What do you think?
Rate this book
Mercury Boys
History and the speculative collide with the modern world when a group of high school girls form a secret society after discovering they can communicate with boys from the past, in this powerful look at female desire, jealousy, and the shifting lines between friendship and rivalry.
After her life is upended by divorce and a cross-country move, 16-year-old Saskia Brown feels like an outsider at her new school—not only is she a transplant, but she’s also biracial in a population of mostly white students. One day while visiting her only friend at her part-time library job, Saskia encounters a vial of liquid mercury, then touches an old daguerreotype—the precursor of the modern-day photograph—and makes a startling discovery. She is somehow able to visit the man in the Robert Cornelius, a brilliant young inventor from the nineteenth century. The she can see him only in her dreams.
Saskia shares her revelation with some classmates, hoping to find connection and friendship among strangers. Under her guidance, the other girls steal portraits of young men from a local college’s daguerreotype collection and try the dangerous experiment for themselves. Soon, they each form a bond with their own “Mercury Boy,” from an injured Union soldier to a charming pickpocket in New York City.
At night, the girls visit the boys in their dreams. During the day, they hold clandestine meetings of their new secret society. At first, the Mercury Boys Club is a thrilling diversion from their troubled everyday lives, but it’s not long before jealousy, violence and secrets threaten everything the girls hold dear.
After her life is upended by divorce and a cross-country move, 16-year-old Saskia Brown feels like an outsider at her new school—not only is she a transplant, but she’s also biracial in a population of mostly white students. One day while visiting her only friend at her part-time library job, Saskia encounters a vial of liquid mercury, then touches an old daguerreotype—the precursor of the modern-day photograph—and makes a startling discovery. She is somehow able to visit the man in the Robert Cornelius, a brilliant young inventor from the nineteenth century. The she can see him only in her dreams.
Saskia shares her revelation with some classmates, hoping to find connection and friendship among strangers. Under her guidance, the other girls steal portraits of young men from a local college’s daguerreotype collection and try the dangerous experiment for themselves. Soon, they each form a bond with their own “Mercury Boy,” from an injured Union soldier to a charming pickpocket in New York City.
At night, the girls visit the boys in their dreams. During the day, they hold clandestine meetings of their new secret society. At first, the Mercury Boys Club is a thrilling diversion from their troubled everyday lives, but it’s not long before jealousy, violence and secrets threaten everything the girls hold dear.
360 pages, Paperback
First published August 3, 2021
19 people are currently reading
5387 people want to read
About the author
Chandra Prasad
10 books105 followersMERCURY BOYS: A YA NOVEL arrives on August 3, 2021. Want to pre-order the book and win some free prizes, including a beautiful, handwrought, fair trade bookmark? Visit chandraprasad.com for details.
Or visit mercuryboys.com and learn about the book's plot and characters, as well as see the mysterious old photographs at the heart of the narrative.
My first young adult novel, Damselfly, is a classic island survival tale disrupted by the unexpected assertion of female control and an explosive reckoning over race and class.
Popular in middle and high schools across the country, Damselfly can be read as a stand-alone novel or in tandem with Lord of the Flies as a parallel text. The book grapples with modern issues that are relatable to today’s teens: bullying, racism, social media connectivity, and mental illness, among others. Resources for educators can be found at chandraprasad.com/damselfly. Complimentary signed bookplates and bookmarks available. Write to the author at www.chandraprasad.com/damselfly/contact/ to learn about class/author Q&A sessions via videoconferencing!
Previously I wrote novels for adults, including On Borrowed Wings, a historical drama set in early 20th century New Haven; Breathe the Sky, a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart’s last days; and Death of a Circus, which Booklist calls “Richly textured [and] packed with glamour and grit.” I am the originator and editor of Mixed, an anthology of short stories on the multiracial experience, which was published to international acclaim by W.W. Norton and which is used in many college English classes.
My shorter works have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Week, the official magazine of The U.S. Department of State, Teen Voices, and numerous literary, arts, and poetry journals.
I'm a graduate of Yale and a Fellow at one of Yale's residential colleges. I'm currently working on several new books and writing projects.
Praise for Mercury Boys
“Mercury Boys has daguerreotypes and dashing strangers, hiding spots and crossed lines. It’s full of secrets and fraught with danger. Ultimately, it’s like mercury itself—mesmerizing, terrifying, thrilling, and dangerously beautiful. It’s pure alchemy.”
—Carrie Firestone, author of The Loose Ends List and The Unlikelies
“Mercury Boys is a thrilling journey into the perils of adolescent friendship and a touching commentary on love’s timelessness.”
—Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder
“With vividly drawn, multidimensional characters and a riveting voice, Mercury Boys weaves a compelling tale of the intoxicating power of friendship, female rivalry, and romance.”
—Kate Marshall, author of I Am Still Alive, soon to be a major motion picture
“In this snapshot of modern teenage life with a historical twist, Prasad creates a world as haunting as a daguerreotype and as vivid as a high-resolution photo. An exhilarating and thought-provoking ride that will make you think twice next time you’re thumbing through a photo album.”
—Michael Belanger, author of The History of Jane Doe
“For history buffs and hopeless romantics alike, Mercury Boys is a compelling, imaginative romp that will leave teen readers longing for an alternate reality—and a Mercury Boy—of their own.”
—Natasha Friend, author of How We Roll and Perfect
“The concept of ‘mean girl’ time travelers has enormous cinematic potential, particularly as it is tethered to the zeitgeist. In Mercury Boys, Chandra Prasad shows her unique ability to give voice to the acute angst of today’s adolescents, caught between the malaise of contemporary society and an inchoate yearning for the values and romance of the past.”
—Amy Adelson, Motion Picture/Television Producer of Above Suspicion and You Know My Name
Or visit mercuryboys.com and learn about the book's plot and characters, as well as see the mysterious old photographs at the heart of the narrative.
My first young adult novel, Damselfly, is a classic island survival tale disrupted by the unexpected assertion of female control and an explosive reckoning over race and class.
Popular in middle and high schools across the country, Damselfly can be read as a stand-alone novel or in tandem with Lord of the Flies as a parallel text. The book grapples with modern issues that are relatable to today’s teens: bullying, racism, social media connectivity, and mental illness, among others. Resources for educators can be found at chandraprasad.com/damselfly. Complimentary signed bookplates and bookmarks available. Write to the author at www.chandraprasad.com/damselfly/contact/ to learn about class/author Q&A sessions via videoconferencing!
Previously I wrote novels for adults, including On Borrowed Wings, a historical drama set in early 20th century New Haven; Breathe the Sky, a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart’s last days; and Death of a Circus, which Booklist calls “Richly textured [and] packed with glamour and grit.” I am the originator and editor of Mixed, an anthology of short stories on the multiracial experience, which was published to international acclaim by W.W. Norton and which is used in many college English classes.
My shorter works have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Week, the official magazine of The U.S. Department of State, Teen Voices, and numerous literary, arts, and poetry journals.
I'm a graduate of Yale and a Fellow at one of Yale's residential colleges. I'm currently working on several new books and writing projects.
Praise for Mercury Boys
“Mercury Boys has daguerreotypes and dashing strangers, hiding spots and crossed lines. It’s full of secrets and fraught with danger. Ultimately, it’s like mercury itself—mesmerizing, terrifying, thrilling, and dangerously beautiful. It’s pure alchemy.”
—Carrie Firestone, author of The Loose Ends List and The Unlikelies
“Mercury Boys is a thrilling journey into the perils of adolescent friendship and a touching commentary on love’s timelessness.”
—Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder
“With vividly drawn, multidimensional characters and a riveting voice, Mercury Boys weaves a compelling tale of the intoxicating power of friendship, female rivalry, and romance.”
—Kate Marshall, author of I Am Still Alive, soon to be a major motion picture
“In this snapshot of modern teenage life with a historical twist, Prasad creates a world as haunting as a daguerreotype and as vivid as a high-resolution photo. An exhilarating and thought-provoking ride that will make you think twice next time you’re thumbing through a photo album.”
—Michael Belanger, author of The History of Jane Doe
“For history buffs and hopeless romantics alike, Mercury Boys is a compelling, imaginative romp that will leave teen readers longing for an alternate reality—and a Mercury Boy—of their own.”
—Natasha Friend, author of How We Roll and Perfect
“The concept of ‘mean girl’ time travelers has enormous cinematic potential, particularly as it is tethered to the zeitgeist. In Mercury Boys, Chandra Prasad shows her unique ability to give voice to the acute angst of today’s adolescents, caught between the malaise of contemporary society and an inchoate yearning for the values and romance of the past.”
—Amy Adelson, Motion Picture/Television Producer of Above Suspicion and You Know My Name
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 13, 2024
Saskia is angry about her abrupt exit from Arizona. It’s where she became the content, confident and not-too-terrible teenager her parents could trust. It is also where Mom openly hooked up with the (very young) man students had dubbed “the hot substitute”.
Moving with just Dad was depressing. As a suddenly-single parent and nurse with a bonkers schedule, he may not notice her mood. It’s fine. Saskia is making friends.
