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Evergreen #1

Evergreen

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Welcome to Evergreen... Cole Mercer is a young man angry at the world...and for good reason. At sixteen-years-old, he's forced to grow up fast when he loses his father in an air disaster that is front-page news for every paper in the country. To make matters worse, his mother informs him she is moving Cole and his younger sister from their home in Rochester, New York, to the small town of Evergreen, North Carolina. There, he struggles to keep his head above water in a sea of casseroles, bible-beaters, and southern drawls. Fortunately, Cole finds refuge in Amanda Davenport, the girl who lives in the house across the street. Recognizing Cole is a fish out of water, she befriends him and opens his eyes to life in a small town. But despite the beauty of his surroundings, Cole quickly realizes that lurking beneath the veneer of southern gentility is an unsolved triple homicide. And at the heart of it all is an enigmatic man of the mountain named Thaddeus Finch.

From Amazon bestselling author Buck Turner comes the coming-of-age novel, Evergreen . Follow Cole Mercer as he navigates the wilds of small town living, makes friends, and enemies, falls in love, and is forced to make a decision that will forever change his life and the lives of those around him.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2012

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5531 people want to read

About the author

Buck Turner

26 books712 followers
Buck is a beloved storyteller, best known for his diverse writing style and subject matter. Author of the bestselling romance novels The Long Road Back To You and I'll Wait, Buck explores both the pleasure and the pain that come with finding that once-in-a-lifetime love, and the lengths we'll go to keep it.

As a graduate of Lincoln Memorial University, Buck holds a Fine Arts degree as well as an MBA. Having spent his childhood in East Tennessee, Buck focuses on what he knows best-the south, including its rich traditions, diverse characters, and religion. When he's not busy writing, Buck enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, fishing, drawing, and painting.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for Lotta Z.
155 reviews16 followers
December 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC! All thoughts are my own!

🎉 Publication Date: 20th of January 2026 🎉

🤍 Tropes 🤍
🔞 Young Teens
🏘️ New Small Town
🏫 New Kid at School
🫆Murder Mystery
✞ Faith/Loss of Faith
🫂 Friendships
🤍Clean Romance
💥Shotgun - Key Plot Element
♟️ Chess - Key Plot Element

⚠️ Warnings ⚠️
╰➤ Aircraft Disaster - Resulting in Death
╰➤ Hurricanes/Storms
╰➤ Death & Terminal Sickness
╰➤ Murder
╰➤ Grief
╰➤ Divorce - Mentioned
╰➤ Bullying
╰➤ Theft
╰➤ Child Abuse
╰➤ Alcoholism
╰➤ Brawling
╰➤ Firearm
╰➤ Crude Language - Mild
╰➤ Faith References
╰➤ Supernatural Elements - Premonitions, Dreams, Healings, Miracles, Talisman, Unusual Lifespans, Selling of Soul. (Mostly from a Christian slant but some elements I believe would fall outside of that.)
╰➤ Terrible Nickname, if you know, you know XD

I really enjoyed this one! It is quite a short book but it does pack a punch!

I loved the small town vibes of Evergreen. Cole Mercer, our MMC, 16, find his whole life being uprooted from Rochester, New York after a tragic accident. This story is a coming of age tale of a young boy trying to deal with new friends, bullying, starting to think about dating, and what the future holds for him.

However, this small town of Evergreen that the MMC finds himself in holds secrets. I loved the murder mystery and detective elements of this story. It was so much fun trying to work out who did it!

I also enjoyed the commentary on Cole’s faith, or lack thereof, at different points in the story. There were moments of questioning, of losing faith, at difficult times in the MMC’s life. This seemed realistic to me and there was nothing cringy about the portrayal of faith in this book which I really liked!

The author’s writing style was great, the pages just pulled you in and kept you wanting more. I also really liked some of the author's description, like this one about the MMC’s anger:

‘I never really understood where my anger came from, like it was drawn from some mysterious well deep within my soul. But at that moment, regardless of where it began, it surged through me like electricity when you touch a live wire.’

