A heart wrenching small town drama; family saga. Well written and engaging; rich characters, tension, and secrets. A memorable page turner that was difficult to put down. Great read

Amy Jo Burns’s Mercury is a compelling and emotional story about the conflicting loyalties in a small Pennsylvania town. Set in a blue collar town where secrets don’t stay buried forever, this novel is a story that is powerful in its quietness.

Mercury is a small, working town near Pittsburg. The Josephs family own a local roofing company. Mick is the father of three boys, expecting his sons to continue the roofing business. Elise is his wife and mother to their three children, beloved in Mercury and later going on to develop dementia.

It’s 1990 when Marley West and her mother arrive in Mercury, leaving behind their old town and a Blockbuster card with nine punches, almost ready to be redeemed. The two oldest Joseph brothers are about to begin their senior year of high school. It’s at a baseball game not long after Marley arrives that she sees Baylor and Waylon Joseph. Unbeknownst to everyone, their fates change forever that day that Marley hurries down the bleachers towards the two Joseph brothers.

“Being forgotten is sometimes safer than being seen.”

Marley falls in love with the Joseph’s family almost immediately. The daughter of a single mother who works long hours as a nurse, Marley yearns to be part of a happy family. She thinks being part of the Josephs may be what she wants most. Initially she is swooped up by Baylor Joseph, the muscular, strapping athlete of the family. But it isn’t long before Baylor dumps her, and she falls for the sweeter Joseph brother, Waylon. Waylon and Marley will go on to get pregnant and married, living in a tiny apartment at the top of the Josephs’ old Victorian house.

The story opens with a disturbing discovery in the attic of the old Presbyterian church—a dead body decomposing beneath a pile of choir robes. The mystery of this is both central to and irrelevant to the story told in Mercury. The book spans nine years and it’s a story about love, loyalty, family, and secrets that can tear them apart or hold them together. This is a deeply character-driven novel—the events of the story don’t matter in the end, it’s the relationships between the characters that do.

Something about the novel feels epic, though it takes place within a decade rather than centuries. The mystery of the story pulled me in, but the characters themselves are what kept me turning the pages. Each character has their own flaws and challenges. The Joseph family seemed so perfect to Marley, but they are as dysfunctional as any family is—flawed but ultimately stronger together.

Marrying into a family doesn’t always mean you are part of the family, at least not all the way. This is the sad and poignant lesson Marley teaches the reader throughout the novel. The prose felt lyrical and at times reminded me of a good southern gothic with its imagery. There is a quietness to the story that creeps up on the reader with its power.

“The arc of a mother’s life shouldn’t have self-sacrifice as it’s inevitable pinnacle.”

Marley spends much of her early years with the Josephs wanting to become Elise. Beautiful, impeccably dressed, and seemingly effortless with perfection—Elise had a coolness to her and an authority that commanded attention. Eventually she learns that Elise’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems, and she doesn’t necessarily want to become the type of mother Elise is. The women are the backbone of the family and the story.

I always know a book has struck me when I am able to feel frustration with the characters as well as empathy. These felt like real people and I was so invested in their stories. Full of moments of happiness, heartbreak, and somber reality, this is a story about resilience and loyalty.

Tense, gripping, and poignant.

Thank you to Celadon Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Mercury is a character driven book but it was a quick read. I wanted to know the outcome of the characters & where they ended up. I loved following Marley's story & her relationship with the Joseph family. The story felt so real and honest. It gave us a look at women who give up their autonomy to care for others. Each character was so unique & we got to experience their own personal turmoil. I am looking forward to reading more by the author.

This family saga is one that I couldn’t stop thinking about long after turning the last page. The author did a great job with characterization development.

I’m sad to say I did not enjoy this one. I usually like character driven, family drama ,literary fiction, but for some reason this one fell flat for me. I found it boring and slow and I didn’t care so much about the characters or what happened to them. No one was very likable. Almost none of the relationships were worth rooting for or salvaging. I don’t even know what the overall takeaway was. Nothing very hopeful. Nothing really changed. They barely even grew. Mercury left me wondering: What was the point of this whole book?

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is one of those books you have to keep reading for a while to get invested into the story. I felt for Marley and Waylon, but this book is mostly about relationships and not a whole lot of plot. Still, an interesting read if you like slow burn stories that come together in the end.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amy Jo Burns's Mercury takes readers on a journey through the lives of the Joseph family in the blue-collar town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. Marley, a young woman yearning for a place to belong, becomes intertwined with the Josephs, especially the three brothers: Baylor, Waylon, and the younger Shay.
This book is a slow burn that focuses on deep character development. You really get to know and feel for each character as your follow them along their journey and secrets are revealed. If you love a family drama and really get into characters then this book is for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated the premise of this book, but in execution it wasn't for me. Our MC is loyal and seeking family/found family, meanwhile everyone in her life either treats her badly or neglects her. It was frustrating to see her keep trying to make those connections. I found the writing overdone in a lot of places, which pulled me out of the story. The ending seemed to full circle to the beginning and I didn't see the point of that.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Set in a small town in the 90s, Mercury follows the stories in the Joseph family and explores loyalty and how dangerous it can be. Amy Jo Burns writes a cast of characters that you love and cannot trust at all. This family drama sucks you into the center of the Josephs and keeps you hooked there through the whole story! If you love a character driven family drama I highly recommend you check this out!

