Such a realistic portrayal of family struggles.

This hit home for me. Wanting to pave your own way in this world but feeling a loyalty to those you love and craving that love in return... That desperate need to be accepted as you are and where you are.

Every character felt so unique and carved out. I felt a connection to each of them in different ways.

The way Burns was able to make me think of how I would react in these scenarios and the extents I would go to for those close to me made this book feel so personal.

Mercury centers on 17-year-old Marley West, who arrives in Mercury, Pennsylvania, seeking a sense of belonging. She quickly becomes involved with the Joseph brothers, a roofing family facing internal struggles and secrets. As Marley takes on roles of wife and caretaker, she navigates the complexities of family loyalty and personal identity.

<b> Key Highlights </b>
○ Character Development: Marley’s growth is compelling and relatable.
○ Family Dynamics: The Joseph family’s dysfunction feels authentic and engaging.
○ Setting: The small-town atmosphere enhances the story's depth.
○ Mystery Element: An intriguing discovery adds tension to the plot.

<b> Critiques </b>
○ Some sections feel slow, affecting the overall flow.
○ Certain plot twists are foreseeable.
○ A few secondary characters lack development.

Overall, Mercury is a thoughtful exploration of family and personal identity. It’s a strong read for those interested in character-driven stories.

Mercury was intense and unfiltered.
The characters held my attention from start to finish. If you’re a fan of deeply crafted, character-focused tales, this one is a must-read! I strongly recommend it and will definitely seek out more works by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC which provided me the chance to read this book and write the reivew.

Although I enjoyed reading this book, I found it to read very slow. It took me a long time to get through and I'm not sure if that's because it was literary in nature or if it was because the book was set over such a long time period. I was expecting to get more out of the mystery of what happened in the church, but rather we got so much more about the family (and that could have just been my misconception, rather than the book itself). I didn't find myself wanting to pick it up as frequently as other things I have read. I won't give up on Amy Jo Burns as an author, but I don't necessarily think this one was for me.

Mercury is a slow burn family drama that has lots of family secrets, realistic characters, and a plot that keeps you hooked. Marley and her mother, Ruth, a traveling nurse, move to the small town of Mercury PA, just outside of Pittsburgh. Marley loves her mother unconditionally, but longs to be a part of something bigger, and put down roots. Watching a baseball game she watches two brothers, Baylor and Waylon Joseph, who end up fighting on the field, and meets their mother, Ruth. Marley immediately is attracted to one of the brothers, but ends up loving all three brothers in different ways. She becomes part of their family, but learns devastating secrets, and experiences much heartache in her coming of age journey in the Joseph household. A great pick for people that love family sagas, realistic characters, and family secrets.

This book took me a while to finish. It just didn’t call to me. I thought the story was thought provoking, but to me it was a little slow and drawn out. I know not everything can be a “quick read,” but I never really felt captivated by this story like I just HAD to keep reading and find out what was next. I remember thinking at about 40% through this book “how could this story have 60% left??” I wanted to love it, but I just really didn’t. Well written, but just too long and slow for me.

Really enjoyed this character driven story about a complex family. I was no familiar with thus author before but will now be on the look out. The level of family disfunction is like Yellowstone mixed with succession so if you're into family drama you will like this. The only reason i docked a star of was because it was painfully slow at times. Once, i almost gave up entirely but i'm so glad i stuck with it. This one gave me similar feels to "Hello Beautiful".

This book and discussions definitely made this as one of my favorites of 2023. And the perfect book to kick off the year with. It’s a tragically beautiful story of found family, heartbreak, broken dreams and what real life looks like. I was so connected to the characters and the community. This book was written very well and took me to a place I didn’t want to leave

This was a slow read for me that never gained steam. I usually enjoy this kind of book and storytelling, but this one just never Caught my attention wholly. I found myself leaving it often And having trouble finishing. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this one but felt like it just kind of dragged. I did love the characters and the story. But, the last quarter I found myself trudging through.

A slow burn family drama but I did enjoy the insights on motherhood, sibling relationships, relationships with in-laws and the trials and tabulations of growing up in a small town.

I felt that it touched on a lot of important topics and overall did enjoy the book just wish it had been a quicker pace.

Layered with small town family drama and the perfect amount of mystery! Marley’s character arc was incredible and the story speaks to identity, loyalty, marriage, motherhood, and sacrifice - on top of being a woman in an all male family. The family dynamics were incredibly well written, moving, and powerful.

Love the layers of this family saga.. Enjoyed the mystery portion of this story too. Marley is a great character and I liked seeing her coming of age in this small town.

I got this as an ARC but have been so far behind on reading - I was considering 3 or 4 because it was good but slow reading and wasnt "exciting" or a thrill but it was very well done and what pushed it above an average good book to a four was the perspective of women - this book breaks the mold and i think give a more honest look at what some women/ mothers experience and how there isnt a certainty or guaranteed that kids will love you or you will love them or that they will love each other (also why i am terrified to have kids because i have seen this... ) it also speaks to humanity and the experience of wanting love or closeness but it not being reciprocated or the issues with finding and understanding a person and "speaking and accepting their love language or love style" this touches on MANY emotional issues and issues people face in relationships. Not all mothers are loved, not all mothers love their children, not all marriages are based in or held together by love. I think there is a whole hidden world of mothers with regrets, wives with lives unlived.... this book touches on that and makes you think about it and i appreciate that

I love a good family drama with a mystery thrown in. It was a little more character driven than I was expecting but I still enjoyed it. I loved getting the backstory of not only Marley but of the Joseph sons. The connection Marley had with the youngest Shay was sweet given the family dynamics. It was a slow burn, but it really highlighted the different family relationship and influence in a small town. It kept me engaged and the drama was not over the top. I liked getting different views within the family which made for great character development.

Thank you @celadon and @netgalley for the gifted copy.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have not read anything by this author, so I went in with no expectations. This was a very character driven, deep story of a dysfunctional family dynamic.
I will definitely read more by this author in the future!

This book is the story of how a roofing family’s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town. A great book about family and resilience and the characters drew me in from the beginning!

This book had so much potential for me, but fell a bit short. As soon as I got really attached to a character, it jumped to another one. By the end it felt a little repetitive hearing the same story over and over from another perspective.

What a messy, but beautiful story !

This story was definitely character driven which I typically don’t like. But the characters were so real and relatable that you found yourself rooting for them throughout the story.

I felt like I was a part of the small town of Mercury by the end.

Oof this book took me on a ride! Thank you so much Celadon Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This book sent me down a trip of quite literally all of the emotions. I felt really connected to the characters and loved that you are able to get really into them. There was drama, mystery and heartbreak throughout this novel. Beautiful read!

Mercury is a perfect book about family dynamics and all the drama that is hidden within the walls of a home and in this case, the roof. The Joseph family own a roofing building in a small town. Marley moves into town and changes their world

This book intrigued me from page one. Enjoyed speaking to author, Amy Burns about how this story came to be! Pick up a copy today!