I also really liked this description of faith in hard times:

‘ “I don’t think faith works like that,” she said gently. “It’s not like a magical spell that can prevent bad things from happening. It’s more of a compass, a guiding light during the darkest of times. It may not change the course of events but it can change the way you perceive and react to them.” ’

The friendship and rivalries between the MMC and the boys from Evergreen was also really fun. I really enjoyed how that all turned out.

The MMC’s grief for me was written well too, I thought. I always like it when the grief seems real to the characters. They say things they don’t mean. Anger is quick to rise. They act out. That is my experience of grief as a teenager and I was glad to see that in the MMC.

The supernatural element of the ‘Watchers’ was quite interesting to me as well and not something I have seen before in a book. ‘ “They are cursed, after all. Doomed to eternal longing, witnessing human life but never really partaking in it. But the old tales also say that they carry wisdom from their timeless existence. Wisdom born of sadness and regret.” ’

I’m still not sure about the Old Man Finch and what he actually is! Was he a watcher? Does that make him demonic? I’m not sure, but he definitely had supernatural powers if not was supernatural himself. He must have started out human? I wasn’t such a fan of the giving up your soul element. That was a bit dark for me personally. The ending of the book turned very supernatural which was surprising to me as most of the story didn’t seem to have any supernatural elements at all.

One thing that I did find a bit strange was that Tabitha (MMC's sister) and the MMC had almost no interactions together at all. It was like they did not live together. I almost feel like Tabitha should not have bothered being in the story as she added nothing to the plot and Cole spent no meaningful time with her at all. Having the MMC's mother there was enough I think, but that is just personal preference.

Pick up this one if you like a fast-paced, murder mystery style, coming of age stories!

Thanks all for reading!

🤍🤍🤍
11 reviews
June 7, 2022
I never write reviews…

I read all the time - it agrees with my soul a lot more than the violent aggressive try too hard brand of entertainment via Netflix. All of the books go in and out of my kindle like a revolving door leaving me dizzy with the same old plots. But Buck Turner is one of the old fashioned storytellers- the Pat Conroy type. Everyone needs to read this man’s stories- I am. I’d like to meet him one day.
Profile Image for Joan mooney.
370 reviews4 followers
July 24, 2021
Best book I’ve read in YEARS

The story of a boy coming of age. It is his thoughts, trials, decisions. This book is about real love. The ultimate sacrifice. It is touching, funny, tragic, confusing and has the absolute best surprise ending ever. I don’t have words to describe what it made me feel. I. Crying over a story for the first time in a very long time. Read this story!!!
1 review
January 13, 2025
I have numerous favorite authors, yet rarely do I leave a review. I have now read all, save one, of Buck Turners books. This author truly has a God given gift. I am not one to often shed tears when reaching the end of a novel, but this one got me. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Buck Turner.
166 reviews
May 24, 2023
A soul searching story

Such an interesting read. I loved the mystery of where the story was heading. While this is a story of young love, it is so much more. It’s about a son not knowing how to process a father’s death, a boy learning right from wrong, and understanding that whatever it takes you have to right your wrongs. Then the surprise ending of good verses evil and what will you choose.

So much to think about once you finish this read. It took me forever to get to sleep that night as the wheels turn in my head.
Profile Image for Traci Co.
114 reviews12 followers
December 14, 2025
This book is a young adult story that has a little bit of young first love, a touch of high school drama, a bit of intense mystery, and a dash of paranormal happenings.

The story is primarily focused on Cole as he moves to a new town with his mother and younger sister, having to adjust to a new high school, make new friends, and ultimately assumes a mission to solve a murder that happened a couple of years before his arrival to town. The characters and their adventures provided me with a little bit of nostalgia as they would ride through town on their bikes, plan weekends to hang out, play games, and eat pizza, and simply experience small town living.

There are moments of abuse and bullying, as well as murder, so be aware of any triggers you might have in that regard. The intense details of these happenings are not the primary focus of the story - but are certainly a part of it.