Lila certainly seems responsible. She’s a good student and holds a part-time job on the Western Connecticut State campus. To be fair, any work would be way better than baby-sitting her squad of younger siblings; but Lila genuinely enjoys the opportunity to study the origins of processing photographs.
When Saskia is assigned to study Robert Cornelius (chemist, considered pioneer of photography), Lila is quite happy to show Saskia the daguerreotypes so meticulously maintained in the school’s library. She’s less comfortable when her new friend is so fixated on the likeness of Cornelius that she insists on “borrowing” it.
Saskia meant to keep it overnight only, but she hadn’t realized it was a portal. Or, that when she closed her eyes to sleep, she would meet Cornelius. Face-to-face. In his time. Too real to be a dream, time-travel was the only explanation. Unless it was mercury poisoning. Probably should not have handled that.
In an enthusiastic effort to share her discovery and befriend the oh-so-popular Paige, Saskia loses sight of that-which-is-important. Including Lila.
Mercury Boys is the archetypal YA narrative. Actual issues that can, and often do, affect adolescents today, are addressed. The eye-on-the-prize type of tunnel-vision that can lead a typically reasonable teen astray, aptly portrayed. Ms. Prasad’s antagonist employs peer-pressure in its most passive-aggressive form and the girls’ summer “fun” has very real, adverse repercussions.
I’ll be excitedly introducing Mercury Boys to “my” students. I think the combination of fact and fantasy creates a captivating story.
This review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books, with huge thanks for the Advance Review Copy to donate to my favorite classroom library.
Moving with just Dad was depressing. As a suddenly-single parent and nurse with a bonkers schedule, he may not notice her mood. It’s fine. Saskia is making friends.
Lila certainly seems responsible. She’s a good student and holds a part-time job on the Western Connecticut State campus. To be fair, any work would be way better than baby-sitting her squad of younger siblings; but Lila genuinely enjoys the opportunity to study the origins of processing photographs.
When Saskia is assigned to study Robert Cornelius (chemist, considered pioneer of photography), Lila is quite happy to show Saskia the daguerreotypes so meticulously maintained in the school’s library. She’s less comfortable when her new friend is so fixated on the likeness of Cornelius that she insists on “borrowing” it.
Saskia meant to keep it overnight only, but she hadn’t realized it was a portal. Or, that when she closed her eyes to sleep, she would meet Cornelius. Face-to-face. In his time. Too real to be a dream, time-travel was the only explanation. Unless it was mercury poisoning. Probably should not have handled that.
In an enthusiastic effort to share her discovery and befriend the oh-so-popular Paige, Saskia loses sight of that-which-is-important. Including Lila.
Mercury Boys is the archetypal YA narrative. Actual issues that can, and often do, affect adolescents today, are addressed. The eye-on-the-prize type of tunnel-vision that can lead a typically reasonable teen astray, aptly portrayed. Ms. Prasad’s antagonist employs peer-pressure in its most passive-aggressive form and the girls’ summer “fun” has very real, adverse repercussions.
I’ll be excitedly introducing Mercury Boys to “my” students. I think the combination of fact and fantasy creates a captivating story.
This review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books, with huge thanks for the Advance Review Copy to donate to my favorite classroom library.
October 31, 2021
Hello, it’s me again with another 3 star rating to give to a book I was madly anticipating :(
It’s not like this wasn’t good but it was a middle-of-the-road book for me. There were times where I was really engaged, and other times (tbh most of the time) where I was passively listening to the audiobook. I loved the historical bits, which were what I wanted from this book in the first place, but the contemporary part felt so flat in comparison. While reading I went from “I would read an entire book about Adrienne and Sara Beth with their boys!” to “why are we still doing this?” to “I can’t wait for this book to be over so I can start something more exciting next”. It’s safe to say I loved the idea but as a whole this book turned out to be way more of a YA contemporary than what I had hoped. I needed a better conflict to like the present time too, which this book didn’t deliver. I wasn’t excited to find out this book is about a toxic friendship, but I could have gotten on board if this gave me a believable toxic friend or a believable reason why the mc would stay friends with her. I’m still trying to understand how Saskia completely fell for this club, enough to accept a tattoo and “punishments” from girls that meant close to nothing to the club when she had Lila as a best friend already.
The writing style never convinced me either; from the first line I knew I would have trouble concentrating. It gives a lot of tell-don’t-show vibes that I’m personally not a fan of.
Honestly I don’t have a lot to say, this book was okay. I found the historical subplots to be fun and cute but the rest wasn’t that interesting. I liked how it all ended though.
Thank you to the publisher for the early copy!
It’s not like this wasn’t good but it was a middle-of-the-road book for me. There were times where I was really engaged, and other times (tbh most of the time) where I was passively listening to the audiobook. I loved the historical bits, which were what I wanted from this book in the first place, but the contemporary part felt so flat in comparison. While reading I went from “I would read an entire book about Adrienne and Sara Beth with their boys!” to “why are we still doing this?” to “I can’t wait for this book to be over so I can start something more exciting next”. It’s safe to say I loved the idea but as a whole this book turned out to be way more of a YA contemporary than what I had hoped. I needed a better conflict to like the present time too, which this book didn’t deliver. I wasn’t excited to find out this book is about a toxic friendship, but I could have gotten on board if this gave me a believable toxic friend or a believable reason why the mc would stay friends with her. I’m still trying to understand how Saskia completely fell for this club, enough to accept a tattoo and “punishments” from girls that meant close to nothing to the club when she had Lila as a best friend already.
The writing style never convinced me either; from the first line I knew I would have trouble concentrating. It gives a lot of tell-don’t-show vibes that I’m personally not a fan of.
Honestly I don’t have a lot to say, this book was okay. I found the historical subplots to be fun and cute but the rest wasn’t that interesting. I liked how it all ended though.
Thank you to the publisher for the early copy!
May 4, 2021
First of all, thanks for Soho Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!
I had a lot of hopes for this book because everything about it sounded very intriguing and interesting, but I literally had to force myself to keep going at several points. Even though I still can see the potential with the synopsis, the delivery wasn't good at all.
Many plot points lacked depth and explanation, the friendships were too shallow and the way the author tried to imitate teenage friendships was just a failure- reading the text messages almost gave me a stroke.
This book could've been one of my favorite reads this year and it really did made me excited from time to time (though that didn't happen until I was almost halfway done with it) but I was still not very impressed. Many questions were left unanswered as well. Like I stated earlier, it lacked explanation and depth which made me question what I was reading.
And for the characters; every character from this book excluding Lila (because she was literally the only sane one out of all of them and it was obvious that Saskia and the others were just using her) was a bore and irritating to read. I didn't feel a connection to any of them or their friendships at any given point which is surprising because I started this book thinking that "female friendships" was somewhat an important topic but it really didn't do a good job.
As for the main character, she barely got any character development and the her ending wasn't satisfactory at all. The author could've handled her a lot better than she have, especially the fact that she's biracial... I know that Chandra Prasad is biracial herself but I don't think she's Black which makes certain descriptions and parts in this book very odd and unnecessary, maybe even problematic. As much as I understood she didn't really care about the rep because it wasn't even average, it was just bad.
I'm rating this book 2 stars because of Lila and the potential it had. I expected so much better from this book.
I had a lot of hopes for this book because everything about it sounded very intriguing and interesting, but I literally had to force myself to keep going at several points. Even though I still can see the potential with the synopsis, the delivery wasn't good at all.
Many plot points lacked depth and explanation, the friendships were too shallow and the way the author tried to imitate teenage friendships was just a failure- reading the text messages almost gave me a stroke.
This book could've been one of my favorite reads this year and it really did made me excited from time to time (though that didn't happen until I was almost halfway done with it) but I was still not very impressed. Many questions were left unanswered as well. Like I stated earlier, it lacked explanation and depth which made me question what I was reading.
And for the characters; every character from this book excluding Lila (because she was literally the only sane one out of all of them and it was obvious that Saskia and the others were just using her) was a bore and irritating to read. I didn't feel a connection to any of them or their friendships at any given point which is surprising because I started this book thinking that "female friendships" was somewhat an important topic but it really didn't do a good job.
As for the main character, she barely got any character development and the her ending wasn't satisfactory at all. The author could've handled her a lot better than she have, especially the fact that she's biracial... I know that Chandra Prasad is biracial herself but I don't think she's Black which makes certain descriptions and parts in this book very odd and unnecessary, maybe even problematic. As much as I understood she didn't really care about the rep because it wasn't even average, it was just bad.
I'm rating this book 2 stars because of Lila and the potential it had. I expected so much better from this book.
March 2, 2022
I'm sorry to say this was quite an underwhelming reading experience for me. I went into this book with high expectations that weren't unfortunately met. The concept of the Mercury Boys club was interesting in theory, but in practice it didn't really work for me. The characters were just okay but I believe they didn't really stand out. Their relationships with the people they meet in their dreams left a lot to be desired, I wish we could have seen more of that and also more involvement from the girls in general.
In conclusion, I believe this novel did have a concept with a lot of potential at its core, but its execution didn't really work for me.
