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Mercy Road
I am the unhinged...and the world is my asylum.
13-year old Harper is in therapy for the death of her mother. And that’s saying nothing of the trafficking victim she rescued from her next door neighbor’s cellar.
As her father becomes embroiled in a criminal case that threatens to destroy their lives, the despondent teenager is left to confide in her detached and aloof therapist Charlotte. If the woman who she began seeing to cope with Nancy’s suicide can’t help her through these harrowing events, Harper’s shattered family stands to be permanently damaged.
Will the mysterious woman that Harper saved from slavery be the key to healing the devastated Whitaker family? Or will their involvement destroy everything they have left?
Magical realism meets coming-of age drama in this epic origin story. Grab it now!
13-year old Harper is in therapy for the death of her mother. And that’s saying nothing of the trafficking victim she rescued from her next door neighbor’s cellar.
As her father becomes embroiled in a criminal case that threatens to destroy their lives, the despondent teenager is left to confide in her detached and aloof therapist Charlotte. If the woman who she began seeing to cope with Nancy’s suicide can’t help her through these harrowing events, Harper’s shattered family stands to be permanently damaged.
Will the mysterious woman that Harper saved from slavery be the key to healing the devastated Whitaker family? Or will their involvement destroy everything they have left?
Magical realism meets coming-of age drama in this epic origin story. Grab it now!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 8, 2020
Harper is coming apart from the trauma of her mother's suicide. And then she stumbles upon her neighbour's secret... there's a woman chained in his basement.
Reading as a cross between a portrait of an imploding family, a comment on the ills of our time and the heartbreaking psychology of loss, Gagnier somehow manages to be both lyrical and earthy, delving into the mind of a broken and extraordinary teenage girl. Parts of the narrative reminded me of Ordinary People, which is one of my favourite ever films. The stunning end is both frightening and hopeful.
Gagnier has found his voice within his writing and it's powerful indeed.
'I am unhinged, and the world is my asylum.'
5 stars and applause.
Reading as a cross between a portrait of an imploding family, a comment on the ills of our time and the heartbreaking psychology of loss, Gagnier somehow manages to be both lyrical and earthy, delving into the mind of a broken and extraordinary teenage girl. Parts of the narrative reminded me of Ordinary People, which is one of my favourite ever films. The stunning end is both frightening and hopeful.
Gagnier has found his voice within his writing and it's powerful indeed.
'I am unhinged, and the world is my asylum.'
5 stars and applause.
May 31, 2019
The title Mercy Road is as close to perfection as you can get, when you’ve read the book in its entirety you’ll see why. It embodies the very core of what mercy in its purest, truest sense means and it exposes the puerile and false notions of what is just and justice. What it means to be family. What it means to be caught up in something bigger than yourself and how even the smallest pawn has power if they will but discover it within themselves.
This novel is not just a novel, it’s a world created for our inspection, to query the very foundation of our concepts of guilt and innocence, and the futility and destruction of power struggles set against a backdrop of childhood at risk of being razed. Once again Nicholas Gagnier tackles a disquieting, challenging and evocative subject-matter fearlessly. He has earned his stripes with every set of characters he reintroduces and creates, he doesn’t turn from the hardest of subjects, and he doesn’t hold back from pushing his characters to their moral and emotional limits.
Consequently, Gagnier’s novels are part psychological enquiry, part philosophical consideration and part humanist entreaty. The quality and believability of his characters inner voices are hypnotic. Gagnier’s books do not shy from the unforgettable illustration and exposure of untouched subject matters that affect lives but are rarely spoken of. Here, Gagnier’s characters echo the wisdom of the author in writing out fractured people seen through the eyes of a child; “Sometimes the mind goes to a place the body cannot. Especially after something traumatic. I like to believe that, while we’re all here for a reason, I don’t think it ends with death. And we carry those experiences forward, even if they’re not necessarily in the form of memories.”
In this exquisite rendering through the eyes of a young girl Harper; we are both reminded of our favorite junior heroines and wooed by Garnier’s uncanny ability to inhabit any form, through Harper’s shocking lessons in cruelty and the devastation wrought by a malfunctioning society. We are asked to look again at the very core of who we are as humans, what is acceptable, what is permissible, how those are not always set in stone. As Harper’s dad says; ““I do not for one second regret the course of action I took in an odd moment where the law was wrong.” He closes his eyes momentarily. “Only the methods I used to achieve it. And those...I’ll be paying for those the rest of my life, Your Honour. But if that’s a sin, and detracts from what this horrible man has done to a sweet, innocent young woman... it’s a law I was no longer fit to serve.”
