Mercury (YA)

Mercury. Hope Larson. 2010. April 2010. Simon & Schuster. 234 pages.

Mercury mostly left me feeling confused. I'm not sure I'm the right audience for this one, for this graphic novel. The ending puzzled me a bit--am I the only one? (Maybe I just need someone to explain it to me. I don't think it's meant to be so ambiguous. I think I just missed something along the way.) (And I'm not sure I understand the cover either.)

Mercury is set in Nova Scotia. There are two parallel stories unfolding for readers. One story set in 1859, the other set in the present day (2009). Our modern-day heroine is Tara Fraser--a teen girl who is unhappy and feeling a bit out of sorts. Her mom has left her with another family while she tries to find a new job, a new situation--their home burned down, you see. Josey Fraser is our other narrator. Her story has its own ups and downs. It all begins when a stranger with a "gift" (the gift of finding gold) comes to stay. His name is Asa Curry. And for better or worse Josey is drawn to this man...

I would say both stories are about young girls coming of age. The illustrations are in black and white.

While this one wasn't exactly for me, I do think it can be appreciated by other readers.

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