In conclusion, I believe this novel did have a concept with a lot of potential at its core, but its execution didn't really work for me.
October 22, 2022
saskia is new to town and desperate for some good friends. when she finds out she can travel to the past through the use of daguerreotypes and a drop of mercury, this seems the perfect opportunity to connect with her classmates. they form the “mercury boys club” and bond over their shared experiences meeting with the boys in their daguerreotypes. but being with a boy from the past your whole life is a big commitment to make, as saskia comes to find out.
i thought this concept was so cool and i’m glad to see it was executed well. i really liked reading about the dynamics between the girls and their “mercury boys.” i also like how saskia developed throughout the story and became more emotionally mature, though i wish this was explored a bit more.
audiobook note: some parts randomly got lower in quality? like it sounded like an old radio or something. it wasn’t too bothersome but it was weird.
May 31, 2021
2.5 stars
Mercury Boys is definitely a unique story, I’ll give it that. There was some promise in the premise, there’s no denying that. I can’t say I have read anything with the concept of visiting boys/a time in history through a type of photograph, known as a daguerreotype, and messing with some mercury before bed. But what this book is truly about is the relationships between six teen girls, which I have definitely read before and there wasn’t anything all that revelatory here in terms of that.
None of the characters are all that likeable. Lila, (as noted by many other reviewers) is the closest but we only really see her through the eyes of Saskia who can be somewhat insufferable, so she was still hard to see at times. More importantly, the structure of the female friendships in here were interesting but needed to be way more developed. The toxic female friendship is something I could maybe buy when influential teens are introduced to someone with the manipulative power that’s shown here but it just never landed for me. Also! The way they spoke to each other was quite strange, especially their text conversations, and I feel like I didn’t actually learn anything about anyone other than our lead, Saskia. If it were a true representation of this dynamic, every little detail of their lives is divulged to a scary degree, because that’s when you feel ‘closest’ with people like this and under the most control (speaking from personal teen experience with toxic friends here).
Lastly, the ‘deception’ in this book, where the twist is meant to come in, seemed so obvious to me. You don’t get introduced to a character like Paige, or even her unhinged sister Sara Beth, without repercussions. So, there was nothing to keep me guessing which made it a little harder to finish the book. I definitely found myself skimming through a couple of the chapters just to move the plot along and well, finish the book.
This concept could have been taken into such a dark, thriller pace, which I would have loved to have seen. But with where it stands it’s nothing all that special excluding the stunning cover.
ARC provided through edelweiss for an honest review
Mercury Boys is definitely a unique story, I’ll give it that. There was some promise in the premise, there’s no denying that. I can’t say I have read anything with the concept of visiting boys/a time in history through a type of photograph, known as a daguerreotype, and messing with some mercury before bed. But what this book is truly about is the relationships between six teen girls, which I have definitely read before and there wasn’t anything all that revelatory here in terms of that.
None of the characters are all that likeable. Lila, (as noted by many other reviewers) is the closest but we only really see her through the eyes of Saskia who can be somewhat insufferable, so she was still hard to see at times. More importantly, the structure of the female friendships in here were interesting but needed to be way more developed. The toxic female friendship is something I could maybe buy when influential teens are introduced to someone with the manipulative power that’s shown here but it just never landed for me. Also! The way they spoke to each other was quite strange, especially their text conversations, and I feel like I didn’t actually learn anything about anyone other than our lead, Saskia. If it were a true representation of this dynamic, every little detail of their lives is divulged to a scary degree, because that’s when you feel ‘closest’ with people like this and under the most control (speaking from personal teen experience with toxic friends here).
Lastly, the ‘deception’ in this book, where the twist is meant to come in, seemed so obvious to me. You don’t get introduced to a character like Paige, or even her unhinged sister Sara Beth, without repercussions. So, there was nothing to keep me guessing which made it a little harder to finish the book. I definitely found myself skimming through a couple of the chapters just to move the plot along and well, finish the book.
This concept could have been taken into such a dark, thriller pace, which I would have loved to have seen. But with where it stands it’s nothing all that special excluding the stunning cover.
ARC provided through edelweiss for an honest review
June 17, 2022
3.5 🐉
Saskia after meeting Paige literally has no individual thoughts like bruh??
Even tho I relate to her. When an akward/ introvert person becomes friend with a popular "radical" person they tend to put them on a pedestal, especially if this popular person treats them like close friends. I don't like to think about that, but I think I was so angry with Saskia is because I've been in her shoes.
The plot twist made me even more terrified of Paige. Girls like that just... I like to stay away from them.
I feel like it came kinda rushed at the end, but it was good.
Also I ended up kinda sad idk i really get sad for nothing
Saskia after meeting Paige literally has no individual thoughts like bruh??
Even tho I relate to her. When an akward/ introvert person becomes friend with a popular "radical" person they tend to put them on a pedestal, especially if this popular person treats them like close friends. I don't like to think about that, but I think I was so angry with Saskia is because I've been in her shoes.
The plot twist made me even more terrified of Paige. Girls like that just... I like to stay away from them.
I feel like it came kinda rushed at the end, but it was good.
Also I ended up kinda sad idk i really get sad for nothing
July 23, 2021
When you were a teenager, what was the most insane dream you've had involving a boy? I used to imagine my parents divorced and my crush's dad married my mom and that we lived together, fell in love and had a secret affair under our parent's noses. I know this sounds like the plot of a good YA book, but truly, this was where my mind was at sixteen.
Mercury Boys reminded me of those daydreams.
Feeling out of place in a new town after her parent's divorce, Saskia (an amazing name btw) discovers a way to time travel through a bit of liquid mercury and an old photograph called a daguerreotype. When she sleeps, she's in the same time period as the man in her photograph. When an acquaintance finds out about this, she and several other girls form a club called The Mercury Boys Club. But soon, things start to get out of hand, and Saskia's need to feel accepted begins to unravel around her.
This book, everyone. This book.
If my tiny synopsis did MERCURY BOYS any justice, you're sitting in front of your phone like wtf. Yes, the premise is unlike anything you'll ever read. With each girl, we're transported into their dreams and not all of them are as peachy as they expect. As time goes on, I started to open my eyes a bit more to these characters and what made them tick. They are the main aspect of this book that I loved. Saskia is an iceberg; there's so much under the surface that you don't see.
Speaking of Saskia: she's real. She's going through a tough time at home and wants nothing more than to start over, find some new friends and enjoy summer. It's that need that drives her deeper into the club I mentioned above and she becomes blind to what's happening around her. All that matters is her Mercury Boy and real-life seems to fall by the wayside. Her character arc from start to finish is on point.
There's a lot of sadness in this book from Saskia's rejection of her crush to her mother cheating and leaving her and her father to survive off of Healthy Choice frozen dinners. Anyone in her situation would seek something else. I don't know if the end state I concocted is correct, but what I drew from this story is that matter what, real-life will not go away. you cannot run from it. The grass is not always greener. Part of growing up is accepting change, adapting, and surviving and I think that is exactly what Saskia does by the last pages of this book.
This is not just a five-star read, but also a read that I won't soon forget. Unique, exhilarating, magical are all words to describe it but none will do it justice. It's like looking at the Grand Canyon and trying to take a photo with your iPhone. Not happening. Just sit back and enjoy the view. :)
A huge thanks to Books Forward and Soho Teen for the chance to review this book.
Mercury Boys reminded me of those daydreams.
Feeling out of place in a new town after her parent's divorce, Saskia (an amazing name btw) discovers a way to time travel through a bit of liquid mercury and an old photograph called a daguerreotype. When she sleeps, she's in the same time period as the man in her photograph. When an acquaintance finds out about this, she and several other girls form a club called The Mercury Boys Club. But soon, things start to get out of hand, and Saskia's need to feel accepted begins to unravel around her.
This book, everyone. This book.
If my tiny synopsis did MERCURY BOYS any justice, you're sitting in front of your phone like wtf. Yes, the premise is unlike anything you'll ever read. With each girl, we're transported into their dreams and not all of them are as peachy as they expect. As time goes on, I started to open my eyes a bit more to these characters and what made them tick. They are the main aspect of this book that I loved. Saskia is an iceberg; there's so much under the surface that you don't see.
Speaking of Saskia: she's real. She's going through a tough time at home and wants nothing more than to start over, find some new friends and enjoy summer. It's that need that drives her deeper into the club I mentioned above and she becomes blind to what's happening around her. All that matters is her Mercury Boy and real-life seems to fall by the wayside. Her character arc from start to finish is on point.
There's a lot of sadness in this book from Saskia's rejection of her crush to her mother cheating and leaving her and her father to survive off of Healthy Choice frozen dinners. Anyone in her situation would seek something else. I don't know if the end state I concocted is correct, but what I drew from this story is that matter what, real-life will not go away. you cannot run from it. The grass is not always greener. Part of growing up is accepting change, adapting, and surviving and I think that is exactly what Saskia does by the last pages of this book.