As a teenager I read Cynthia Voigt’s classic novel Homecoming and Mercy Road has the same evocative, legend building in both the character of young Harper and the potency of her perspective of the unfair world around her. How Gagnier can inhabit a young girls world with uncanny accuracy astounds me, but I believed every minute of it. How he seeks to develop complex plots with intricate twists and turns, is proof of his ability as a great story teller, but he’s far more than this, his work and the important subjects he chooses, make you reflect and FEEL. The reader is not only Harper but they share her insecurity, her arc of learning, the injustice she perceives of the legal system and the bafflement of the innocent.
Gagnier can set his characters in any time period and illustrate that era so realistically you would be hard pressed not to believe this was fiction. Any truly well-rounded author knows how to simultaneously please the reader with intense characterization and unpredictable plots, whilst maintaining the believability of the universe they exist in. To hold this all together, vividly rendered through the eyes of a young girl is an astounding accomplishment for any male writer, but I could find no point at which I didn’t believe Harper was as real as I had been at her age, such is Gagnier’s insight into the intricacies of gender and a myriad of age specific traits. How Gagnier tackled this considering the achingly hard subjects of suicide, slavery and beyond, demonstrates his alacrity with true three-dimensional storytelling.
Gagnier’s work leaves the reader an addict to his mastery of character building and insightful understanding of the underbelly and what it inflicts on its most vulnerable. The reader is at once moved, disturbed and desperate to know more about those people Gagnier fleshes out as realistically as our own consciousness. Reading Gagnier is like over-hearing a confessional, you are at once, in the position of Priest and Sinner and it is that contrast and subtle understanding that nothing is black and white, that lends his work such a rapturous depth. I am both enraged, disturbed and gratified every time I finish a novel by this indie author, he has the tenor of Paul Auster’s best universes, the astute understanding of previous eras, the breadth and melody of James Lee Burke and the beauty of the poet he truly is.
If you’re not already addicted to Gagnier’s vision, climb on in and pick up a copy of Mercy Road. You’ll soon be back for more.
This novel is not just a novel, it’s a world created for our inspection, to query the very foundation of our concepts of guilt and innocence, and the futility and destruction of power struggles set against a backdrop of childhood at risk of being razed. Once again Nicholas Gagnier tackles a disquieting, challenging and evocative subject-matter fearlessly. He has earned his stripes with every set of characters he reintroduces and creates, he doesn’t turn from the hardest of subjects, and he doesn’t hold back from pushing his characters to their moral and emotional limits.
Consequently, Gagnier’s novels are part psychological enquiry, part philosophical consideration and part humanist entreaty. The quality and believability of his characters inner voices are hypnotic. Gagnier’s books do not shy from the unforgettable illustration and exposure of untouched subject matters that affect lives but are rarely spoken of. Here, Gagnier’s characters echo the wisdom of the author in writing out fractured people seen through the eyes of a child; “Sometimes the mind goes to a place the body cannot. Especially after something traumatic. I like to believe that, while we’re all here for a reason, I don’t think it ends with death. And we carry those experiences forward, even if they’re not necessarily in the form of memories.”
In this exquisite rendering through the eyes of a young girl Harper; we are both reminded of our favorite junior heroines and wooed by Garnier’s uncanny ability to inhabit any form, through Harper’s shocking lessons in cruelty and the devastation wrought by a malfunctioning society. We are asked to look again at the very core of who we are as humans, what is acceptable, what is permissible, how those are not always set in stone. As Harper’s dad says; ““I do not for one second regret the course of action I took in an odd moment where the law was wrong.” He closes his eyes momentarily. “Only the methods I used to achieve it. And those...I’ll be paying for those the rest of my life, Your Honour. But if that’s a sin, and detracts from what this horrible man has done to a sweet, innocent young woman... it’s a law I was no longer fit to serve.”
