When I first saw 'Mercury', the cover caught my eye and the synopsis of the book sounded good. That being said, I was not prepared to be totally blown away by Amy Jo Burns' novel. I love the Joseph family as their story is typical of families everywhere. It is balm to my soul to read just such a story about the real nitty and gritty of everyday life that we all experience and grapple with. The dynamics between each of the six Joseph family members are fascinating and, just as in real life, relationships are rarely what they seem on the surface. The male Joseph family members are trying to provide for the family and support each other as they think they should and in the case of Shay are trying to figure out where they belong in the big picture. Elise and Marley are struggling to maintain an iota of self as they give of their very soul to the concept of their family. I was surprised in the end to find out that everybody's secrets were just that - everybody's. I give this book five stars and highly recommend it. Thanks to BookishFirst and Celadon books for getting an ARC in my hands.