This is not just a five-star read, but also a read that I won't soon forget. Unique, exhilarating, magical are all words to describe it but none will do it justice. It's like looking at the Grand Canyon and trying to take a photo with your iPhone. Not happening. Just sit back and enjoy the view. :)
A huge thanks to Books Forward and Soho Teen for the chance to review this book.
June 6, 2021
The concept of this book sounded so interesting and is what drove me to read it. However, I feel like the delivery could have been better.
I feel like none of the characters were likeable and I didn’t feel a connection with any of them. Also, I wish there was more detail on the dreams with the “Mercury boys”, rather than so much on the shallow friendships. I was not a fan of how the whole group used Lila.
This book had so much potential, but I just think it was executed poorly.
Thank you to the author, Chandra Prasad, for sending me an arc!
I feel like none of the characters were likeable and I didn’t feel a connection with any of them. Also, I wish there was more detail on the dreams with the “Mercury boys”, rather than so much on the shallow friendships. I was not a fan of how the whole group used Lila.
This book had so much potential, but I just think it was executed poorly.
Thank you to the author, Chandra Prasad, for sending me an arc!
July 29, 2021
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Mercury Boys was such a hugely anticipated book for me, and as it turns out, I have such a huge case of mixed feelings going on here that I hardly know where to begin! I guess we should begin, as always, with the positives! Interestingly enough, I found the positives to be very positive, but the downsides to be equally important.
What I Liked:
►You ever find yourself down an absurd, old-timey Wikipedia rabbit hole? I do it all the time. And of all my rabbit holes, one of the most fascinating has to be daguerreotypes. There is something about them so completely haunting, but at the same time, communal. Like yes, the world was wholly different back then, but then you see these people who, in photograph, look so relatable. Anyway, I find the whole history of daguerreotypes and early photography mind-bogglingly fascinating, so to have a whole book based on the premise was pretty awesome.
►Going to various places in time via the girls' dreams was fabulous! I mean, come on! We got to go to the Civil War for goodness sake! We even got to take some journeys to other countries in addition to the various time periods.
►I really liked the focus on family and friendship. This is extra good because any "romance" was squicky at best. Lila was such an awesome friend to Saskia, and frankly, Saskia should listen to Lila more often, and not the other way around. Saskia and her dad are reeling after her mom's affair, and trying to start over. Her dad, he tries, and he tries hard. But it's a lot, suddenly becoming a single parent. So what I am saying here is, I love Mr. Saskia and Lila, and everyone else can exit stage left.
►There were a lot of really great emotional moments. I was gutted by Saskia's journey to take a daguerreotype of a deceased child, and Adrienne hanging out in Civil War medical tents was eye opening. Also, the girls' real life struggles were really moving too. Saskia was having such a rough go, trying to navigate her mother's nonsense, helping her father, trying to fit in, etc. Lila is going through her own stuff, which would be spoilery to mention I think, but again, it was moving. And also, Mr. Saskia has a pretty great arc, if small.
What I Didn't:
►The aforementioned squickiness. Look, I can understand having a quasi-crush on a long-dead inventor. I guess? I mean look, I don't regularly catch feels from the deceased, but you do you, girl! The problem was, apart from his living status (in that he was not), he was significantly older than Saskia, married with a myriad of children, and therefore it seemed rather predatory, even if nothing particularly predatory happened? Does this make sense? I guess it's akin to a teen hanging out with a teacher, where like, the teacher isn't technically doing anything illegal, but it sits right with literally no one. I looked it up, because of course I did, and in this picture that Saskia snuggles with, he was 30. So, at the very least, homie is close to twice her age. Just saying.
►The toxicity of the club. Why the heck did Saskia stick with Paige and her sister?! Look. I get that we make terrible choices in our youth. And I can even understand Saskia falling in with Paige to begin with, as the new girl at school, with only Lila in her life, etc etc. But how is there no crossed line that will act as enough of a wake up call? I am being vague as not to spoil, but wow. Lila at least can see that certain things are just not okay, but Saskia just went with it, and I now have a lot of questions about her reasoning in general.
Also, it was honestly pretty toxic of Saskia herself to pressure Lila into taking the daguerreotypes in the first place. Like... you do not care about your friend's future because... you're fascinated by a dead fellow? Okay 🤷
►Saskia was high key showing many symptoms of depression but it wasn't spoken about. I mean, she wanted to stay in bed all the time, she was making terribly inappropriate life choices, and seemingly was fine with risking her own (and her friends') hides more than once because she was so desperate to cling to Cornelius. That... isn't rational behavior at all, and red flags were going up for me. I feel like that could have been an awesome thing to acknowledge and show her working toward dealing with, but alas.
Bottom Line: While I had some mixed feelings, I cannot deny that Mercury Boys was an inventive and unique story that I quite enjoyed reading!
Mercury Boys was such a hugely anticipated book for me, and as it turns out, I have such a huge case of mixed feelings going on here that I hardly know where to begin! I guess we should begin, as always, with the positives! Interestingly enough, I found the positives to be very positive, but the downsides to be equally important.
What I Liked:
►You ever find yourself down an absurd, old-timey Wikipedia rabbit hole? I do it all the time. And of all my rabbit holes, one of the most fascinating has to be daguerreotypes. There is something about them so completely haunting, but at the same time, communal. Like yes, the world was wholly different back then, but then you see these people who, in photograph, look so relatable. Anyway, I find the whole history of daguerreotypes and early photography mind-bogglingly fascinating, so to have a whole book based on the premise was pretty awesome.
►Going to various places in time via the girls' dreams was fabulous! I mean, come on! We got to go to the Civil War for goodness sake! We even got to take some journeys to other countries in addition to the various time periods.
►I really liked the focus on family and friendship. This is extra good because any "romance" was squicky at best. Lila was such an awesome friend to Saskia, and frankly, Saskia should listen to Lila more often, and not the other way around. Saskia and her dad are reeling after her mom's affair, and trying to start over. Her dad, he tries, and he tries hard. But it's a lot, suddenly becoming a single parent. So what I am saying here is, I love Mr. Saskia and Lila, and everyone else can exit stage left.
►There were a lot of really great emotional moments. I was gutted by Saskia's journey to take a daguerreotype of a deceased child, and Adrienne hanging out in Civil War medical tents was eye opening. Also, the girls' real life struggles were really moving too. Saskia was having such a rough go, trying to navigate her mother's nonsense, helping her father, trying to fit in, etc. Lila is going through her own stuff, which would be spoilery to mention I think, but again, it was moving. And also, Mr. Saskia has a pretty great arc, if small.
What I Didn't:
►The aforementioned squickiness. Look, I can understand having a quasi-crush on a long-dead inventor. I guess? I mean look, I don't regularly catch feels from the deceased, but you do you, girl! The problem was, apart from his living status (in that he was not), he was significantly older than Saskia, married with a myriad of children, and therefore it seemed rather predatory, even if nothing particularly predatory happened? Does this make sense? I guess it's akin to a teen hanging out with a teacher, where like, the teacher isn't technically doing anything illegal, but it sits right with literally no one. I looked it up, because of course I did, and in this picture that Saskia snuggles with, he was 30. So, at the very least, homie is close to twice her age. Just saying.
►The toxicity of the club. Why the heck did Saskia stick with Paige and her sister?! Look. I get that we make terrible choices in our youth. And I can even understand Saskia falling in with Paige to begin with, as the new girl at school, with only Lila in her life, etc etc. But how is there no crossed line that will act as enough of a wake up call? I am being vague as not to spoil, but wow. Lila at least can see that certain things are just not okay, but Saskia just went with it, and I now have a lot of questions about her reasoning in general.
Also, it was honestly pretty toxic of Saskia herself to pressure Lila into taking the daguerreotypes in the first place. Like... you do not care about your friend's future because... you're fascinated by a dead fellow? Okay 🤷
►Saskia was high key showing many symptoms of depression but it wasn't spoken about. I mean, she wanted to stay in bed all the time, she was making terribly inappropriate life choices, and seemingly was fine with risking her own (and her friends') hides more than once because she was so desperate to cling to Cornelius. That... isn't rational behavior at all, and red flags were going up for me. I feel like that could have been an awesome thing to acknowledge and show her working toward dealing with, but alas.
Bottom Line: While I had some mixed feelings, I cannot deny that Mercury Boys was an inventive and unique story that I quite enjoyed reading!
April 29, 2021
Review to come soon - more than a bit disappointed with this book ngl.
*I was sent an ARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - thank you to Soho Press for the chance to read this one prior to publication*
Trigger warnings: infidelity, heavy drinking, blood / gore, violence, amputation, near drowning, micro aggressions, slut shaming.
I had such high expectations for this book because the synopsis sounded incredible - characters discovering a way to travel back in time using daguerreotypes of long lost boys in the past and forming a secret club of sorts. This element of the novel was definitely the most compelling aspect and I enjoyed how each girl; Saskia, Lila, Paige, Sara Beth and Adrienne, met their respective ''mercury boy' and had such different experiences. I also thought the slowly creeping tension and foreboding as the girls grow closer and things start getting more dark and twisted was great.