As a teenager I read Cynthia Voigt’s classic novel Homecoming and Mercy Road has the same evocative, legend building in both the character of young Harper and the potency of her perspective of the unfair world around her. How Gagnier can inhabit a young girls world with uncanny accuracy astounds me, but I believed every minute of it. How he seeks to develop complex plots with intricate twists and turns, is proof of his ability as a great story teller, but he’s far more than this, his work and the important subjects he chooses, make you reflect and FEEL. The reader is not only Harper but they share her insecurity, her arc of learning, the injustice she perceives of the legal system and the bafflement of the innocent.
Gagnier can set his characters in any time period and illustrate that era so realistically you would be hard pressed not to believe this was fiction. Any truly well-rounded author knows how to simultaneously please the reader with intense characterization and unpredictable plots, whilst maintaining the believability of the universe they exist in. To hold this all together, vividly rendered through the eyes of a young girl is an astounding accomplishment for any male writer, but I could find no point at which I didn’t believe Harper was as real as I had been at her age, such is Gagnier’s insight into the intricacies of gender and a myriad of age specific traits. How Gagnier tackled this considering the achingly hard subjects of suicide, slavery and beyond, demonstrates his alacrity with true three-dimensional storytelling.
Gagnier’s work leaves the reader an addict to his mastery of character building and insightful understanding of the underbelly and what it inflicts on its most vulnerable. The reader is at once moved, disturbed and desperate to know more about those people Gagnier fleshes out as realistically as our own consciousness. Reading Gagnier is like over-hearing a confessional, you are at once, in the position of Priest and Sinner and it is that contrast and subtle understanding that nothing is black and white, that lends his work such a rapturous depth. I am both enraged, disturbed and gratified every time I finish a novel by this indie author, he has the tenor of Paul Auster’s best universes, the astute understanding of previous eras, the breadth and melody of James Lee Burke and the beauty of the poet he truly is.
If you’re not already addicted to Gagnier’s vision, climb on in and pick up a copy of Mercy Road. You’ll soon be back for more.
May 12, 2020
This is a book that in parts is very disturbing and covers events that some may find difficult to read. The main character is a thirteen year old girl called Harper, after the character in her mother’s favourite book, To Kill A Mockingbird. Events happen around her and involving her, that to any other normal teen, could have easily destroyed them. Both of her parents were involved in police enforcement, until her mother killed herself at home and Harper was the one to discover her afterwards. Now Harper is in therapy, but refuses to talk about the main reason she was placed into therapy to start with. She has an older brother Charlie who is seventeen and having problems of his own, after their mother’s death, but is working his anger out in different ways and causing problems of his own as he rebels against all types of authority. Charlie’s best friend and neighbour is a boy nicknamed Sally, from Salvatore, and they also have to deal with a younger boy aged only nine, called Teddy, who shares a garden border with theirs.
Harper is happiest when she is deep in reading a book, whereas Charlie and Sally enjoy exploring and getting into scrapes. Their latest idea is to go and explore a building site and see what they can find. Harper isn’t keen to accompany them, but ends up getting forced into it. This brings them to query the elderly neighbour’s house next door, old Mr Locke who is supposed to have problems walking and has a somewhat run down house and grounds. An attempted sneaky look into a basement window, leaves her thinking she heard a scream, but she is caught by Mr Locke and made to go home. She is the sort of kid that tells her dad George exactly what she has done wrong and gets a talking to. But this leads the whole group of kids to want to explore further and they end up finding a young woman chained up in a hidden portion of the basement.
What their father does next gets him in loads of trouble at the police station and adds issues at home as well. Harper has her therapist Charlotte to speak to, but finds it easier to talk about everything else rather than her mother. How the relationships between all of the characters in the home start to evolve as matters reach implosion, are well described, but also very disturbing. Issues of a parent killing themselves, a child finding that body in their home, a dodgy neighbour and modern day slavery, abduction and complete mistreatment of another human being. Also all the usual trials and tribulations of growing up, parent free house parties and the unfortunate attention of older boys and friends that want to pander to popularity rather than age long friendship. Never mind the trial process that causes the victim and witnesses so much harm!