The good guys are all likeable; the bad guys are what you need and want them to be so that you can adequately hope for their comeuppance. Cole, the main male character, starts out as an emotional and angry teen (appropriately so, all things considered), and the reader gets front row seats to watch him develop into his own while letting his compassionate personality come through. I have to say that I really liked how it ended; it wasn't what I expected and was a fun and interesting outcome.

The opinions expressed here are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for providing me with an advanced free e-copy of this book.
Profile Image for Anne OK.
4,098 reviews553 followers
May 22, 2023



Buck Turner’s books are good with unusual and powerful storylines that always catch my attention and keep me fully engaged. Evergreen is a coming-of-age story with bits of fantasy added to Cole and Amanda’s relationship. A bittersweet story set in the small town of Evergreen with some heartbreaking moments, along with a variety of characters -- landing in both the good and bad categories.

The ending felt rushed and wasn’t clearly settled in my mind. I’ve found that to be the case with other books by Turner as well. He always leaves me pleading for a bit more.

The biggest negative with this author's work is the number of editing problems found in each book that I’ve read. I would love to see him get a better editor – his stories deserve much better than the poor quality they’ve been receiving.

I enjoy Turner’s creative writing style and the unique and interesting characters he brings to life on the pages of his books. I’ll continue making my way through his backlist and look forward to any new releases from him.
Profile Image for Fátima Chib.
28 reviews
December 10, 2025
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me this book!!
I went into this one expecting a quick young adult mistery with maybe a little romance but OH MY... This was so much more than that!!
Usually I'm not a fan of books mixing different genres or themes in a book but this one was done perfectly, you get the intriguing murder mistery in this small town, you get a beautiful romance and your pretty much are following our main character through all of the hard choices and unlikely alliances that he has to make along the way.
Also I did not expect this to be as emotional as it was!! It had me in tears at some parts with some really resonating quotes that talk to your soul.
This book is so much more than just a young adult book, this is a story that matures and evolves through heartache and faith, a story that shows you how life after all is a game of chess.
124 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2024
Good, but not great

I was looking very forward to this book, as I had read Keeper of the Stars and The Long Way Back to You and adored them both. This one took a mystical turn towards the end that I did not really like. To me, it was difficult to understand and imagine what the author was trying to convey. The love story between Cole and Amanda was beautiful and engaging. Then she got sick, and Cole made a deal to save her life. I loved that Amanda got to live, of course, but Cole’s sentence to a lifetime on earth with no human contact was way too sad. I can’t even think about it without tearing up. For this reason, I can’t give it 5 stars. I barely gave it 4.
Profile Image for Kayla Siebert.
33 reviews
December 24, 2024
This story was weird… but interesting. It kind of felt like I was reading 3 stories in one. I think the premise was captivating, but written in a choppy way. So much happened in, what, a years time? If the book was fleshed out a bit more, it might have had better flow..? The typo errors killed me, as these type of books often do, making me wish I could be an editor for everyone. Also in a coming of age book, I didn’t realize death would be such a main element. So much death! It was depressing. Interesting concept and characters, but unfortunately… not well executed, in my opinion.
Profile Image for Julie Baker.
276 reviews11 followers
January 29, 2023
This is an interesting story of a young man who at a young age loses his father and his whole world is turned upside down. He has to deal with a move to a very rural area, being the new kid, and then understanding his feelings. It is a love story - boy meets girl and boy meets God. The ending of the book has more religious under tones then the beginning and as a surprise ending. Book is well written with compelling characters.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
143 reviews
July 20, 2024
Better every time

I have read one after the other of Mr. Turner's books. Each time I think this was the best. As tears stream down my face, and I remember my life and the life I just read, I'm amazed that God gave Buck Turner a gift that can turn black words on white paper in to people's story's I will never forget! Thank you Mr. Turner for portraying the meaning of true undying love!
Profile Image for Nancy.
291 reviews3 followers
September 2, 2021
A small town, a young man, come together to learn and grow and find their fate together. Growing up is hard, but with wisdom from “a friend”, and challenges in his path he becomes who he is.
Enjoyed the narration of this story. Flowed smoothly and it felt like someone was reading the story to me.
24 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2021
WOW!! All I can say is read it!!