Things I liked
-the character development everyone went through
-the relationships Marley had with the whole family as an outsider
-how even through the character development most people were still morally grey at the end
-that most of the questions that arose throughout the story weren’t fully resolved by the end, I love how the reader gets to interpret all of it

Things I didn’t love
-there were parts that did drag a little bit
-that after a certain point in the book you never hear about Marley’s mom again

Mercury is the story of a small town family is turned upside down when an outside joins their community and ultimately their family. Marley rolls into town and meets the Joseph boys (Baylor, Waylon, and Shay) and immediately is brought into their home and their hearts - but not without discord and dysfunction. This family drama will have you feeling like you are part of this town and the family that is the center of it all.

4.25/5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this family drama book! The first half was way slower than the last half but I couldn’t read fast enough at the end to find out what happened. Marley, Ruth and Jade were my favorites characters and I’m going to miss this family.

The community, secrets, family business, drama and relationships were well developed. I was rooting for different characters and I loved that many chapters were told from different perspectives. I also felt like this book makes you question family dynamics, generational shifts and how our parents decisions affect ours..

Definitely read the trigger warnings in this book before you read it but if you’re looking for a drama book, this one is for you!!

This premise of this book was so frustrating to me. I am extremely grateful my life does not resemble this life. Our main character Marley is strong, caring and remarkable yet surrounded by selfish, inconsiderate people. This book is well written and had me fully immersed in this infuriating life. I wanted so much more for Marley that reading each page broke my heart. But it was a powerful book, gut wrenching and eye opening. Sometimes books make you long for a life you won’t ever have and other times books make you eternally grateful for the life you do have. I hope when you read this you feel the latter. If not I hope you find a way to rise above your circumstances and find the power within yourself to seek what is yours.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

Mercury tells the stories and secrets of the members in a family of roofers. The author did a fabulous job building the characters and weaving together each of their stories to make a fantastic novel. I really enjoyed it. My only critique is that at times, it felt too descriptive and wordy. It took me a few weeks to get through it, just because life got really life-ey. But when I would sit down to read, it felt like it was taking me a really long time to get anywhere. I have no critiques about the stories or characters. They were fabulous. I just think it could have been condensed a bit.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns takes place in a small town called Mercury, Pennsylvania in the early 1990’s. I had never read anything by this author before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but I have been seeing this bookcover all over social media so I decided to give it a try. I’m really glad I did. It’s the story of Marley West, a young girl who moves into town along with her mom who works as a nurse. Marley is a loner and all she really wants is to be a part of a family, someplace where she can fit in and feel like she belongs. She soon meets the Joseph family which consists of Mick and Elise and their 3 sons, Baylor, Waylon and Shay. The Joseph’s own their own family business, they are a family of roofers, and it doesn’t take long before Marley infiltrates their family and becomes a part of them. It starts by Elise Joseph inviting her to family dinners because Marley has been spending time with the oldest son Baylor. But in time she realizes that it’s the second son, Waylon that she’s really interested in. As the story progresses you learn just how dysfunctional this family really is. There are secrets kept and strife amongst all the characters. But at the heart of this family there is nothing but love for each other regardless of all their insecurities and weaknesses. This was a story that I really enjoyed reading and I even had tears in my eyes on a couple of occasions because I could feel what the characters were feeling. It was an emotional read for me because the characters all seemed so very real. I’d like to thank Celadon Books for the invite to read and NetGalley for the arc. This is a book I’ll be recommending to others and I’m giving it a 4 star rating. I’d also be very interested in reading more by this author in the near future.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. And what a book! I read it in one sitting. Mercury is a family drama that takes place in the 1990 and travels with the characters through the years, There was a twist in the middle of the story that I didn't see coming since most family dramas don't have them. I loved this book and I will continue to think about all of these characters.

This was my first book by Amy Jo Burns, and I really enjoyed it. It did start off a little slow, but it picked up and by the end, I was loving it. The characters were all so intriguing and it kept my attention throughout.

This book has love, hardships, and drama. I love getting to know all the brothers and their individual stories and how they related to Marley. Some great twists and turns made the book even better. They learned how strong they could be and if they could overcome obstacles in their lives.

I recommend this one for the complexity of the characters and the plot that kept me hooked. I received an advance copy of this book from @celadon

I’m probably in the minority here, but I felt like this one was just ‘meh.’

It started off strong: a body is found in the attic of a small-town church and a family is wrapped up into the mix. I was intrigued. I wanted to get to know these characters. I’m a sucker for a character driven story with a mystery to solve, but it fell super flat for me. The story felt disjointed, characters felt one dimensional and with no real arc to the story, it felt like we meandered down the streets of this small town, going nowhere fast.

Not every book is for everyone. This one may be for you. I’ve seen some good reviews. But for me, it wasn’t it.

This was a slow burn, character driven novel that just didn’t keep my attention. I finished it but I didn’t connect or care much about the characters.

I can see why so many people liked Mercury. For some reason, it reminded me of Flight by Lynn Steger Strong. It is a complicated family story about a family who roofs (and they all live under the same roof).

The reader gets the point of view from several characters, but it seems that most of the book (maybe the first 2/3 of it) are from the point of view of Marley, a girl who is new to town who is invited to their dinner table. She was raised by a single mother who moved the two of them often. Marley very much appreciates being included in a family, but she is torn between two brothers who both show interest in her, as well as the mother, who is also complicated.

This family drama had an aspect of mystery to it, but it was mostly about a family who owns a small town roofing business and their relationships to each other. I found this to be a really well written character driven book and felt like I got to know the characters. I really enjoyed the pacing and never felt bored, even though it wasn’t action packed. Would definitely recommend.