While the core idea was interesting and certainly unique - none of the characters or relationships were well developed enough to really grip me and immerse me in the story. Even the supposed romances were so flat - other than the fact that the boys are attractive? there's literally nothing else to characterise them. One major relationship which just struck me as so flat was the dynamic between Saskia and her mom, who she is currently estranged from after her mom had an affair and engaged in a relationship with another man and chose to divorce Saskia's dad. I feel like there's such a simplistic portrayal of the mother / daughter relationship and it's like her mom makes one mistake and is tossed to the curb, it would have been so much more realistic had the author explored the complexities of this relationship and how hard this situation can be, instead of this over simplified 'good vs bad' portrayal. There's this bizarre scene where Saskia's mom calls her and wants her to move back to Arizona to babysit once she has another child and it's just so odd and unnecessary.
It all lacked depth and was so anti climactic, especially when it came to the build up to the end and the actual ending itself. The whole time travel via old photographs isn't explained or touched upon other than the fact that they can all somehow do it? and there's a few throwaway comments suggesting it could be as a result of some sort of chemical plant that is in the town or mass hysteria between the girls but I found this to be such a lazy way to tie that all up. This was so unfortunate because I really wanted to like this book more.
On top of the lack of depth, there were some moments which felt a bit uncomfortable to me in regards to the on page rep of Saskia, our biracial teen protagonist. While the author is biracial herself - from what I could find online and please correct me if I'm wrong but Chandra Prasad isn't a Black woman and there's certain lines in regards to Saskia which just didn't sit right with me. One instance is where Saskia's hair is described as 'like 'she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket - twice' in direct comparison to another characters artfully mussed 'rockstar' hair and another moment where two white characters are mentioned as being ' almost as dark as she was' after being out in the sun. Additionally there's another moment where a character says something along the lines of Saskia being her 'long lost Black twin' and she (Saskia) doesn't know whether to laugh or blush? Odd choices all round honestly. I don't know if this is just me but it just didn't sit well and I thought it was worth mentioning because these moments just didn't feel right one bit.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this book but appreciated the unique time travel plot, it's just a shame it didn't live up to how great the synopsis sounded.
*I was sent an ARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - thank you to Soho Press for the chance to read this one prior to publication*
Trigger warnings: infidelity, heavy drinking, blood / gore, violence, amputation, near drowning, micro aggressions, slut shaming.
I had such high expectations for this book because the synopsis sounded incredible - characters discovering a way to travel back in time using daguerreotypes of long lost boys in the past and forming a secret club of sorts. This element of the novel was definitely the most compelling aspect and I enjoyed how each girl; Saskia, Lila, Paige, Sara Beth and Adrienne, met their respective ''mercury boy' and had such different experiences. I also thought the slowly creeping tension and foreboding as the girls grow closer and things start getting more dark and twisted was great.
While the core idea was interesting and certainly unique - none of the characters or relationships were well developed enough to really grip me and immerse me in the story. Even the supposed romances were so flat - other than the fact that the boys are attractive? there's literally nothing else to characterise them. One major relationship which just struck me as so flat was the dynamic between Saskia and her mom, who she is currently estranged from after her mom had an affair and engaged in a relationship with another man and chose to divorce Saskia's dad. I feel like there's such a simplistic portrayal of the mother / daughter relationship and it's like her mom makes one mistake and is tossed to the curb, it would have been so much more realistic had the author explored the complexities of this relationship and how hard this situation can be, instead of this over simplified 'good vs bad' portrayal. There's this bizarre scene where Saskia's mom calls her and wants her to move back to Arizona to babysit once she has another child and it's just so odd and unnecessary.
It all lacked depth and was so anti climactic, especially when it came to the build up to the end and the actual ending itself. The whole time travel via old photographs isn't explained or touched upon other than the fact that they can all somehow do it? and there's a few throwaway comments suggesting it could be as a result of some sort of chemical plant that is in the town or mass hysteria between the girls but I found this to be such a lazy way to tie that all up. This was so unfortunate because I really wanted to like this book more.
On top of the lack of depth, there were some moments which felt a bit uncomfortable to me in regards to the on page rep of Saskia, our biracial teen protagonist. While the author is biracial herself - from what I could find online and please correct me if I'm wrong but Chandra Prasad isn't a Black woman and there's certain lines in regards to Saskia which just didn't sit right with me. One instance is where Saskia's hair is described as 'like 'she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket - twice' in direct comparison to another characters artfully mussed 'rockstar' hair and another moment where two white characters are mentioned as being ' almost as dark as she was' after being out in the sun. Additionally there's another moment where a character says something along the lines of Saskia being her 'long lost Black twin' and she (Saskia) doesn't know whether to laugh or blush? Odd choices all round honestly. I don't know if this is just me but it just didn't sit well and I thought it was worth mentioning because these moments just didn't feel right one bit.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this book but appreciated the unique time travel plot, it's just a shame it didn't live up to how great the synopsis sounded.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley & Soho Teen for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
2.5 stars
I'm not sure what I expected from Mercury Boys . When you start a book about teenage girls time travelling with mercury and daguerreotypes, you have to go in with an open mind; especially when it turns out that they're time travelling to date boys in the past. With such an outrageous proposition, I thought something would have to ground this narrative to bring it into the real world. But that was, unfortunately, not the case.
The root of the problem with Mercury Boys is there are too many things going on simultaneously. Is this a book about divorce and depression? Or bullying and peer pressure? Time travel and love? Addiction and abuse? Honesty and sexual identity? Because trying to be all of these things at once is too confusing, especially from only one perspective. It left all the characters to become extreme caricatures of the roles they had to play to keep everything moving in the right direction. With no range of emotion, there was no growth or development - everyone just stayed in their own lane, becoming worse versions of themselves. It made most of the characters fairly unlikable and the whole story even more unbelievable than the synopsis would suggest.
I reckon if this hadn't been an ARC, I'd probably round down to two stars. I'm optimistically rounding up to account for potential changes made before publishing. With some editing, the multiple plot points could have a more specific focus allowing for a more consistent narrative and enjoyable read.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
2.5 stars
I'm not sure what I expected from Mercury Boys . When you start a book about teenage girls time travelling with mercury and daguerreotypes, you have to go in with an open mind; especially when it turns out that they're time travelling to date boys in the past. With such an outrageous proposition, I thought something would have to ground this narrative to bring it into the real world. But that was, unfortunately, not the case.
The root of the problem with Mercury Boys is there are too many things going on simultaneously. Is this a book about divorce and depression? Or bullying and peer pressure? Time travel and love? Addiction and abuse? Honesty and sexual identity? Because trying to be all of these things at once is too confusing, especially from only one perspective. It left all the characters to become extreme caricatures of the roles they had to play to keep everything moving in the right direction. With no range of emotion, there was no growth or development - everyone just stayed in their own lane, becoming worse versions of themselves. It made most of the characters fairly unlikable and the whole story even more unbelievable than the synopsis would suggest.
I reckon if this hadn't been an ARC, I'd probably round down to two stars. I'm optimistically rounding up to account for potential changes made before publishing. With some editing, the multiple plot points could have a more specific focus allowing for a more consistent narrative and enjoyable read.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
Blog | Bookstagram | Reddit | Twitter
November 27, 2021
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
I didn't know what to make of this book. It's full of kind of messed up stuff. The characters even say that "hysteria is real and still happens to people". You know, "girls going crazy for no apparent reason and nobody knows why". Yep, girls specifically. I'm not sure I've ever seen such stuff in a contemporary book written by a woman. Not even written by a man.
The girls are creepy and cultish, they steal, they abuse substances, they abuse each other, and I'm not sure whether it was intended to be "cool" or "creepy". It's unsettling that it's unclear, because this is usually made very clear in books, and if a character is being abusive, self-abusive or using, you know why they're doing it. What these girls do doesn't seem to make sense to me, but not in the sense that they're "unreliable narrators" - rather, in the sense of "I don't know why this is being done for the sake of the story cause I have no clue where this is supposed to go." But that's not even the worst bit for me.
This book should come with a big fat and bold warning of DO NOT ACTUALLY TOUCH MERCURY. IT'S ACTUALLY DANGEROUS (unlike this book says in many instances) and, needless to say maybe, it won't actually send you to the past. I mean, it's obvious - we're all adults here, but are we really? A lot of kids will pick up this book, whether by accident or simply because it will be in the YA section in bookstores and libraries. Which means you've got to take care of what you put in the book.
Seriously, I wasn't okay with how the book was all cavalier like "Mercury is actually not that dangerous, we breathe worse chemicals from car exhaust", basically. What's even more confusing us that it vacillates - the narrator sometimes says "oh yeah, it's totally dangerous to touch mercury" and then in another paragraph the character's inner voice argues that "yeah but no, it's actually fine", and the narrator doesn't challenge it. I'm either dense, or I just don't understand where the author stands on this. Dangerous in the time when people will believe anything about medical matters. You don't just say stuff like this. And okay, the ending does tie things together a bit, but not satisfyingly. It's unclear whether I don't believe it's enough of a warning that MERCURY IS ACTUALLY DANGEROUS. As a society we're struggling enough right now with health advice from 'Facebook specialists', so I kind of feel very weird about this being in a book.
