each of their unique complexities. This family has ISSUES and the overarching theme is life as a woman in a strong, all-male family. I liked how the story was told in terms of the timeline. I recommend this one!

🗣 Thank you to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

Amy Jo Burns did a wonderful job bringing each character to life. Each broken in their own ways, she made them likable despite their shortcomings. This certainly is not a feel good novel, but a story that will be remembered for its complexity and thoughtfulness. Highly recommend as an emotional and reflective novel that will leave you thinking after it’s over.

Thank you NetGalley, Amy Jo Burns and Celadon for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

'A roofing family’s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town―from Amy Jo Burns, author of the critically acclaimed novel Shiner'

Mercury was a super slow draw for me and I found myself wishing for a turning point that unfortunately never came. I felt no connections with any of these characters nor did I feel like I cared. My focus kept shifting, I was distracted throughout and could never become fully invested.

But it could have been a ‘me thing’, a mood thing; wrong book at the wrong time maybe, because Burns is clearly talented.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns centers around a family of roofers. The Joseph family's whole life revolves around roofing. Without that there is not much that ties them together. Then 17 year old Marley West moves to town with her mother and it changes the family forever. She falls for one brother first, ends up marrying another brother and basically takes on being a mother to the youngest brother. The parents of the Joseph boys have problems of their own. When a mystery from the past is revealed everything starts to fall apart. Loved the characters in this novel and I would definitely want to read more from this author!

I loved Burn’s other novel, Shiner, and couldn’t wait to read this one. I really enjoy family stories set in small towns with some of the specific issues that can come from living in those towns.

In Mercury, we follow the Joseph family across the decades as they try to build a life and a business in a small town in Pennsylvania. There were so many wonderful layers to this story about fitting in, finding family and living up to expectations. This novel had a non-linear story line and multiple points of view. I absolutely loved the writing and could relate to so many of the characters. Especially when it comes to sacrificing for family without letting them know, and the daily miracles it can take to survive.

This was a five star book for me and I would recommend it to anyone who loves books that have complicated family dynamics where no one character is either all good or all bad.

This was a really good book! It's well written and the characters are interesting. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Amy Up Burns , Celeron Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, MERCURY. Where do I begin? This layered, beautiful novel broke my heart and somehow stitched it together again. I had not read any of Amy Jo Burns' previous work, which includes a memoir that I gather may have influenced part of this book. I had no expectations, and I certainly did not expect to be so immersed in this fictional family that I read until two o'clock in the morning. Readers who feel connected to plots driven by characters and to books that center a single family - MERCURY is for you.

We meet the Joseph family, a family of all men with a lonely but fierce matriarch, at the very same time that tenacious young Marley meets them. She is invited to join them for dinner as a new arrival in their small rust belt town, and suddenly we're there alongside her. As she settles into her chair at their kitchen table, we are at that very same table with her. We come to know this family as Marley does, with all of their secrets, their glory, and their grief. The book follows along this path, and the reader just may find themselves asking very profound questions about what holds us together and what pulls us apart as family.

There is tragedy here but there is also joy, and Amy Jo Burns beautiful characters are a testament to her ability as a writer to create something beyond tropes of dysfunctional families. MERCURY felt very much like Tracey Lange's two novels and if you connected with those, I think this would feel just right for you too. I enthusiastically suggest that this book find its way to your stack on the nightstand. Five well deserved stars for MERCURY and to these characters that I will carry alongside me for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

I LOVE novels that tell the story of a family over a span of many years and this author does it beautifully in this book. I was instantly connected to the characters and the book remained character-driven throughout its entirety, which is one of my favorite kind of books. There's mystery in the pages, but it's mostly about the Joseph family and the legacy they choose to build.

4.5 stars.

The Joseph family is complex and dysfunctional. Marley West had no idea what she was getting herself into when she got involved with the Joseph brothers! When she married into the family, she became a part of not only the family roofing company but a complicated set of relationships made up of fierce loyalty and devastating secrets.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns was a great read! I really enjoyed this family drama about the Joseph family. The characters felt real and genuine though not always likeable. The story moves at a good pace, and I felt like I truly got to know each of the characters. I love a good family story that dives into the deep but often complex relationships between parents and their grown children and between grown siblings. This one adds another layer with the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

I found it all to be very fascinating and I would highly recommend this one if you also enjoy well-written stories about complicated family dynamics. It reminded me of We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange, another book that I really enjoyed!

I really love how this was an intense family drama and the characters were very realistic. They were messy and flawed.

A coming of age story with layered and flawed characters. Although I would say this is more character driven, there defiantly plot to this story. I think the two combined keeps you intrigued in the story. You can't help root for the main character Marley. The lack of communication would be why I docked it one star. Overall A great read and I cant wait to see what this author comes out with next.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Mercury was an enjoyable read. I appreciated the family dynamics and exploration of family drama. Great on audio.

A coming of age drama about the close knit Joseph family set in a small blue collar town in Pennsylvania during the 90s. Waylon, Baylor and Shay help their father, Mick, run a successful roofing business. Their futures and identities are wrapped up in continuing the family business. When young Marley arrives new to town, she is quickly enamored with this family and becomes an integral part of the family dynamics.

The family drama draws the reader into the story as each character grows and learns from their shared secrets. Covering themes of motherhood, family ties and independence, Mercury provides both entertainment and moving life lessons.

This book welcomes you to the town of Mercury into the Joseph family home where you fall in love with each member of the family despite their many flaws.

Early in the story you are introduced to two strong women, Elise and Marley. While they have many differences, they share one common thing: they both make, or have made, sacrifices in the name of being a mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend. As a woman myself, I felt sadness for both Elise and Marley and the lives they could have lived, but gave up for the desire to protect and care for those they loved.

Throughout the story you are also introduced to the Joseph men: Waylon, Baylor, Shay and Mick. I really enjoyed getting to see the growth the men exhibited, especially toward the end of the novel. Growing up in a small town with the responsibility to continue the family business, as one can assume, is daunting and will challenge any young person. In a place where everyone knows you, it can be hard to find your own future and dream, and feel like you have the free will to follow it. With the hand they were dealt, and with a little help from (and a little trauma bonding with) two strong women, these boys grew into men.

Overall this is the story of a very dysfunctional family where all of the members are trying to find who they are within the pressure of living up to expectations. It is a beautiful story of trauma, loss and growth. You will become attached to each character (especially ShayBaby) and feel both happiness and sadness when the story comes to an end.

I really enjoyed this book! I am giving it a 4/5 as there were a few lessons/deeper meanings to the events that transpired that went over my head.

Thank you to @CeladonBooks and NetGalley for this free book in exchange for my honest review. The book was published January 2nd, 2o24. Get your copy today!