4.25 ⭐

Mercury is a coming-of-age meets family fiction with some interesting twists that kept me on my toes.

I felt very connected to the characters. By the end, I even felt connected to the characters I didn't think I particularly liked. Everything felt real, gritty, and authentic. The characters are all flawed, but in such a human way that it's hard not to root for them.

I enjoyed the plot of this book but found the writing hard to follow. I understand that the intention was to make the characters seem complex but I found that it made for quite an exhausting reading experience trying to figure out and remember how each of the characters felt at any given time. I liked the concept and the found family was nice but overall I just don’t think this was a book for me.

While the discovery of a dead body, would not normally be the start of a tender family drama, “Mercury,” by Amy Jo Burns does just that. The book cover lead me to believe I was in for a tale of struggling rural America. Unbeknownst to this western Pennsylvania native, I found myself in a fictionalize part of the country very well know to me. Burns’ beautiful writing captures the spirit of the area and its people authentically. The financial struggles of the Rust Belt in the late 1990s provided the backdrop for the complicated Joesph family and the rare new girl in town, Marley. The character development was thorough and the ending satisfying.

Oh my did I love this book! It absolutely helped that I grew up in a small town outside of Pittsburgh. Outside of that, I was absolutely enthralled by this family. I felt so connected and invested in these characters for some reason. I loved the family dynamics, drama, and heartbreak. This was a very pleasant surprise for me!

"Mercury" by Jo Burns is a poignant and atmospheric novel set in 1990s Pennsylvania, where Marley West arrives seeking connection and family. From the moment she encounters the enigmatic Joseph brothers on a rooftop, her life becomes entwined with theirs in unexpected ways.

Burns beautifully portrays Marley's journey from outsider to integral member of the Joseph family. As she navigates complex relationships with each brother, Marley evolves into a pillar of strength amidst familial challenges. The narrative delves into themes of belonging, sacrifice, and resilience as Marley assumes roles that bind her to the brothers' fates.

Shiner is one of my all time favorite books and I was completely excited to pick up Amy Jo Burns next book. Unfortunately, Mercury was a big miss for me. This book is a literary work of family living in a small town and events that transpire amongst a trip of brothers and one women.

This book was so incredibly boring that I almost DNF'd is many times. I also found the sudden deep dives on characters at the end of the book to be completely out of the story line and felt like it was just added to extend the plot out.

I am honestly not sure what audience to recommend this book as I am a literary reader and did not find this book engaging.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns turned out to be such a great read. I'll be honest, the synopsis did not do it for me, but I decided to give this book a chance. The writing of every character blended so well that it was easy to weave everyone together. The family dynamic was challenging to read through, but once you became familiar with everyone's quirks, I couldn't help but fall in love with Joseph Family. Their secrets kept you turning the pages, their flaws made them relatable, and their heartfelt motives left you rooting for them long after the story ended.

Thank you Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an Advanced Readers Copy!

Publication Date: January 2, 2024

#Mercury #AmyJoBurns #NetGalley

Mercury is a compelling novel that offers a nuanced look at family, forgiveness, and the resilience of the human spirit. Burns' masterful storytelling creates a captivating world where readers become invested in the fates of the Joseph brothers and the enigmatic Marley. This is a recommended read for those who enjoy character-driven literary fiction with a touch of mystery.

Picture this. Small town Pennsylvania in the 70s. Yikes.
What I will say is Burns created a masterful story. Not many blue-collar, small-town life books can get me interested... but I see what the hype was about!
3.5

The characters in this book are flawed and yet loveable. I enjoyed the journey of going through their lives and the imperfect way that they love.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Amy Jo Burns writes another good one! This one follows a relationship between a girl and three brothers. She is something different to each of them. This is the story of their life in Mercury, PA and how being different things to different people within a family can work or tear you apart. As the four navigate life, something comes to light that threatens everything. Burns’ first book, Shiner, was great, so I was excited to see she had written another. Highly recommended.

While this book was a little slow to start for me, I ended it thinking it will most likely be in my top favorites for 2024. The Joseph family saga is quite the saga indeed, but the author has a very gifted ability to the reader see all sides of each character’s story. With themes of love, generational trauma, and learning to choose our own paths, this book is one that will stick with me for a long time.

Thanks to Celadon Books & NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review
A thoroughly enjoyable novel about a family of roofers, that's right roofers, and a young lady who came into their life and the experiences that they had together. We basically follow the exploits of the Joseph family, father Mick, and his wife Elise. And then we have the three sons:: Baylor, Waylon and Shay. It's a rather dysfunctional family and the story is set back in the 1990s when Marley and her mother arrive in the small town of Mercur,y, PA where they have come for Marley's mother to begin a new job. Marley spots the roofers on her way into town and before you know it, she is interacting with two of them after a baseball game. All three of the brothers, love Marley, each in different ways just as each of the brothers, have secrets, which no one knows about except themselves. We slowly unravel the twists and turns of the family, as a body is discovered in the steeple of the local church. Marley eventually married the middle child Waylon and moves into the family house, but she was never really accepted by Mick & Elise. The book peels away the layers of the family, as well as the secrets that they hold. We are drawn into this world of small town life with all its simplicities and all its difficulties. It is a very well written book. It has a wonderful plot, and I was immediately drawn to the characters. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is that you see certain events unfolding in the first half of the book, and then, in the latter stages of the book, we see the points of view changing, and now we understand why these events happen, and what was behind certain things. The secrets and the motivations behind all the actions that take place in the beginning of the book are all revealed bit by bit as we go through the 2nd half of the book.. Amy Jo Burns has written, a wonderful novel, a novel filled with joy, disappointments, family, intrigue, and small town USA! A definite 4.5 star in my reading scale.

