#CBR11 Review #26: Mercury by Hope Larson


CBR11 Bingo: Illustrated

Picked up on a whim, this graphic novel features all black-and-white illustrations, which are simple but expressive, but the story itself was a bit fleeting to me. Split between the past and present, Mercury follows the journey of a teenage girl in Nova Scotia named Tara. She is currently living with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in her home town, after her mother is working in another province. After Tara and her mother’s house burned down a few years ago, she has been homeschooled, and now is the time that she finally returns and is wondering how she can fit in while also be true to herself and her roots. This story is however peppered with blasts to the past, with Tara’s ancestors living on a farm that is now being coveted by a seedy prospector, as it appears it may be a suitable place for a gold mine. This prospector also, of course, catches the eye of the family daughter Josey, who is the main character in these past sections. But as we progress with this story, there is a touch of magic and secrets involved in the past lives of Tara’s family.

At the beginning of this graphic novel I was incredibly intrigued, and felt like the secrets and mystery of the past and how it influences the future would be incredibly juicy. Unfortunately, by the end it all seemed to unfold without much punch at all. The inclusion of some magical elements is also very fun, but again it seems like it the landing doesn’t quite stick. Tara and her growth in confidence and taking charge of her life is great to see as it progresses, but I really couldn’t get a read on Josey. She seemed a bit too simple in some ways?

In any case, the artwork in Mercury is done in a clean style that I didn’t find hard to get into, and the story itself breezes right along. I just wish it could have held a little more weight for me in the end.

[Be sure to visit the Cannonball Read main site!]

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