I read Burns' previous novel, Shiner, a couple of years ago, and the story stuck its claws into me deeply. It was a story about a deeply troubled family and while I couldn't look away, I also couldn't help thanking my stars that their history and destiny was not my own.

In Mercury, she raises the ante considerably. I couldn't put this story down, and I also couldn't help thinking throughout the story, how does she know? How does she KNOW that family can work like this?

"As she drove away with her mother shrinking in the rearview mirror, Marley understood a bit more of what motherhood meant, this continual opening of every door for children to pass through, stay a while, leave, and return." Quotes about motherhood often resonate deeply with me, but in Mercury, Burns includes such observations about nearly every family relationship you can name.

Burns does not write literary fiction about my family or about your family, yet in Mercury, she somehow captures the essence of what can destroy them as well as what can nurture them. I could not put Mercury down, and the book ended my 2023 on a 5 star note. It is beautifully and heartbreakingly written. I will read anything Burns writes.

I am so disappointed…I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately I only got through 30% of it and had to DNF it. It just was not a book for me. Every character was so unlikeable and I just couldn’t connect with the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mercury takes place in Pennsylvania in the 1990’s. It is the story of a family of roofers and the intense dynamics between each individual. Mick and Elise are raising three boys, Baylor, Waylon and Shay. They run the “Joseph and Sons Roofing” company. Elise stays home and runs the household, although this was never the life she dreamed of. Mick is a demanding husband and father, who shows no love towards his family.
There is a mystery built into the timeline, one that is revealed towards the end of the book.
Enter, Marley.
Marley and her mother move from town to town, always looking for a job and a place to live. They end up in Mercury, Pennsylvania. Marley is the protagonist of the story and much of what happens revolves around her and the individual members of the Joseph family. Marley first becomes involved with the oldest son Baylor. Marley gets invited to a seat at the dinner table and the story evolves from that point. Marley marries Waylon and becomes like a second mother to Shay when his own mother, Elise, begins to show signs of dementia.
As we read on, we discover secrets that each character is hiding. This is a very character driven story. I loved the complexities of all the relationships in this novel.
The author writes with such intensity. You get invested in each character and at times you will love them and at other times, you will question their judgement.
If you like intense family drama and strong characters, this will surely be the book to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Published January 2, 2024.

Mercury is a family fiction story that twists with mystery and a touch of romance. The Joseph Family- parents Mick and Elise and their 3 sons- Baylor, Waylon, and Shay are at the heart of the story along with their roofing business, Joseph & Sons Roofing. Seventeen-year-old Marley West is the new girl in Mercury, Pennsylvania and falls in love with one (or more) of the Joseph brothers but a discovery in the attic with soon bring out a shocking family history and drama.

This was my first book by Amy Jo Burns so I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised.

This story combined dysfunctional family fiction, generational family trauma, with a touch of romance and coming of age story lines to create an incredible book.

I already know this is going to be a top favorite of 2024. This is exactly what I want in my literary fictions. The characters in this story were so full and raw and flawed. I loved how Amy Jo Burns told this story and the way we got different perspectives way later in the story. For example, one of the brothers we don't really hear from until probably after 70% and it opened a whole new door to perspectives on this character, his actions, and the whole family dynamic. It really challenged my already formed opinions on characters, which I feel is difficult to do.
I loved every character in their own way and I definitely ugly cried at multiple scenes. Overall, this is a beautiful story that highlights the complexities of relationships.

One of the most captivating books I have ever read in my life. The story captures you from page one and doesn't let you go; even at the end, I was left wanting more. Every character has such a strong pull and I wound up feeling connected to them all in different ways. The way that Amy Jo Burns tells this story is so poignant, it's impossible not to be touched. At times, I truly wanted to dislike certain characters, but by the last page, I felt like they were all family. The struggles so many face with their own identities is portrayed in a real and raw manner. I highly recommend this book and would not at all be surprised to see it win literary awards.

"Do you think it's possible to spend your life loving the wrong people?" Jade considered it. "I think it's more likely that we love the right people in the wrong way."

"But that's what loving someone is, isn't it? Knowing you're going to let them down. Having to live with it."

THIS BOOK, MY GOD, THIS BOOK. Truly a masterpiece. Hands down one of the best books I have read in a very long time, with absolutely exceptional writing. This was my first Amy Jo Burns book, and I was blown away. I am so glad I chose this as my January BOTM because I will be keeping this copy forever so I can re-read it. Mercury is a portrait of a working-class family of roofers in a small town in Western PA in the 1990's. We open with Marley, a teenager who lives a transient lifestyle with her single mother, Ruth, and has just arrived in Mercury. Soon, Marley becomes embroiled in the lives of the 3 Joseph brothers, loving them, raising them up, and contending with her hard to crack mother-in-law, Elise, and war veteran father-in-law, Mick.

This novel reminded me of Tracey Lange or Mary Beth Keane, and sure enough - in the acknowledgments, Burns thanks Lange for her friendship and insight haha! So, if you are a fan of MBK or Tracey Lange, I really think you are going to be swept away by the Joseph family in all of their messiness. This was an exceptional portrait of a family as they navigate love, loss, war, pain, and most of all - the love they find in the most unexpected places. ❤️

I know it’s only mid-January but Mercury is bound to be one of my top reads of 2024.

The premise of the story revolves around the Joseph family, Elise, the woman of the house, her husband Mick, and their 3 sons Baylor, Waylon, and Shay Baby. Mick is the owner and dictator of Joseph’s and Sons, Mercury’s own roofing company. Trying, and mostly failing, at building a legacy for his sons, they take what work they can get, know how to roof, but don’t know as much about keeping a business together. While I loved each brother in their own right, the heart of this book is truly Marley.