Hard-hitting and certainly needs not to be read by anyone with a bit of a nervous disposition or who might be disturbed by the topics raised in this book. I can’t see what the series title as to do with much of any of this book, which puzzles me and was only slightly linked by the piece of poetry at the end of the book, which was more odd than necessary to me. The main parts of the story are worth reading, but the prequel part and the end piece were disappointing. It is a solid book with events that took place before the dawn of the internet and the freedom of child to spend their time outside, without the need for parental control over their every action. A different world than most live in today. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of this book above. (3 1/2 stars)
Harper is happiest when she is deep in reading a book, whereas Charlie and Sally enjoy exploring and getting into scrapes. Their latest idea is to go and explore a building site and see what they can find. Harper isn’t keen to accompany them, but ends up getting forced into it. This brings them to query the elderly neighbour’s house next door, old Mr Locke who is supposed to have problems walking and has a somewhat run down house and grounds. An attempted sneaky look into a basement window, leaves her thinking she heard a scream, but she is caught by Mr Locke and made to go home. She is the sort of kid that tells her dad George exactly what she has done wrong and gets a talking to. But this leads the whole group of kids to want to explore further and they end up finding a young woman chained up in a hidden portion of the basement.
What their father does next gets him in loads of trouble at the police station and adds issues at home as well. Harper has her therapist Charlotte to speak to, but finds it easier to talk about everything else rather than her mother. How the relationships between all of the characters in the home start to evolve as matters reach implosion, are well described, but also very disturbing. Issues of a parent killing themselves, a child finding that body in their home, a dodgy neighbour and modern day slavery, abduction and complete mistreatment of another human being. Also all the usual trials and tribulations of growing up, parent free house parties and the unfortunate attention of older boys and friends that want to pander to popularity rather than age long friendship. Never mind the trial process that causes the victim and witnesses so much harm!
Hard-hitting and certainly needs not to be read by anyone with a bit of a nervous disposition or who might be disturbed by the topics raised in this book. I can’t see what the series title as to do with much of any of this book, which puzzles me and was only slightly linked by the piece of poetry at the end of the book, which was more odd than necessary to me. The main parts of the story are worth reading, but the prequel part and the end piece were disappointing. It is a solid book with events that took place before the dawn of the internet and the freedom of child to spend their time outside, without the need for parental control over their every action. A different world than most live in today. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of this book above. (3 1/2 stars)
January 18, 2019
Mercy Road is the third novel from Nicholas Gagnier I have read, and I have come to realise his storytelling is nothing less than addictive.
The verb ‘devoured’ is probably the best way to describe how I read Mercy Road. This story is fast paced yet, to paraphrase Gandalf the Grey, everything happens precisely when it is meant to. Several narratives unwind and intertwine yet Harper remains at the centre of it all; a young woman I could only describe as everything modern literature needs.
I don’t mean ‘a strong female character’. I mean a character who has to shoulder the complexities of being a human, an adolescent, a daughter, a sibling, a friend, a victim, a patient and a witness, who just happens to be female. Harper is a fourteen year old girl we can all relate to in some way and when it comes to carrying her world on her shoulders, well, let’s just say she does a better job than Atlas. The reason Harper’s story resonates is Gagnier’s unfaltering dedication to his characters. His characters tell their stories, rather than Gagnier telling a story with characters.
What impresses me, time and time again, is his ability to write about good versus evil on both a mortal and immortal plain and the way a moral compass points in all directions, without ever losing sight of the world around him. Gagnier maintains a firm hold on the societies we live in and grew up in, and global issues which span centuries, whilst still allowing us glimpses of the omniscient powers in his universe. I personally cannot wait to read more.
In short, Mercy Road is about more than the aftermath a family experiences after discovering their neighbour kept a woman as a prisoner. It is about death, loss, healing, family, love and failure. Mercy Road is a story which makes you wonder if you were Harper, Grace or George, what would you have done?
The verb ‘devoured’ is probably the best way to describe how I read Mercy Road. This story is fast paced yet, to paraphrase Gandalf the Grey, everything happens precisely when it is meant to. Several narratives unwind and intertwine yet Harper remains at the centre of it all; a young woman I could only describe as everything modern literature needs.
I don’t mean ‘a strong female character’. I mean a character who has to shoulder the complexities of being a human, an adolescent, a daughter, a sibling, a friend, a victim, a patient and a witness, who just happens to be female. Harper is a fourteen year old girl we can all relate to in some way and when it comes to carrying her world on her shoulders, well, let’s just say she does a better job than Atlas. The reason Harper’s story resonates is Gagnier’s unfaltering dedication to his characters. His characters tell their stories, rather than Gagnier telling a story with characters.
