This was such an amazing novel for me. It is highly character driven, and the Joseph family included an eclectic bunch. It is hard not to empathize with each of them, as their lives unfold throughout the 1990s in the small rural town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. We also learn of their pasts through flashbacks, such as when the heads of the Joseph family, Mick and Elise first met, married, and finally lived together and began raising their family, when Mick came home from the Vietnam War. They had three sons, Baylor, Waylon, and Shay, and the men in the family worked together to build a commercial roofing company.
Baylor and Waylon meet Marley, a new girl in town, and she quickly becomes enthralled by them and being a part of their family. From there, Amy Jo Burns takes you through the next decade of their lives, and touches on so many subjects. These characters are so complex, and the phenomenal way in which this was written had me completely drawn in. Just when I thought I knew where things were headed, I would be completely surprised by the turn in events. There is so much to this novel and the characters, the town… I really think this has something for everyone. I will be thinking about the Joseph family for a long time! Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC!

Wonderful family drama about a family of roofers living in Mercury, Pennsylvania. The Joshua Family, a mother, father and their three sons, befriend Marley, a lonely teenage girl who has just moved to the small town of Mercury. Since Marley’s mother is a nurse and works constantly, Marley dreams of being part of the Joseph family who sits down together for dinner every evening and seems to have the perfect family life. As Marley is torn between the two oldest brothers and becomes a surrogate mother to the youngest brother, shocking secrets are revealed that may destroy the Joseph family..

This was an interesting story with many plot turns that were unexpected. When I thought I did not like a character, the author revealed a back story that made me see the character in a completely new light. This book reminded me that everyone has a past that has shaped them into the person they are; therefore, we should not judge others.

Phenomenal writing and character development by Amy Jo Burns. Thank you Net Galley and Celadon Books for the Advanced Reader Copy! I really enjoyed this novel and will be recommending Mercury to my friends who love to read. #NetGalley #Mercury

I loved Shiner by Amy Jo Burns so I was really excited to read this one, but after trying multiple times, I DNFed at 30%. It just wasn't cutting it for me, that pacing was too slow, and I wasn't getting a clear plot that grabbed me. I dig character-driven stories, but I usually need some bit of plot to see where the story is going too and and one just wasn't doing it for me.

Dysfunctional family story that you will feel true fondness for, despite the character flaws. The Joseph family is authentic and I loved the setting of Mercury, PA.

Marley’s voice is heard most frequently but I liked getting chapters with other family members perspectives as well.

All around great read for a character-driven family story.

Thank you Netgalley for the copy of the book. My first time reading a book by this author and won’t be the last!

A definitely more heavy story about family dynamics and how it shapes you. The book centers around the Joseph’ brothers, their mother, father and Marley who comes into their lives and changes them all. Definitely see how family dynamics molds you but doesn’t have to define you. Marley comes in to their lives during a time when it’s not easy to be a teenager in a new town. She finds herself wrapped up to the Jospeh brothers quickly.

There were a few twists that keeps you interest in wanting to read more. I was happy that the author added twists since it could get heavy at times. I was definitely rooting for them all to find their happiness with life and who they are meant to be

A book about deep family generational drama. It carries pockets of secrets that are captivating as they unfold. I recommend this book to anyone who loves family drama.
Thank you netgallery and the publisher for letting me read a copy of this book.

So. Many. Secrets. This book is heavy with the weight of the Joseph family dynamic. And while family patriarch Mick has minimal direct "scenes" in the plot, his presence is overbearing. Elise seems like a strong character but so much of her energy goes into keeping her family together, she can't seem to keep her own self from falling apart. Both parents passed down their toxic traits for the Joseph clan to work through in the pre-antidepressant and therapy age. Interesting and engaging to watch all the secrets eventually unravel throughout the book's many flashbacks, a technique that served the overall plot well.

So. Many. Decisions. The effect of Marley's many choices and loyalties ripples throughout the Joseph's grand house. For such a young character, she shows more complexity and strength than any of the others, rising above her station again and again. A character than had me rooting for her--and surprisingly, even her marriage.

And all this from a body discovered in the rafters. One small plot hole though: when Marley goes to clean it with Jade, she puts the ring in her back pocket, but later it's referred to as her not noticing it fell off her finger.

Otherwise and overall enjoyable enough to recommend with a shout out over the rooftops!

4.5. I really enjoyed this book. Great character development & I felt so invested in this dysfunctional family dynamic. This book is memorable, & I think it will definitely stick with me.

Well written family drama. Despite the abundance of character descriptions, I found the characters fairly muddy. The depictions were often at odds with one another and left me wondering who these people were supposed to be. The last half of the novel worked better for me as their actions finally defined them. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Shiner by this author, so Mercury was on my most anticipated list. It’s a family drama, which I love, character driven and a quiet story in many ways. It’s the story of Marley West, who settles in Mercury with her single mother, a nurse who works long hours. Marley meets the Joseph brothers who are well-known in town and own a roofing company with their father. She becomes interested in one of the brothers, Baylor, but he is hot and cold. That’s when she and Way connect and fall deeply in love. Marley becomes wife to Way, but deeply in twined in all three brothers lives and becomes a mother figure to all of them after their mother dies.

The relationship between Marley and the family was suffocating in how much they needed her and how desperately some of them wanted her in ways they could not. The story with Elise, the mother, seemed a bit off to me and was not that believable because her character was not very developed. The relationship between Marley and her own mom could have been better developed.

“You can have more than one home, Shay.” She took his hand and held it in her own. “We’ll always be the people you’re from.”

