I enjoyed the premise and the setting of the book. It was a captivating and realistic read that made me feel like I was part of the town. I admired Marley’s strength, her resilience, and her growth.

This is my first book by this author, and I LOVED it.. This book tied together beautifully at the end, and I couldn’t have loved this journey any more than I do. You know a book is good when you think about it for days after

Thanks to Celadon for the copy of this book!

Mercury is a solid family drama, featuring a working class family in a small town (Mercury, PA). Told from multiple POVs, this is a slow-paced, character-driven story that features a coming-of-age narrative and the changeover of generations in a family. This is a perfect read for fans of Tracey Lange!

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯.𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.) Like many others, 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗬 by Amy Jo Burns was high on my winter reading list and one of my first 2024 books. It’s the story of two incredible forces. The first is the Joseph family, a family of roofers in Mercury, PA. The lives of its three sons revolve around the rigid rule of their father and the unspoken longings of their mother. No one in the family is quite happy, but all three sons show unwavering dedication to their mom. ⁣
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Into this world walks Marley West, the other force, a 16-year old who has never lived in the same town for more than a year. Marley quickly falls under the spell of the Joseph family and they under hers. Over the years, Marley and the Josephs tangle, growing both close and distant, needing and pushing away. Secrets are held, as are hurts, and through it all, need and love struggle to find a balance.⁣
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I really liked this book. It was a perfect combination of character and plot driven. There were characters to root for and those who I wanted to shake. It felt authentic in the things that happened…until the last 10% or so. Then things got a tad hard to believe and the ending was a little neat and tidy for my tastes. Never-the-less, my time spent with 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘺 was a pleasure and it’s a book I’ll definitely be recommending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When trying to decide whether I wanted to read this book or not, I kept seeing the words “slow-burn” to describe it. Now that I’ve finished it, this was no slow burn for me. Mercury is a powerful look at one family’s dynamics, what makes them work and what tears them apart. It’s beautifully honest in drawing out each character’s flaws while also highlighting their redemptive qualities.

While the synopsis talks about the Joseph boys, I think this story revolves around the women in the Joseph family, who are the overlooked glue of the family. Marley is a high school senior who shows up to town and quickly starts a romance with one Joseph brother but ends up marrying another. As she works to gain acceptance into the family and her mother-in-law’s graces, she entwines herself into the Joseph brother’s lives, giving them each something they need. Meanwhile, Elise Joseph gives all she has and more to her husband and children with little acknowledgment. She sees how her life has fallen away to the whims of her boys and wishes more for Marley.

What’s beautiful about this book is we get to see into the hearts and minds of each character, seeing both the good and bad that lives in each of them. Each Joseph boy is extremely complex internally even if his external actions seem simplistic. Just when you are ready to write off a character, the author goes inside their mind to help you understand where they come from and why they deserve redemption.

I could not put this book down, which is why this was not a slow burn for me. At first I wanted to see how the story enfolded, and then I could not stop learning more about the characters in that story. By the end of this book, I felt so connected to each character, flaws and all, that I was sad to say goodbye to them. This will not be a story that I will easily forget.

** Thank you so much to NetGalley and Celadon books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**

I didn’t know what to expect going into this novel. I thought it might be a family drama, slow and super character-driven. But it started with the discovery of a dead body… and I was hooked.
This story is about a family. But more than that, it’s about how who we are in our families shapes and is shaped by the others. It’s heartbreaking and hopeful- all at the same time. I found it thought-provoking and highly recommend!
Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't expecting to love this one as much as I did but I enjoyed it so much that I went ahead and also grabbed a physical copy to have on my shelves. Highly recommended!

Approximately a year ago I saw @burnsamyjo interview @backmansk at @princetonpl, knowing nothing about her but loving her interview/conversational approach.

When Mercury was released earlier this month, I knew I’d enjoy this novel since I’m a sucker for a sprawling family drama, but I think I underestimated how lyrical and beautiful the book would be.

This morning, I woke up early to read more before work and basically bawled from the halfway point of the book until the 75/80% mark.

Mercury is a town but also a metaphor for the love that keeps slipping through the cracks in the Joseph family. It’s clear that they all have big feels and bigger hurts and while they’re one unit, they struggle to balance their own needs with that of the others in the family. Like the element mercury, their ability to respond with hurt shifts quickly and rather unpredictably. (And I’m certain that naming the town MERCurY was an intentional hint to the mercy that each of the characters needed to learn.) I loved each character, even when they were at their most unlikeable. Burns crafts strong, well-developed characters and an engaging plot. She manages to hooks us early with the discovery of a dead body in a church attic, yet this book is not a whodunnit. It’s about how people find themselves, even as they’re entangled in complicated relationships and even more complicated expectations.