What impresses me, time and time again, is his ability to write about good versus evil on both a mortal and immortal plain and the way a moral compass points in all directions, without ever losing sight of the world around him. Gagnier maintains a firm hold on the societies we live in and grew up in, and global issues which span centuries, whilst still allowing us glimpses of the omniscient powers in his universe. I personally cannot wait to read more.
In short, Mercy Road is about more than the aftermath a family experiences after discovering their neighbour kept a woman as a prisoner. It is about death, loss, healing, family, love and failure. Mercy Road is a story which makes you wonder if you were Harper, Grace or George, what would you have done?
May 15, 2020
This is my second book by this author, and once again I am in left in awe of his talent for getting under the skin of his characters and making you feel right along with them from the inside out.
Told in flashbacks and in sessions with her therapist, the story follows the account of a young teenager growing up in suburban America. Left shattered by the inexplicable suicide of her mother the year before, Harper has to deal with further trauma, following a gruesome discovery in her sinister neighbour’s cellar by her and her brother.
Beautifully written, there are passages that took my breath away at the ability of the writer to convey the angst and passion of a teenager under intense pressure. As her family falls apart at the seams and Harper faces her demons alone, the reader is drawn ever deeper into her internal monologue until an explosive ending shocks with its simple inevitability.
This is a powerful read, one that is not for the faint-hearted but is for those who want their books raw and uncompromising. Shining a light into the darkest, most depraved corners of the human psyche, this is a book that tells a story of loss and redemption, yet also leaves the reader with a single question. Do you believe?
Told in flashbacks and in sessions with her therapist, the story follows the account of a young teenager growing up in suburban America. Left shattered by the inexplicable suicide of her mother the year before, Harper has to deal with further trauma, following a gruesome discovery in her sinister neighbour’s cellar by her and her brother.
Beautifully written, there are passages that took my breath away at the ability of the writer to convey the angst and passion of a teenager under intense pressure. As her family falls apart at the seams and Harper faces her demons alone, the reader is drawn ever deeper into her internal monologue until an explosive ending shocks with its simple inevitability.
This is a powerful read, one that is not for the faint-hearted but is for those who want their books raw and uncompromising. Shining a light into the darkest, most depraved corners of the human psyche, this is a book that tells a story of loss and redemption, yet also leaves the reader with a single question. Do you believe?
April 10, 2019
A dark tale not for the faint hearted, this story unravels with meticulous care and consideration. Gagnier writes from the perspective of a teenage girl who has seen more sadness and evil in her life than most ever will.
The characters are well represented, with unique personalities and crutches they lean on as they learn how to deal with endless trauma and family woes.
This story contains themes of sexual and domestic abuse, drug abuse, murder and suicide, but navigates each area with tasteful care and thought provoking messages.
A wonderful tale of a young, brave girl overcoming life’s obstacles and learning how to be ok. I am very impressed and look forward to reading more in the series.
The characters are well represented, with unique personalities and crutches they lean on as they learn how to deal with endless trauma and family woes.
This story contains themes of sexual and domestic abuse, drug abuse, murder and suicide, but navigates each area with tasteful care and thought provoking messages.
A wonderful tale of a young, brave girl overcoming life’s obstacles and learning how to be ok. I am very impressed and look forward to reading more in the series.
March 14, 2019
After finishing this novel, I was shell-shocked for a few minutes until the words “now that was a read” came to my mind. This is a very dark, intense story, it’s a topic that not many people want to talk about and even less enjoy talking about it! I commend the author on tackling this subject mater and doing so in such a manner. Regardless of age I think this is a novel that anyone and everyone could benefit from reading. I look forward to seeing more from this author if he intends to continue with this caliber of writing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 15, 2019
Wow. I was stunned and speechless reading this. So many different issues going on and all of it so dark and incrediblely heavy. Very well written and in such a compelling way that you need to find out what next. Harper is the conduit for all things strange and mysterious. I hope there is a follow up story so we can keep track of what is happening next in her world.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 5, 2019
Excellent read, this is a book that stands out as something special. Great story, well plotted and unmissable. If I had a hard copy, it would probably be dog-eared by now.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 28, 2019
Her mother has died and her father is a cop and she will have help from another. They will explore an incident in their last and now it affected them and their friends. See what has happened
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 18, 2019
I enjoyed this book on multiple levels. First, it's a great story, even with its heavy content. The characters are relatable and likeable, and their growth over the length of the story really filled them out as "people". I really enjoyed Harper being the focus, in that her personality was a little less typical for that role. The way the story was laid out kept it interesting, revealing certain details over time, but not when you think they'll come. Overall, I think it approached some really difficult topics in productive ways for both a younger or older audience.