My first read of 2024 was Mercury, and man, it set the bar high for the rest of the year. If you love character driven stories, small town vibes, and complicated family sagas - this is for you! With an underlying current of mystery, Mercury follows Marley as she moves to a small town and forms a bond with the complicated Joseph family.

It’s a beautiful story that had me reading late into the night, which I haven’t done in a long time! Despite the character flaws, the author will have you rooting for each one of them and I was sad to see the book come to an end. While Burns’ writing is unique, I found it similar to Tracey Lange’s books, the slow-burn/character focused nature.

A shoutout to @nightowl.bookworm who shared that this was a ‘read now’ earlier this year on NetGalley and prompted me to request it/read it so fast! Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the eARC. Mercury is now out in the world and I’d highly recommend picking it up!

I am late on the train with this book but it was a solid read! Recommend for anyone that wants to get lost in a drama story that makes you escape your own life. Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you Celadon books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Mercury was an emotional read. Picking apart the bonds and fissures between a family, Amy Jo Burns beautifully illustrates the complexities in each relationship. There were many times I found myself to be frustrated with the characters and their choices, and I wish I could have reached inside the book and changed their paths. Overall, this story was a great work of literary fiction.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is an emotional story about how the decisions we make affect our lives and the meaning of love and family. Marley moves to the small town of Mercury and meets the Joseph brothers. She instantly falls in with their family when dating the oldest brother; however, she ends up marrying the middle brother, and her decision will affect the family bonds. Years into the future, Marley’s marriage is complicated and the brothers’ bond is tenuous. When a body is found in the church attic, they al lol must face the decisions they’ve made in the past, and it will either strengthen their family bond or break it.

I loved this book. I felt the characters were three dimensional and very well written. I give it a four of five stars as u felt it ended a bit abruptly and would have liked to see a bit more of the family at the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to Celadon Books for the gifted ARC!

I have so many thoughts on this book and I'll try to make them as concise as possible.

Here's what I loved;

-All of the mystery(ish) plot
-The three brothers and their relationships with each other, especially how their names rhymed (little details like that add a lot to a story for me [Bay, Shay, and Way= perfection])

Here's what I didn't love:

-The order in which the story was told; I really think this could have been better if the story was told more linearly or at least more consistently back and forth
-Marley...I know, I know, but I just never found her character enchanting or even realistic
-The mama drama (Marley and the boy's mom)

Overall, this had so much that I really liked and that is RIGHT up my alley. Amy Jo Burns can definitely write incredible characters and I will be looking forward to what she puts out next!

This book is out now!

3.5 stars rounded to 4 for GR

This family drama is set in a small town in Western Pennsylvania in the 1990s. It’s told primarily from the perspective of Marley, who moves to town as a teenager and finds herself entranced by - and eventually joining - the Joseph family, which consists of older brothers Baylor and Waylon, younger brother Shay, scattered dad Mick who runs the family roofing business, and elusive mother Elise. The book starts in 1999 with the discovery of a dead body in the sealed off church attic, before going back nine years to Marley’s arrival in town, eventually catching up to that time frame with the bookended portions told from the perspectives of other members of the family.

Despite starting off with a dead body, this is not a mystery - it’s a family drama, a coming of age novel, and a heartfelt character novel about a bunch of very flawed but interesting characters. It’s a bit of a sad book, but with hopeful notes, and very well-written. Fans of family dramas like Hello Beautiful or The Connellys of County Down should enjoy this one as well.

4.25 stars

I just couldn’t get in to this book. I really did give it a try. It just wasn’t for me. It started really slow and the pace never picked up.

It's 1999 in the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, and brothers Waylon and Baylor, who help operate their family's local roofing business, are called to the Presbyterian Church to investigate a leak coming from the ceiling. Upon further investigation, the source of the drip is determined to be a much bigger problem as a body is found wrapped in purple choir robes.

In a flashback 9 years earlier, Marley West, the new girl in town, wanders upon a local baseball game and is introduced to the Joseph family as she tries to break up a brawl between Waylon and Baylor but is stopped by their mother, Elise, before she can step in. Soon Marley is dating Baylor and integrating herself with the entire family. Through the years and many ups and downs, Marley's relationship with the Josephs changes as she marries a brother, forms tight bonds with some members, and tries to steer clear of others. When the present day mystery of the church body eventually causes fingers to be pointed in the direction of the Josephs, they must work through their pasts together in order to weather the storm.

I love a good family drama and was really excited to get early access to Mercury. I enjoyed the depth Amy Jo Burns went into with most of the characters as far as their motivations and feelings, although at times their internal and external dialogue did seem disjointed in that it felt like there were pieces missing in order to get to the sentiments that were conveyed. I also thought starting with the reveal of the dead body followed by the slow development towards the answer of who it was and how they got there made for a really entertaining storyline. Overall, I really enjoyed Mercury and am looking forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.

Mercury follows seventeen-year-old Marley West, the new girl in the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania, a town which sees few incoming people. It begins in the 1990s and follows Marley and the Josephs, a family of roofers, over many years. It is told primarily through Marley's point of view, but also through those of the other family members, which allows for deeper character development. Mercury is an intense character-based slow burn family drama which explores themes of complex family dynamics and dysfunction, found family, intergenerational trauma, mental health, and the expectations and roles that are placed on women within a family. The writing was engaging and immersive and Marley's strong voice and character carry the reader through the story. I especially liked the character of Marley's mother.
Thank you to Celadon Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley.

This was a great family drama that really delved into some deep issues. It was a nice take on a found family trope and very character driven. I loved how the characters were so real and authentic, and the writing was beautiful. Altogether an enjoyable, entertaining read!