This family saga is beautifully written and engaging. My only critique is that toward the end I thought some of the characters’ verbiage was too indistinguishable. Also, the book ended with one of my least favorite POV’s, which felt a bit jarring. and frankly depressing.

An absolutely beautiful, thoughtful, and, at times, heartbreaking story about the families we choose, create for ourselves, and all of the expectations, disappointments, fears and gratitude that come along with both. I cannot recommend this one highly enough, especially for fans of authors like Ann Patchett, Barbara Kingsolver, and Ann Napolitano. This one will likely land in my list of favorites for the year!

I received an ARC of this novel from Celadon Books in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. I haven't read anything by Amy Jo Burns but after this novel I am a huge fan! This is a character driven novel that tells the story of Marley West- an newcomer to the town of Mercury, Pennsylvania, where she meets the Joseph brothers. Little did she know how her life and the lives of these brothers would become so interwoven in very different ways. Family secrets are also a theme that is woven throughout this novel. This story is beautifully written and it was great way to kick off a new year of reading!

“Head on straight, heart on straight.”

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this book, as Amy Jo Burns is a new author for me, but I was glad to be so entranced by this deep and complex novel.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is a gritty coming of age story based in the small Pennsylvania town of Mercury. Our MC, Marley, is learning how to navigate the choppy waters of rough family dynamics when she’s suddenly thrust into the Joseph family as a young adult with a new baby and a new husband. I found each member of the Joseph family, along with Marley’s best friend Jade and her mother Ruth completely captivating. This is definitely a character-driven novel with really well thought out character traits and histories. This book honestly has me so excited to read other works from this author!

Huge thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this eARC. I loved it!

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns was part mystery combined with family drama but written with strong literary style. I was impressed with the depth of characterization and beautiful prose.

When Marley West arrives in Mercury, Pennsylvania, the Joseph family will never be the same again. She dates one brother, marries another and becomes de facto mother to the third brother. She forges a complicated relationship with their parents, too. Marley's character was strong, independent and fierce. I loved how she grew and developed. Although she is our protagonist, the three brothers are also fleshed out deeply. I enjoyed getting to know and understand each character's motivations.

Although there is a mild murder mystery, the story is told gradually and is more of a character study involving family loyalty, secrets and finding your place within a family. The writing was eloquent and I highlighted many passages. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I will recommend this to readers who like literary family dramas.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars! This book was an intimate look at a family and their struggles and triumphs. I loved getting to know these characters and seeing them grow. Even though this plot didn’t feel super fast paced, I enjoyed how each event really shaped the characters and their relationships with each other. This was truly such a human story, and I loved it.

A story of family, love and loss.
The story follows the Joseph family each with their own issues and secrets.
I enjoyed reading the growth of each character or lack there of.

For an ARC, I agreed to give my honest feedback

Mercury has everything a small town has.....everyone knows everyone's business, the new girl gets herself in trouble, mystery and twists, a character to love to and one to hate.

The story is about a family and their struggles. The new girl fitting into the family causes more problems. The estranged dad, the dementia afflicted Mom, the strong-willed and stubborn older brother, the mild-mannered middle brother and the younger brother everyone loves. But when it comes time to cover up a death in a small town, it is hard to say what can happen.

It is a slow burn yet I was invested in the story and characters. I would recommend it for those who like the slow burn for a read.

I recieved a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mercury started with a tantalizing premise; a body is found in a church ceiling, but after this excitement the pace of the novel slows.

This reader loves a family saga, yet this one droned on and on with only minor character development. Shay's arc was nice, yet seemed unfinished and the other characters seemed one dimensional. A promising book that falls a bit flat.

Amy Jo Burns seems like an author to watch, as the prose held a lot of potential, this story just wasnt this reviewer's cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC copy of Mercury and to Celadon books.

I just love having to opportunity for these books to expand my reading palate for new authors to me. I wasn't disappointed with Amy Jo Burns and will read more books by her.

This coming of age story takes us through the challenges of growing up, crushes, school life, peer pressure, and fun of being a kid. This story takes us all the way into adulthood with Marley.

This story is about family drama and secrets. Can everyone move on or will this tear everyone apart?

Family drama at its finest in this small town.
Many thanks to NetGalley, The Publisher and the author for an ARC

Thank you to publisher for ARC. This was family drama at its best. If you like Tracey Lange, Claire Lombardo, Anne Patchett and Dani Shapiro, this is a book for you. Available now. Buy it or borrow it.