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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed this book! It’s different than books I usually read but that’s what made it great. I liked that the book started in the present and took us back. It flowed smoothly. The story itself sucked me in - I couldn’t wait to figure out what happened. Marley is the star of the show but each brother plays such an important role.
I do wish there had been a mention of more of the future and how they were all doing. There was a brief moment but I was hoping for a little more.
All in all, would definitely recommend this one!
I do wish there had been a mention of more of the future and how they were all doing. There was a brief moment but I was hoping for a little more.
All in all, would definitely recommend this one!
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the Pittsburgh references but didn’t feel close to the characters, and the organization was confusing.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Family secrets are the center of the upcoming novel by Amy Jo Burns, "Mercury". Set in 1990 in a small Western Pennsylvania town called Mercury, the novel follows the story of the Joseph family over the years. Three brothers, Baylor, Waylon and Shay, work with their father Mick in the family roofing company while their mother Elise tends to things at home.
When a young woman named Marley arrives in town with her mother, she suddenly finds herself in their orbit, first finding connection with Baylor, but ultimately is unable to deny the mutual attraction she has with Waylon. When she becomes pregnant with Way's child, she becomes a part of the family and sees how things truly are. The tension with Baylor, the emotional needs of Shay, along with Mick's mismanagement of the business and the decline of Elise's health all take a toll on the family, and especially on Marley. As a new wife and mother, she finds time to care for everyone and becomes the mother figure that they all so desperately need.
The discovery of a body in the town's church attic threatens their fragile bonds to each other and they have to find the strength and commitment to their family to get beyond what they have all been hiding from each other. Forgiveness, unconditional love, truth and trust are things that every member of this family will need to draw on to keep them all together.
I greatly enjoyed this book. As someone who was born and raised in a small town in Western Pennsylvania (just outside of Pittsburgh), I can say without any doubt that the author perfectly captured not only the area, but the family dynamic of a blue collar community as well. I also highly related to the strong female characters. Elise, Marley and Jade were truly representative of so many women who literally hold it all together when everything seems to be falling apart. Amy Jo Burns weaves together each separate story and draws them all together in a single event that changes them all forever. Combining masterful character development, emotions and family connection, Burns creates a mystery, a love story and a saga all rolled into one. This is a family that will stay with you long after you finish reading this book, even wondering how they continue on ever after the book is done.
When a young woman named Marley arrives in town with her mother, she suddenly finds herself in their orbit, first finding connection with Baylor, but ultimately is unable to deny the mutual attraction she has with Waylon. When she becomes pregnant with Way's child, she becomes a part of the family and sees how things truly are. The tension with Baylor, the emotional needs of Shay, along with Mick's mismanagement of the business and the decline of Elise's health all take a toll on the family, and especially on Marley. As a new wife and mother, she finds time to care for everyone and becomes the mother figure that they all so desperately need.
The discovery of a body in the town's church attic threatens their fragile bonds to each other and they have to find the strength and commitment to their family to get beyond what they have all been hiding from each other. Forgiveness, unconditional love, truth and trust are things that every member of this family will need to draw on to keep them all together.
I greatly enjoyed this book. As someone who was born and raised in a small town in Western Pennsylvania (just outside of Pittsburgh), I can say without any doubt that the author perfectly captured not only the area, but the family dynamic of a blue collar community as well. I also highly related to the strong female characters. Elise, Marley and Jade were truly representative of so many women who literally hold it all together when everything seems to be falling apart. Amy Jo Burns weaves together each separate story and draws them all together in a single event that changes them all forever. Combining masterful character development, emotions and family connection, Burns creates a mystery, a love story and a saga all rolled into one. This is a family that will stay with you long after you finish reading this book, even wondering how they continue on ever after the book is done.
I LOVED this book! If you love character driven stories that take their time to be told, stellar writing with sentence after sentence worth highlighting, you'll adore Mercury. This is the first book I've read by Amy Jo Burns, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and sure didn't expect to be blown away on so many levels. Burns has given us a deep look at characters to fall in love with, a family riddled with problems, set in a small town with everything that comes with it, takes hold of reader's hearts and doesn't let go.