Marley comes to Mercury as a high school kid looking to make friends. She first catches the eye of Baylor but quickly realizes it’s Waylon she really wants. As their relationship gets serious and they welcome a baby boy, Marley realizes she’s got to take the family business into her own hands if she’s going to make something of herself. While out on a job she secretly fixes herself with the help of Shay, they discover a body in the attic of the local church. Who is the mystery victim and how did he get up into the church attic? A decade of secrets unfold as the true meaning of marriage, loyalty, and what it takes to truly be happy are put to the test in this beautiful story.

I’ll be recommending this book forever, I loved it so much. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow this story really drew me in. I found my self angry with some characters, and sad for others. I found my self wishing I had someone to discuss it with! This was a good one, I would recommend.

Mercury is a slow burn family drama that turned out to be much deeper than I was expecting.

The book bounces back and forth over time and tells the story of a rural family of the 90’s just doing their best to survive. They were dysfunctional and flawed, but that’s what made them realistic. The story showed the complex dynamics of a family, the one you’re born into and the one you choose.

The character growth was incredible. They weren’t all easy to love in the beginning, but as the story goes on and you start to understand the factors that contributed to who they were, you can’t help but just wanting them to be okay.

Most of the situations in the book were very specific, but the emotions that came with them were universally relatable.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Definitely a 3.5 ⭐️

I ended up enjoying this one! Overall, this is an interesting literary fiction novel that navigates the themes of family, managing tough family relationships, parenting, and finding yourself very well. I’m glad I got to read it!

I liked getting to see the perspectives of all the family members - their thoughts, feelings, and background that brought them to the present day. The first half was kind of slow for me, but all these different complex characters really drew me in the second half, and I was invested in a happy ending for them all. I liked how everything came together in the end. There was some really great lines and I liked how all the characters grew individually and as a family.

But, I feel like the way the different perspectives were done with the multiple flash blacks, plus the constantly changing timelines, was at times confusing/a bit too much. Also, the ending (while I did overall enjoy it) did feel a little bit rushed/abrupt, and there are some thing I wanted a little bit more answers for.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

This novel evolves around a family of roofers, and our young teen who marries one of the brothers, and tries to make a go of their family life. This is a fairly easy domestic read about being young and pregnant, living a blue-collar life, and a family that keeps secrets. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say I wish the mother's secret was explored more deeply. The novel begins with our main characters in high school, then jumps around a bit, yet stays true to the family always being a family of roofers. The novel has romance, murder, mystique, strong friendships and family stress. Even though the novel lacks happiness, it's an enjoyable read.

I started this book know absolutely nothing about it and was quickly drawn into the lives of Marley and the Joseph family. It's a fabulous tale of family, family dynamics, and family secrets - some shared, some not shared. I found myself rooting for Marley as she navigated this somewhat dysfunctional family and wormed her way into their lives and hearts.

I really took my time reading this story as each character developed. It didn’t take long for secrets to unfold within this family drama of 3 sons, a girlfriend turned wife & mother and the two parents that “raised” them.
This story reminded me of a 90s/early 2000 family series, packed with drama and strong bonds between the characters.
I would love to see this become a mini series 💙

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading.

I love a good family drama, especially one with secrets but Mercury didn't grab me the way I had hoped. I recognize I am the outlier and reviewers I trust heaped praise and accolades on Amy Jo Burns' story of three brothers running a roofing business and the women who love them in a small town in the 1990s. The writing is engaging and the secrets revealed unusual, but I did not connect with the characters in the way I had hoped and chafed against the repetitive nature of the story telling, where a few key incidents were retold by a different character from their perspective. Thanks to Celadon books and Net Galley for the ARC.

I really loved the Joseph family. Honestly, they are like most families, they may appear ok on the outside but inside, they are dealing with their own issues. Everyone knows Mick is eccentric, but we discover that he really has some issues that he doesn't deal with properly. Elise seems to have it all together, but we discover she only has that appearance on the outside. The three boys aren't that close but when they need to be, they are always there for each other. And then there's Marley. She wasn't born a Joseph, but she moves to town with her mom and gets entangled into the family. I really felt for the family, each of its members differently. Sometimes I would get so angry at them and then the next time, it all made sense why they acted the way they do. And there's also a dead body discovered in the church attic. We end up discovering who they are and why they are there. It was a great read!

A messy family drama with relatable characters who I became so invested in as the story unfolded. Amy Jo Burns did a wonderful job painting the picture of the town of Mercury and life with a roofing family. There are so many themes in this book that are highly discussable. Marley, the main female character, moves to Mercury in 1990 when she is 17 and finds herself entangled with the Joseph family-a family of all men. The story touches on the need to belong, loyalty, marriage, motherhood, and what it means to be family. If family dramas are your jam, definitely pick this one up. And the writing was beautiful. I have had Shiner, this author's earlier novel on my shelf for awhile now and I can't wait to pick that one up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A beautiful story about the love and discord in a blue collar roofing family, the Josephs.

With careful navigation, a young woman, Marley becomes part of this family, and becomes part of the fabric that holds this diverse set of individuals together as a unit. The three fathers sons, one, initially a brusque bully of a man, one the family healer, and the youngest a young man hiding his budding homosexuality, all find ways to define and redefine themselves in this compelling work of literary fiction.

This will be one of my top reads for 2024. A great story with many layers, slowly unraveling to the very end. I loved this complicated family and their story of how there came to be a dead body in the church attic.

This was a mesmerizing book that was just about basic life living in a small town. Learning each character and their struggles as a business family and individual. When I started the last 3rd of the book I hated the formatting but realized it was for a purpose and it really added a uniqueness to this story overall by giving different perspectives.