June 23, 2019
I did not read the original book though I may yet. As a teacher who works with middle school and teens, this book has been adapted well to deal with a tough subject. It is impossible to make suicide, sexual and physical abuse and similar behaviors appropriate but this book has been done extremely well. I will request this book for my students for the next school year. I know of students who struggle with these issues and I believe this book can help work through those issues.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 1, 2020
Mercy Road is a captivating story which will haunt you while you are reading it and for days afterwards. I found this story to be reminiscent of Stephen King's work and the show Stranger Things. Gagnier's writing style, the story itself and the setting/time period just gave me those vibes.
This story follows Harper, a middle school aged girl, who has seen way more reality in her short life than a child should. Not fluff reality a la the Kardashians either, true reality in that monsters are real and they wear the same faces as us. Mercy Road is told through a series of therapy sessions she is attending, flashbacks, court appearances and more. I absolutely loved the style of storytelling. This isn't a traditional point A to point B way of writing, but I found it wonderful and not confusing at all. I liked that the story takes a cold hard look at mental health.
One thing I will point out, that didn't make sense to me until post epilogue, is the series title "Olivia & Hale". This book can 100% be read as a standalone and there is no tie in to the series title until the absolute end where a poem mentioning Olivia & Hale is placed. Perhaps this connection is further strengthened in subsequent books in the series. I mainly mention this because I wasted way too much brain power while reading this story trying to figure out what "Olivia & Hale" even meant.
November 29, 2020
Mercy Road by Nicholas Gagnier
This is a strong psychological drama that deals with very intense and important subjects such as suicide, loss, trafficking, abuse, family and personal trauma, all from the point of view of a perceptive and hurting 13-year-old. It is a gritty story told with clarity, compassion and modern literary finesse. I would say it is meant for a mature YA audience and adults.
Harper, the young protagonist, is our narrator, and takes us in and out and then finally through these traumas and all the heartbreaking details that have burdened her and her family. It is in talking to her therapist Charlotte that the facts unfold. Some of these tragic events include her mom’s suicide, from which she, her dad and her brother Charlie, have not yet recovered and then Harper’s discovery of a young woman held captive and abused in her neighbor’s basement.
Because of this heroic discovery, Harper and her family’s lives become even more complex, resulting in her dad, who is a police officer, becoming caught up in an intense criminal case that threatens the family’s emotional well-being even further.
Harper is a beautifully developed character with intelligence, sensitivity and insight beyond her years. Charlie, her brother, is also well conceived. He has chosen to act out and resist authority as his way of dealing with the loss of their mom. Harper has a much more introspective response to all the emotional injuries she has endured, which also isolates her. This was a powerful and emotional read. And finally, it is a book about survival and healing. It would also make a terrific movie.
This is a strong psychological drama that deals with very intense and important subjects such as suicide, loss, trafficking, abuse, family and personal trauma, all from the point of view of a perceptive and hurting 13-year-old. It is a gritty story told with clarity, compassion and modern literary finesse. I would say it is meant for a mature YA audience and adults.
Harper, the young protagonist, is our narrator, and takes us in and out and then finally through these traumas and all the heartbreaking details that have burdened her and her family. It is in talking to her therapist Charlotte that the facts unfold. Some of these tragic events include her mom’s suicide, from which she, her dad and her brother Charlie, have not yet recovered and then Harper’s discovery of a young woman held captive and abused in her neighbor’s basement.
Because of this heroic discovery, Harper and her family’s lives become even more complex, resulting in her dad, who is a police officer, becoming caught up in an intense criminal case that threatens the family’s emotional well-being even further.
