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.

~👩🏻‍🦰

Amy Jo Burns won me over with Shiner and I was so glad to see she was back!

Mercury at it's core is about family, both found and by blood. Burns weaves a wonderful web of connections, ones we see and ones we don't know about until she reveals them to the reader in the most unexpected ways.

Without another way to describe it, her writing feels like coming home. Her words suck me in and I am hypnotized!

Loved, loved, loved this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Amy Jo Burns for an early copy in exchange for a review.

The town of Mercury is a fascinating place full of secrets - especially for those in the Joseph family! Following the family dynamics through their interactions with Marley (an outsider) and how she impacts each of their lives was a bit of a roller coaster. This book was well-written and I enjoyed seeing certain scenes in the story from the point of view of different characters! The way the town itself played a part in the roofing business was almost a character itself also. Overall, Mercury is a good book that I would recommend to others!

I really enjoyed this writers' last book, Shiner, and this new offering did not disappoint. Her characters are well drawn and complex, and I like how she highlights the often invisible work of women.

I unfortunately did not care for this book at all. It is populated by people who act poorly and selfishly, and have zero conversations with each other. The writing is so vague that sometimes I was wondering if I was interpreting what was happening correctly.

It starts out interestingly enough, but it just meanders and there really were very few likable people. I'm honestly at no point certain why Marley wants to be a part of this family, since the parents are both emotionally manipulative assholes, and basically leave her to run the family, to the point that it's insane (she just pulls Shea from school without agreement from either of his parents because she can "teach him school" on her own...despite having nothing to show that she can actually do that). At no point does her and Waylon's relationship seem believable. No one's reaction to anything that happens in this book seems based on what a real human would do.

I'm definitely an outlier on this one as it's getting great reviews, but this one did not hit for me at all. The writing style is interesting, but the plot and characters leave A LOT to desire. I think I was supposed to care about and root for some of these people, and I did not. It's not bad, just ultimately boring and frustrating.