Mercury tells the story of a dysfunctional family over the course of ten years, going back and forth in time. It also shows the deep love, sacrifice, and courage that were part of this family despite the dysfunction. I thought it was an interesting story, but I also wish that some parts would have been fleshed out a little more. I did the audio and enjoyed it.

Title: Mercury
Author: Amy Jo Burns
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: January 2, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Celadon Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Curious • Absorbing • Layered

📖 S Y N O P S I S

It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. Their silhouettes blot out the sun.

The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father’s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they’ve always known—or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Mercury, a small town family saga from author Amy Jo Burns, was my very first anticipated release of the new year. It did not disappoint. Rather it quite possibly surpassed my expectations. What this tells me is that I have become very aware of my own tastes and what will work and what won't.

There is just something about the combination of a relatable small town community, a cast of flawed and messy characters, and long-held family secrets that sucks me in. Every. Single. Time. This multi-layered novel certainly has all of these characteristics and so much more. From the start to the finish, I continuously felt absorbed into their family life. Some of their choices and actions are highly questionable, yet there is a redeeming quality in all of them. The underlying mystery of the body in the attic takes a back seat, yet it is expertly weaved into the foundation of the storyline, reveling small pieces of the puzzles bit by bit.

If I had to choose one element that truly stood out for me, it would have to be the unlikely bond between Marley and the youngest brother, Shay. Their bond unfolded so organically making their interactions come across genuine. And it truly helped each of their characters to really shine. I just felt for both of them and the book would not have been the same without their special relationship.

Mercury was a pleasant surprise with heart and real-life family problems. I was impressed with this author's writing style, and it reminded me of Tracey Lange's novels. I can say with 100% certainty this will not be the last time I read Amy Jo Burns. I am curious to explore what her backlist looks like and will be looking forward to news of future projects.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Tracey Lange
• family drama
• multigenerational stories

⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, physical abuse, emotional abuse, injury/injury detail, blood, cursing, mental illness, PTSD, drug use, drug abuse, overdose, alcohol, dementia, pregnancy, bullying, miscarriage, death, death of parent, grief, homophobia, infidelity, misogyny, suicide, sexual content

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"What could love become once compared?"

"...and that often, life didn't make any sense when you lost someone you loved."

"He saw people at their worst and didn't flinch because he knew how devastating it was to have to hide."

"Loving someone is not a sin, no matter who it is."

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC of Mercury by Amy Jo Burns.

I found this one to be a bit of slow start. Almost to the point of I was going to add it my DNF pile. However, I hung on for a bit as the description really did catch my attention as a book that I’d be interested in. Ultimately, the Jospeh family and Marley weaving herself into it really did hook me in. I found the layers to be part of what I enjoyed. The relationships between Bay and Way, Shay and Patrick, Marley and Elise, Mick and really everyone. And the ending that loops you back to the beginning. Let’s not forget the bit of mystery that pulls back the layers of how almost all of them are connected to some degree. Enjoyable read, but if you like a quick out the door, give this one time!

Teenage Marley and her mother have recently moved to Mercury. A small town where everyone knows everything. Shortly after moving Marley becomes involved with Baylor Joseph - one of the three Joseph boys belonging to Mick and Elise. Baylor, Waylon and Shay all end up working for their father at his roofing company.

When a body is discovered in the roof of their local church, layer upon layer of the Joseph family secrets begin to unravel...

This was my first title by Amy Jo Burns and I really enjoyed it. I loved the layers and complications in the family dynamics. The emotions the characters were feeling were conveyed wonderfully. The character development was flawless. This book will definitely hit you in the feels.

Thank you to Amy Jo Burn, NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book. I loved the main character, Marley, and everything she had to endure. It was a great book and one I will definitly be trying to adopt into the curriculum at the high school I teach at!

I don’t think any words could do this book justice. After seeing so many glowing reviews, I was worried about having my hopes too high, but I quickly knew it was a new favourite. I deliberately stretched it out over three weeks because I didn’t want it to end.

This is very much a character-driven story with a focus on Marley and the dysfunctional Joseph family. We get into their heads and get to know them on such an intimate level. And it’s one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read in quite a while. I wanted to highlight and tab so many portions and found a need for a physical copy before I was done. I loved Marley and the three Joseph brothers so much. Most of the story is from Marley’s side of the story, but we get portions of the story from their perspective as well, which adds so much depth to the experience.

I guess my love for stories that explore family dynamics can be attributed to how much I adored this book, but that would be undercutting how genuinely wonderful it is. I think, even if I didn’t love multi-generational stories, this would be the one that changed my mind.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for my copy!

My very first book from this author. Mercury is thick with family drama and one I ended up enjoying more than I initially thought I would. When I started it, I was having trouble getting into the story. And that's not to say that it wasn't a good story, it's just not a story I would normally pick up for myself. Once I got into the story, I couldn't stop reading and ended up finishing it in one sitting. I wasn't sure what I was expecting or where the story was really going but it ended up being a touching story. Definitely a slow burn and I think there's a right audience for it.