In the story, the girls touch mercury willy nilly, and even ingest it. One of them keeps it under her bed in an open container. That's dangerous - as little children, in my country we're taught to basically call the police and whatnot if there's a mercury leak. They sort it out because it can create fumes. Like, there's even been a news story of a mercury leak in a public building which was then decommissioned FOR YEARS because it wasn't even safe to enter. And these here girls EAT THE STUFF. Okay???
The book makes it sound like it's no big deal. For a very young and gullible reader that could be dangerous. What if a young teen decides to break an old thermometer just so she can see if you do time travel like the in the book, or not? I get that this is fiction, but why say that it's 'not actually that dangerous', when it IS? I was incredibly uncomfortable with that.
Apart from it, the book was okay - some of it was dark, like say Donna Tartt's Secret History - cliques of people and friendships that go too far. The historical personalities the girls visit were also cool, and the bit with the civil war hospital was definitely very interesting. But it wasn't enough for me to carry the story. There was also no explanation on how the time travel worked (or if it actually was real?), and also - it's not like mercury just appeared in the 21st century. How come nobody in the years of touching it has ever noticed that it apparently makes you travel to the past? The whole premise was just kind of built on air.
So yeah. Can't recommend it.
I thank the publicist and author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
I didn't know what to make of this book. It's full of kind of messed up stuff. The characters even say that "hysteria is real and still happens to people". You know, "girls going crazy for no apparent reason and nobody knows why". Yep, girls specifically. I'm not sure I've ever seen such stuff in a contemporary book written by a woman. Not even written by a man.
The girls are creepy and cultish, they steal, they abuse substances, they abuse each other, and I'm not sure whether it was intended to be "cool" or "creepy". It's unsettling that it's unclear, because this is usually made very clear in books, and if a character is being abusive, self-abusive or using, you know why they're doing it. What these girls do doesn't seem to make sense to me, but not in the sense that they're "unreliable narrators" - rather, in the sense of "I don't know why this is being done for the sake of the story cause I have no clue where this is supposed to go." But that's not even the worst bit for me.
This book should come with a big fat and bold warning of DO NOT ACTUALLY TOUCH MERCURY. IT'S ACTUALLY DANGEROUS (unlike this book says in many instances) and, needless to say maybe, it won't actually send you to the past. I mean, it's obvious - we're all adults here, but are we really? A lot of kids will pick up this book, whether by accident or simply because it will be in the YA section in bookstores and libraries. Which means you've got to take care of what you put in the book.
Seriously, I wasn't okay with how the book was all cavalier like "Mercury is actually not that dangerous, we breathe worse chemicals from car exhaust", basically. What's even more confusing us that it vacillates - the narrator sometimes says "oh yeah, it's totally dangerous to touch mercury" and then in another paragraph the character's inner voice argues that "yeah but no, it's actually fine", and the narrator doesn't challenge it. I'm either dense, or I just don't understand where the author stands on this. Dangerous in the time when people will believe anything about medical matters. You don't just say stuff like this. And okay, the ending does tie things together a bit, but not satisfyingly. It's unclear whether I don't believe it's enough of a warning that MERCURY IS ACTUALLY DANGEROUS. As a society we're struggling enough right now with health advice from 'Facebook specialists', so I kind of feel very weird about this being in a book.
In the story, the girls touch mercury willy nilly, and even ingest it. One of them keeps it under her bed in an open container. That's dangerous - as little children, in my country we're taught to basically call the police and whatnot if there's a mercury leak. They sort it out because it can create fumes. Like, there's even been a news story of a mercury leak in a public building which was then decommissioned FOR YEARS because it wasn't even safe to enter. And these here girls EAT THE STUFF. Okay???
The book makes it sound like it's no big deal. For a very young and gullible reader that could be dangerous. What if a young teen decides to break an old thermometer just so she can see if you do time travel like the in the book, or not? I get that this is fiction, but why say that it's 'not actually that dangerous', when it IS? I was incredibly uncomfortable with that.
Apart from it, the book was okay - some of it was dark, like say Donna Tartt's Secret History - cliques of people and friendships that go too far. The historical personalities the girls visit were also cool, and the bit with the civil war hospital was definitely very interesting. But it wasn't enough for me to carry the story. There was also no explanation on how the time travel worked (or if it actually was real?), and also - it's not like mercury just appeared in the 21st century. How come nobody in the years of touching it has ever noticed that it apparently makes you travel to the past? The whole premise was just kind of built on air.
So yeah. Can't recommend it.
I thank the publicist and author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
August 2, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: racism, self-harm
Mercury Boys had a wonderfully unique premise about being transported to the past. This historical fiction almost fantasy like aspect had to be one of my favorite elements. Because I understand that fixation with the past, that intense curiosity you get, all the obsession about how lives were lead. I don't think I would have gone to quite the extent the characters in Mercury Boys go to, but the kernel of the idea captivated me. Through these girls eyes we are transported to the past with them, to see the challenges we don't understand, and the gaps in technology.
But I wish the ending didn't feel so hastily wrapped up. I felt like towards the middle of Mercury Boys the story shifts from being about the actual historical fiction scenes and more towards the friendship group. Which I didn't mind at all, I just felt like there were a few lingering questions and plot points from that story line that were wrapped up quickly. Which is why I decided that Mercury Boys fell more into the contemporary genre, as a lot of the conflict is centered in our present time.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
TW: racism, self-harm
Mercury Boys had a wonderfully unique premise about being transported to the past. This historical fiction almost fantasy like aspect had to be one of my favorite elements. Because I understand that fixation with the past, that intense curiosity you get, all the obsession about how lives were lead. I don't think I would have gone to quite the extent the characters in Mercury Boys go to, but the kernel of the idea captivated me. Through these girls eyes we are transported to the past with them, to see the challenges we don't understand, and the gaps in technology.
But I wish the ending didn't feel so hastily wrapped up. I felt like towards the middle of Mercury Boys the story shifts from being about the actual historical fiction scenes and more towards the friendship group. Which I didn't mind at all, I just felt like there were a few lingering questions and plot points from that story line that were wrapped up quickly. Which is why I decided that Mercury Boys fell more into the contemporary genre, as a lot of the conflict is centered in our present time.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
August 14, 2021
This is an incredibly unique story, and I really enjoyed diving into the pages of 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒚𝒔.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I went into this book, but it definitely wasn’t Mean Girls with time travel and beautifully crafted historical fiction elements! I was so pleasantly surprised by this novel!
The MCs, Saskia, Lila, Sara Beth, Paige, and Adrienne are all really fun to read about. I loved how different all of the girls are, and how they all reacted to the news of the “Mercury Boys” a bit differently. They all have really interesting development as well. Some of them grow on you, others you begin to hate, but none of the girls are easily likeable. Which honestly made this book even more interesting!
I also loved the historical elements: when the girls use the daguerreotype photos to travel back in time and meet with their “Mercury Boys”. I don’t want to say too much about these scenes because spoilers, but trust me - it’s really fun to read about!
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I went into this book, but it definitely wasn’t Mean Girls with time travel and beautifully crafted historical fiction elements! I was so pleasantly surprised by this novel!
The MCs, Saskia, Lila, Sara Beth, Paige, and Adrienne are all really fun to read about. I loved how different all of the girls are, and how they all reacted to the news of the “Mercury Boys” a bit differently. They all have really interesting development as well. Some of them grow on you, others you begin to hate, but none of the girls are easily likeable. Which honestly made this book even more interesting!
I also loved the historical elements: when the girls use the daguerreotype photos to travel back in time and meet with their “Mercury Boys”. I don’t want to say too much about these scenes because spoilers, but trust me - it’s really fun to read about!
Read
August 14, 2021I wanted so very much to like this, and I actually thought the dark, ugly friendships part of it was suuuuuper well done. I imagine lots of people will hate it, and I also imagine that a lot of people will hate it because they don't want to believe it's accurate. But I read it for the mercury and the boys, and that seemed pretty much just relegated to the background, which is....weird? idk; I just...I liked it, but I wanted to be totally lost inside it and to absolutely love it, and that did not quite happen.
August 3, 2021
2/5 Stars
** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**
This is really not the book for me. I have very mixed feelings about the main character Saskia. I didn't mind her perspective but I just couldn't connect with her at all. I didn't like her thought process and the decisions she made for a lot of things. I think the only character I semi enjoyed was Lalia, I felt that out of all the characters she was the most relatable and authentic characters. I kept asking the question, what is the purpose of this book? I feel like I got nothing from it. It even felt a little cult-like for absolutely no reason. Overall this was not the book for me and I did not enjoy it.
** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**
This is really not the book for me. I have very mixed feelings about the main character Saskia. I didn't mind her perspective but I just couldn't connect with her at all. I didn't like her thought process and the decisions she made for a lot of things. I think the only character I semi enjoyed was Lalia, I felt that out of all the characters she was the most relatable and authentic characters. I kept asking the question, what is the purpose of this book? I feel like I got nothing from it. It even felt a little cult-like for absolutely no reason. Overall this was not the book for me and I did not enjoy it.