Harper is a beautifully developed character with intelligence, sensitivity and insight beyond her years. Charlie, her brother, is also well conceived. He has chosen to act out and resist authority as his way of dealing with the loss of their mom. Harper has a much more introspective response to all the emotional injuries she has endured, which also isolates her. This was a powerful and emotional read. And finally, it is a book about survival and healing. It would also make a terrific movie.
April 3, 2024
This is marketed as magical realism meets coming-of-age drama. Accurate. 13 yo Harper is in therapy after the death of her mother. To add additional complications, she, her brother, and two neighborhood boys find a woman trapped in the basement of their neighbor's home.
What I liked:
I don't normally enjoy first-person stories, but the way this one was structured, worked. The book is divided into Sessions instead of chapters. Each session switches between the present where Harper is talking to the therapist and telling the story of what happened that week. It was beautifully layered and yet, it was a quick read for me. The characters were compelling. I connected with Harper and her sense of responsibility for everyone and everything except for herself.
The ending! *chef's kiss* Well done!
What I didn't like:
It was a well-done book. There is nothing I didn't like about it.
Overall:
This was exceptional work by this author. I love the blending of genres, the story structure, and how he was able to keep me engaged. I'm definitely adding the next book to my TBR.
What I liked:
I don't normally enjoy first-person stories, but the way this one was structured, worked. The book is divided into Sessions instead of chapters. Each session switches between the present where Harper is talking to the therapist and telling the story of what happened that week. It was beautifully layered and yet, it was a quick read for me. The characters were compelling. I connected with Harper and her sense of responsibility for everyone and everything except for herself.
The ending! *chef's kiss* Well done!
What I didn't like:
It was a well-done book. There is nothing I didn't like about it.
Overall:
This was exceptional work by this author. I love the blending of genres, the story structure, and how he was able to keep me engaged. I'm definitely adding the next book to my TBR.
April 23, 2022
Mercy Road is the first in the Olivia and Hale series of books, and a fabulous introduction to an author with a powerful and compelling narrative voice. It’s a beautifully written mystery and domestic drama written from the standpoint of 13-year old Harper who is not only dealing with the recent suicide of her mother and a fractured family her father is struggling to hold together, but the fall-out of discovering a trafficked victim in a neighbour’s house. I loved the main character, Harper, but all of the characters are extremely well-drawn and three-dimensional. The handling of the dialogue is outstanding, and I admired the way the book was structured, jumping as it does from past to present, as the mystery of what actually happened is slowly and tantalisingly revealed. The ending was powerful, disturbing, surprising and perfect. This is my first book by Nicholas Gagnier, but it won’t be my last.
July 10, 2019
This very compelling story starts as a teenage girl tells of seeing something horrific and being uncertain as to what she should do. The author draws an incredible picture of the events he is relating through her words, the true words that a fourteen-year-old would use, and how the events affect her and those around her.
Nicholas Gagnier has become a favourite author of mine. I applaud the way he approaches difficult themes that people do not want to believe exist, although those and so much more happen in the world today.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nicholas Gagnier has become a favourite author of mine. I applaud the way he approaches difficult themes that people do not want to believe exist, although those and so much more happen in the world today.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 29, 2020
A cool coming-of-age story with captivating characters, the touch of magical realism, and awesome literary flair. The writing is simple but seductive, and the setting is easy to relate too. I fell in love with all the incredible characters, especially Harper; their flaws, dreams, and sometimes strange decisions. Surprisingly moving, and true… what Nicholas Gagnier writes is so emotionally evocative, some way addictive, you can’t stay away from this book, you just want to finish it. I’d call it an existential teenage story – deep, intense, compelling, relatable. Great read, recommend it!
July 7, 2019
I read the curriculum edition and I was really taken by that, and the story itself does not really change. This story is incredibly dark and intense with fabulous characters and a story that you will keep thinking and dwelling on for sometime after reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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September 11, 2020From the first pages, Mercy Road tempts and teases, shamelessly flirting with your curiosity while simultaneously chipping away at your sense of ease. Gagnier’s portrayals of trauma and grief are unsettling in the best of ways. I was hooked from cryptic beginning to mysterious end.
August 31, 2020
The story reminded me Steven King's Hearts in Atlantis.
Enjoyed reading a story where the main character is a very smart, empathetic and brave 13 year old girl.
Enjoyed reading a story where the main character is a very smart, empathetic and brave 13 year old girl.
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