WOW!!! All I can say is read it!!! No where near the type of books I normally read… but could not put it down…I am not sure I will ever understand the ending!!
Thank you Buck Turner for such an awesome book as have all your books have been… now waiting on book 2 on the Silver Falls series!
11 reviews
January 4, 2022
Absolutely astounding

First I thought I'd mischosen a book for young adults, but soon I realized this book is for those of us old enough to understand the depth and complexities of the life we're dealt. This is a wonderful book and I'll be certain to read more of Mr. Turner's work.
49 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2024
Evergreen

I have read a lot of his books and love every one but this one by far is the best of all/once I started the book,I was drawn into the wonderful story of Cole & Amanda/the story just flows and such an emotional ride/every character is so well developed,all I can say is it is a page turner from start to finish…I so loved this book
Profile Image for Barbara Shea.
184 reviews2 followers
October 13, 2024
Cole& Amanda

This was another great story, Bucks story’s are so gratifying, he’s a great writer,he tells the story like your living it. I will read every book he writes, he’s another Nicholas Sparks . Story’s you never forget. Highly recommended to everyone, you won’t be disappointed.


5 reviews
July 23, 2021
And put down the bills

I read a lot, every day as a matter of fact. This is one of the best books I have ever read! I love the way the author writes and will read everything that has his name on it. Highly highly recommend.
8 reviews
August 31, 2021
Amazing beautiful story

I reading every book I can find by Buck Turner!
His characters are so well described, I feel like
I really know them, keep on writing these awesome books!!


16 reviews
September 7, 2021
Very Uplifting!

This is a message of love, of hope, and of redemption. Although I would love to volunteer to proofread for this author, I am enthralled with his ability to tell a good story.
8 reviews
October 5, 2021
Another awesome srory

I felt that this book started off a little strange and I wasn't sure I wanted to read it but I decided to read a little more and I'm so glad I did .it is a very interesting read. I'm a little surprised at the ending but its part of the magic
2,379 reviews13 followers
October 17, 2021
This was a great story. The characters were so alive and interesting. Amanda and Cole, how their destiny was intertwined from the beginning. I cannot express how this story effected me. Just to say it was great does not do justice to the writing and how the story evolved.
Profile Image for Toni Garrison.
247 reviews
January 15, 2022
good book

I enjoyed this coming of age book. As I was reading and knowing I was close to the end of the book because of page numbers, I wondered how it could end so quickly. I was not disappointed at all. Never saw that ending.
1 review
April 8, 2023
Best book I have read in a long time!

I could not put the book down. This had an excellent plot, the main character was wholly relatable. I liken this story to Stand By Me by Stephen King but with a twist. You will not be sorry you read this book!
9 reviews
January 21, 2024
A Timeless Story

I loved this book. It perfectly spoke of young love, fear, and friendship. The characters were relatable, and I felt like I knew them. One of my favorite Buck Turner books.
Profile Image for Sharon Stutler.
26 reviews
March 20, 2024
Tender love

Another wonderful love story. There are things in life we cannot escape, death is one. Choosing to face fear and love openly and fearless is another. Beautifully written. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I. Ty Mr. Turner..
3 reviews
April 26, 2024
Evergreen

This is a very touching story of love on every level. Love of family, friends, soul mates and the spiritual. It was beautifully told. I felt I knew the characters and was sorry to say goodbye to them. I hope you feel as I did.


58 reviews
May 9, 2024
First love from a teen boy's perspective. However, it is written through the mature eyes of an adult. This is an adventure story, a mystery and a young love story all in one. Mr. Turner does an exceptional job of capturing the characters.
2 reviews
August 28, 2024
Love this book !! Excellent writing it’s sad 🥲, I cried a lot, but it kept me wanting to read the next page!! I know it’s fiction but you feel so close to these families you find yourself praying for them ! Thank you for a beautiful story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews

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