Want to read
August 9, 2021This plot alone sounds bonkers in the most interesting way possible
I will add to this my to read list
I will add to this my to read list
July 28, 2021
Full review on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Chandra Prasad, Books Forward, and Soho Teen for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Yo… this book was a wild ride. I’m still trying to process everything that happened because wow. I don’t know what I was expecting, and I don’t know whether or not it was a good thing, but it was definitely interesting.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Chandra Prasad, Books Forward, and Soho Teen for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Yo… this book was a wild ride. I’m still trying to process everything that happened because wow. I don’t know what I was expecting, and I don’t know whether or not it was a good thing, but it was definitely interesting.
June 19, 2022
what even was this
May 27, 2021
This book has such an intriguing premise that, unfortunately, doesn't reach its full potential. I wanted so much more from the girl's visits to their "Mercury Boys". Instead, the book focuses on the high school girls' toxic relationships with each other. The only character I found likable was Lila, who is horribly used by the other four girls. The book wasn't at all what I thought it would be and leaves you with way too many unanswered questions.
Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Teen for access to this arc.
Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Teen for access to this arc.
July 30, 2021
I have to admit I never read a book similar to “Mercury Boys”. It was an interesting story but I’m not the biggest fan of it.
I couldn’t stand the main character - Saskia - I felt like the author was trying to remind me just how different and quirky she was. I like watching old movies and have tons of family trauma myself but I don’t make it my whole personality. On top of that, she was really judgy, manipulative and SO SELFISH.
Advice to anyone who wants to make friends? Don’t guilt-trip your potential friend into doing something that may result in them losing their job.
Another thing - for a YA book, the teenage representation was really not that good. Aside from Lila (and maybe some side characters) - the only one acting like an actual teenager, not a moody child - all the characters were unlikable and it made me want to stop reading several times.
One of the few things I liked were the chapters where the girls dreamed. That was quite interesting but didn’t really make up for everything else.
Maybe I built up my expectations a little too high after reading the synopsis but I didn’t really like it that much.
ARC received from Books Forward.
I couldn’t stand the main character - Saskia - I felt like the author was trying to remind me just how different and quirky she was. I like watching old movies and have tons of family trauma myself but I don’t make it my whole personality. On top of that, she was really judgy, manipulative and SO SELFISH.
Advice to anyone who wants to make friends? Don’t guilt-trip your potential friend into doing something that may result in them losing their job.
Another thing - for a YA book, the teenage representation was really not that good. Aside from Lila (and maybe some side characters) - the only one acting like an actual teenager, not a moody child - all the characters were unlikable and it made me want to stop reading several times.
One of the few things I liked were the chapters where the girls dreamed. That was quite interesting but didn’t really make up for everything else.
Maybe I built up my expectations a little too high after reading the synopsis but I didn’t really like it that much.
ARC received from Books Forward.
April 28, 2021
Starting off I wasn't sure if this book was for me but I was able to get invested the more I delved into it. The development of the story was amazing as things got more intense and the characters were pushed more and more until a surprising truth gets revealed even I didn't expect. Although I do wish the conclusion was a little more interesting and satisfying. Things ended very neatly and it felt as though not much has changed since the beginning of the novel despite everything that has happened. Despite the conclusion feeling a little lackluster I did enjoy reading this story and its blend between the historical world and ours was done beautifully.
Read
October 16, 2023
Trigger & Content Warnings
Drug abuse
Overdose
Amputation
Drowning
Arson
Drug abuse
Overdose
Amputation
Drowning
Arson
April 24, 2022
do not judge a book by its cover because the cover of this book is gorgeous but what's in it is hell
December 12, 2022
What did I just read
August 27, 2021
Saskia Brown has just moved from Arizona to the small town of Coventon after her parents have divorced. Saskia is feeling majorly blah over the whole ordeal and hasn't found where she fits in. Saskia's one friend so far is another outsider, Lila. When Saskia is assigned to research Robert Cornelius for one of her classes, she finally feels excited about something. Saskia encourages Lila to let her borrow the original daguerreotype of Robert Cornelius from Lila's job at the college library. While at the library, Lila shows Saskia the tools used to make daguerreotypes and Saskia touches some mercury. Later that evening, Saskia dreams of Robert in his shop, talks with him and learns things she possibly couldn't have known. Saskia shares her dream experience with Lila and a few other girls at school- Paige, Sarah Beth and Adrienne. They each steal a daguerreotype and some Mercury, dreaming and interacting with their boyfriends in the past. However, as the girls dream, the Mercury Boys club becomes more intense and the rules make it difficult for the girls to have lives outside of the club. Is it even real or just a fever dream?
Mercury Boys is a completely unique young adult book. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to dream and interact with people in the past by touching their daguerreotype and mercury. I also liked learning about Robert Cornelius, a real historical figure who is noted to have taken the first selfie. Saskia's character pulled me into this idea with a man from the past helping her deal better with her situation in the present. Lila was the most interesting character for me and the only one that seemed to think about her actions and not get pulled into the other girl's antics. I did enjoy reading about the girl's dreams in the past and how they adapted to life in different eras. Adrienne's Mercury Boy in the Civil War era was the most interesting to me. I do wish that the story focused more on just Lila and Saskia. Paige and Sara Beth reminded me why teenage girls are literally the worst as they use the Mercury Boys Club for their own purposes. This did add an increased element of suspense and danger, but I do feel like enough tension could have been created between Saskia and Lila and the daguerreotypes they chose. Overall, a diverse young adult read that blends time travel and romance as well as explores race, friendship, sexuality and revenge.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Mercury Boys is a completely unique young adult book. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to dream and interact with people in the past by touching their daguerreotype and mercury. I also liked learning about Robert Cornelius, a real historical figure who is noted to have taken the first selfie. Saskia's character pulled me into this idea with a man from the past helping her deal better with her situation in the present. Lila was the most interesting character for me and the only one that seemed to think about her actions and not get pulled into the other girl's antics. I did enjoy reading about the girl's dreams in the past and how they adapted to life in different eras. Adrienne's Mercury Boy in the Civil War era was the most interesting to me. I do wish that the story focused more on just Lila and Saskia. Paige and Sara Beth reminded me why teenage girls are literally the worst as they use the Mercury Boys Club for their own purposes. This did add an increased element of suspense and danger, but I do feel like enough tension could have been created between Saskia and Lila and the daguerreotypes they chose. Overall, a diverse young adult read that blends time travel and romance as well as explores race, friendship, sexuality and revenge.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
August 1, 2021
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with a digital advanced reader’s copy of this book.
“Mercury Boys” by Chandra Prasad pulls you into the life of 16-year-old Saskia Brown who moves to Connecticut and a new school after the divorce of her parents. She finds herself drawn to the man in a daguerreotype(a photograph from hundreds of years ago) after doing a project on him. With the help of her new friend Lila, Saskia is able to see the original daguerreotype of Robert Cornelius in the local college library. After touching both liquid mercury and the photo, she finds herself able to visit him and starts to fall for him in her dreams.
Saskia tells some of her classmates about her discovery, and a secret club for the Mercury Boys is started. Combining history with present day, Chandra Prasad makes two worlds collide, and soon, the girls can’t imagine their life without their Mercury Boys. But what happens when secrets and trouble threaten to tear apart the club?
This was such an original idea. I loved how the author combined important historical people with modern day issues to make the story feel relevant to readers as well as inform them.
Before reading this, I didn’t know what a daguerreotype was, or who the person to take the first photo was. It was interesting for me, a person with a passion for photography, to learn about the history of it, and to learn about the life of Robert Cornelius.
My favorite character in this book was Lila, Saskia’s new best friend. I agreed more with the decisions she made than with any other character in the book. She really tried to keep Saskia out of trouble, and always stood by her side, which I really appreciated.
I liked many things about this book but I didn’t like the ending. I didn’t appreciate all of the decisions the girls made throughout this book, so the ending was my least favorite part. However, I enjoyed Saskia’s character arc. It took her a while, but eventually she realized how everyone is flawed in their own way and how sometimes those flaws can be hidden behind popularity, money, or confidence.
Overall, this book had an original interesting plot to it, and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to read it. Thank you again to Edelweiss for providing me with a digital advanced readers copy of this book. I hope other readers read and enjoy this book.
“Mercury Boys” by Chandra Prasad pulls you into the life of 16-year-old Saskia Brown who moves to Connecticut and a new school after the divorce of her parents. She finds herself drawn to the man in a daguerreotype(a photograph from hundreds of years ago) after doing a project on him. With the help of her new friend Lila, Saskia is able to see the original daguerreotype of Robert Cornelius in the local college library. After touching both liquid mercury and the photo, she finds herself able to visit him and starts to fall for him in her dreams.
Saskia tells some of her classmates about her discovery, and a secret club for the Mercury Boys is started. Combining history with present day, Chandra Prasad makes two worlds collide, and soon, the girls can’t imagine their life without their Mercury Boys. But what happens when secrets and trouble threaten to tear apart the club?
This was such an original idea. I loved how the author combined important historical people with modern day issues to make the story feel relevant to readers as well as inform them.
Before reading this, I didn’t know what a daguerreotype was, or who the person to take the first photo was. It was interesting for me, a person with a passion for photography, to learn about the history of it, and to learn about the life of Robert Cornelius.
My favorite character in this book was Lila, Saskia’s new best friend. I agreed more with the decisions she made than with any other character in the book. She really tried to keep Saskia out of trouble, and always stood by her side, which I really appreciated.
I liked many things about this book but I didn’t like the ending. I didn’t appreciate all of the decisions the girls made throughout this book, so the ending was my least favorite part. However, I enjoyed Saskia’s character arc. It took her a while, but eventually she realized how everyone is flawed in their own way and how sometimes those flaws can be hidden behind popularity, money, or confidence.
Overall, this book had an original interesting plot to it, and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to read it. Thank you again to Edelweiss for providing me with a digital advanced readers copy of this book. I hope other readers read and enjoy this book.
July 15, 2021
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: amputation, cult-adjacent behavior, punitive drowning, substance abuse and overdose, arson
2.5
Saskia is the new girl- having moved after her parents messy, and embarrassing divorce, she's only just got the ground back under her feet with a new friend and a new crush. But things get complicated fast, starting with an ill-advised hook up, and quickly progressing to theft of the first self portrait ever made. Because something weird is happening... Saskia swears that since she saw the picture, or daguerreotype, she was able to travel back in time to the subject in her dreams. Sharing her secrets forms a new society, with girls excited to bond over their "dead boyfriends." New societies mean new rules- and those rules aren't as easy to follow as you might think.
This book... I don't know what I was expecting from such a weird premise, but it wasn't what I got.
What I will say, is that when this book leans weird it goes for it, and it does it well. The growing tension works pretty well, and the sense of something being off colors the whole thing. I do like where Prasad went with it, in the context of the rest of the story. It's not what I thought I was getting in the least, but the ending is probably the best one there could have been. It did definitely make my final rating get a little lift.
However, I just genuinely did not like this book. It straddles the line between "adult" and "juvenile" in such weird ways. It never actually feels "YA". I kept feeling like it was written like one of those movies they show in elementary schools where kids travel back in time to learn history or meet a historical figure. There was so much that just felt like it was trying to be educational for more or less no reason- including the copious amount of info on daguerreotypes- and yet it would also veer off into a hookup or substance abuse, which made me feel like I was flicking between channels when a kids movie and a R-rated movie were both on.
And as you can imagine, that means there is a lot of disconnect in this book. For the reasons already stated, obviously, but also because the stories in this book don't feel like they should go together. We have the story of these girls in present day, and then also all these separate stories of the girls in the past, and nothing ever overlaps or connects to each other, beyond the girls sometimes mentioning things that happened in their dream/past adventures. Maybe if it was a focus on a single girl's story of the past it would have been compelling, but instead it just felt bizarre.
And, lastly, everything in this book is so over the top. This is something else that made it feel juvenile, but it's also that way with the more "adult" parts. It just never once feels organic or realistic.
Without the ending this book would be a lower rating, but it's rounded up because I find that choice interesting. I was hoping for something more magical or more mysterious, but things didn't really come together for me in this book.
TW: amputation, cult-adjacent behavior, punitive drowning, substance abuse and overdose, arson
2.5
Saskia is the new girl- having moved after her parents messy, and embarrassing divorce, she's only just got the ground back under her feet with a new friend and a new crush. But things get complicated fast, starting with an ill-advised hook up, and quickly progressing to theft of the first self portrait ever made. Because something weird is happening... Saskia swears that since she saw the picture, or daguerreotype, she was able to travel back in time to the subject in her dreams. Sharing her secrets forms a new society, with girls excited to bond over their "dead boyfriends." New societies mean new rules- and those rules aren't as easy to follow as you might think.
This book... I don't know what I was expecting from such a weird premise, but it wasn't what I got.
What I will say, is that when this book leans weird it goes for it, and it does it well. The growing tension works pretty well, and the sense of something being off colors the whole thing. I do like where Prasad went with it, in the context of the rest of the story. It's not what I thought I was getting in the least, but the ending is probably the best one there could have been. It did definitely make my final rating get a little lift.
However, I just genuinely did not like this book. It straddles the line between "adult" and "juvenile" in such weird ways. It never actually feels "YA". I kept feeling like it was written like one of those movies they show in elementary schools where kids travel back in time to learn history or meet a historical figure. There was so much that just felt like it was trying to be educational for more or less no reason- including the copious amount of info on daguerreotypes- and yet it would also veer off into a hookup or substance abuse, which made me feel like I was flicking between channels when a kids movie and a R-rated movie were both on.
And as you can imagine, that means there is a lot of disconnect in this book. For the reasons already stated, obviously, but also because the stories in this book don't feel like they should go together. We have the story of these girls in present day, and then also all these separate stories of the girls in the past, and nothing ever overlaps or connects to each other, beyond the girls sometimes mentioning things that happened in their dream/past adventures. Maybe if it was a focus on a single girl's story of the past it would have been compelling, but instead it just felt bizarre.
And, lastly, everything in this book is so over the top. This is something else that made it feel juvenile, but it's also that way with the more "adult" parts. It just never once feels organic or realistic.
Without the ending this book would be a lower rating, but it's rounded up because I find that choice interesting. I was hoping for something more magical or more mysterious, but things didn't really come together for me in this book.
August 24, 2021
When I read the blurb for Mercury Boys, I was so intrigued. It sounded like the most interesting and unique book plot and when it came out, I immediately got an ebook. It is about a group of girls who discover that they can communicate with hot men from the past using a style of photographs of them. But things are not as they seem and when they create a club, everything soon turns more sinister.
But that's the thing - it wasn't as sinister or troubling or frightening enough. The stakes were rather low, in case of which I didn't know who to root for. We follow around four girls in this book I think (I have forgotten their names except Saskia and Lila) and literally all of them, except Lila, got on my nerves. If there was an award for stupid naive characters, I'd put up Saskia as a nominee. I just disliked her character so much and I know it is supposed to be how she is written but still - let the girl have at least some amount of conscience or idk sanity. Lila was the only one who bore some logical understanding and reactions to actions and some sanity. I felt the most for her when things started to fall apart for her at a point. Saskia, though, the main character - I didn't bother what happened with her. She was simply very boring and annoying.
When it comes to the plot - I simply don't know. I think the author left a lot of the plot as an open-end, which I don't really usually mind but in this book, I would have loved some answers. At least some. The thing is, we get to see all the girls with their respective mercury boyfriends. However, they seemed very pointless at the end and did not really serve anything important to the plot overall. And with the way the plot climaxed, those happenstances and meetings further seem unnecessary and pointless. So, while I was intrigued to read about them, I don't know if I actually enjoyed or liked them. They were interesting, sure, but just that.
I feel like the book was kinda short and I would have loved to see more. A bit more depth into the characters and the plot would have been nice. Especially at the end because I feel like the build up was very slow and the end rushed. So many stuff happened at the end that I was craving for a proper answer, something to make sense of the 200 pages I had read. It was intense, I won't lie. But at the same time, I also found the climax to be way too predictable and shallow.
Mercury Boys otherwise had a very interesting premise. I loved knowing of this new type of photo style, and the use of mercury as a means of sort of time-travel was fantastic. However, I did wish the story was a bit more nuanced and not so on the surface.
But that's the thing - it wasn't as sinister or troubling or frightening enough. The stakes were rather low, in case of which I didn't know who to root for. We follow around four girls in this book I think (I have forgotten their names except Saskia and Lila) and literally all of them, except Lila, got on my nerves. If there was an award for stupid naive characters, I'd put up Saskia as a nominee. I just disliked her character so much and I know it is supposed to be how she is written but still - let the girl have at least some amount of conscience or idk sanity. Lila was the only one who bore some logical understanding and reactions to actions and some sanity. I felt the most for her when things started to fall apart for her at a point. Saskia, though, the main character - I didn't bother what happened with her. She was simply very boring and annoying.
When it comes to the plot - I simply don't know. I think the author left a lot of the plot as an open-end, which I don't really usually mind but in this book, I would have loved some answers. At least some. The thing is, we get to see all the girls with their respective mercury boyfriends. However, they seemed very pointless at the end and did not really serve anything important to the plot overall. And with the way the plot climaxed, those happenstances and meetings further seem unnecessary and pointless. So, while I was intrigued to read about them, I don't know if I actually enjoyed or liked them. They were interesting, sure, but just that.
I feel like the book was kinda short and I would have loved to see more. A bit more depth into the characters and the plot would have been nice. Especially at the end because I feel like the build up was very slow and the end rushed. So many stuff happened at the end that I was craving for a proper answer, something to make sense of the 200 pages I had read. It was intense, I won't lie. But at the same time, I also found the climax to be way too predictable and shallow.
Mercury Boys otherwise had a very interesting premise. I loved knowing of this new type of photo style, and the use of mercury as a means of sort of time-travel was fantastic. However, I did wish the story was a bit more nuanced and not so on the surface.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews