Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Starred Review Larson (Chiggers, 2008) won an Eisner Award for Special Recognition in 2007 and is establishing an oeuvre of thoughtful, girl-centric graphic novels that often feature touches of unobtrusive fantasy, lending a dreamy quality that helps characterize her distinctive storytelling style. Mercury tells two tales: one of Josey, who lives in a small Canadian town in 1859; and the other of her descendant, Tara, who has returned to the same town in 2009, a year after her house burned to the ground. Tenth-grader Tara's burgeoning relationships and her difficulty reacclimating to her old school will be more identifiable than Josey's forbidden courtship with itinerant prospector Asa, but the use of two time lines delineates the different eras' outlooks on family and romance, which brings some immutable human truths into high relief. The gentle dose of magic realism doesn't feel incongruous and underscores the powerful ways in which past touches present. The insights unfold leisurely, but patient readers will find themselves deeply invested. Comparisons to Craig Thompson's Blankets (2003) wouldn't be inappropriate, but Larson continues to perfect her own unique style and offers something the graphic format is sadly short on: a coming-of-age story for girls.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2010)

Gr 8 Up-Set in Nova Scotia, this book relates two coming-of-age stories in tandem, showing how the past interweaves with the present. In the present, Tara and her mother have lost their old farmhouse in a fire, and Tara's mother is struggling to support them from far away while Tara lives with relatives. She loved the old house and wants to rebuild it, but her mother is pressured to find a job elsewhere. In 1859, Josey, Tara's ancestor, falls in love with a gold dowser who has convinced her father to open a mine. Her mother, who has supernatural sight, is sure that the dowser means no good. The stories collide as Tara goes searching for the gold said to have been hidden on her property, and Josey's tale reveals how it came to be hidden. Elements of the supernatural echo in both settings as Josey experiences the same visions her mother has and Tara discovers that she has a knack for dowsing. Though the end of the story leaves things hanging for Tara and her mother, the actions that the girl takes to gain control of her destiny suggest that she will find a way to achieve her goals. The storytelling, both in words and pictures, brilliantly offers details from Canadian history and modern life. The dialogue varies from funny to poignant. An excellent graphic novel, particularly for fans of Faith Erin Hicks's The War at Ellsmere (Slave Labor, 2008). Alana Joli Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

Horn Book

Following several pages listing relevant websites that can be accessed through the publisher's own site, these books survey the sun and several planets in the solar system. The texts are so brief and jump around so frequently that ultimately little useful information is disseminated. The crowded pages, designed to resemble web pages and featuring blurry screen shots, further mar these books. Reading list. Ind.

Kirkus Reviews

Lost treasure, mother love and misbegotten romance form the bases of this richly rewarding intergenerational graphic novel. Alternating chapters tell the story of Tara, a contemporary teen who is starting over after her house was destroyed by fire, and Josey, Tara's Canadian pioneer ancestor, who lived on the same piece of land 150 years ago. When a handsome stranger approaches Josey's family with an unbelievable offer, her mother's suspicion is aroused, leading to tragic results. Magical realism appears in the form of a necklace containing mercury that supposedly attracts gold and serves as a catalyst for change in both girls' lives. When fate brings the necklace to Tara, she is able to right prior wrongs and recover a hidden fortune that lays all the old ghosts to rest. Larson skillfully maintains suspense through a deliberate revealing of facts that eventually come full circle, much like the mythical necklace with its spherical pendant. Classic themes of love, family, betrayal and renewal combine to create multilayered historical fiction that perfectly illustrates how the past continues to influence the present. (Graphic historical fiction. 12 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Beginning with a quick historical progression through the fictional town of French Hill in Nova Scotia, from the wilderness of 1400 through soldiers in 1775 to one of the story's main characters going for a run in 2009, this visual history, with fascinating detail, sets up the alternating narrations of the book. One takes place in 2009 and tells the story of Tara, while the other, set in 1850, tells the story of a girl named Josey. That the two are linked by blood is evident. They're also each in possession of the same necklace, a small glass pendant containing a drop of mercury with the mysterious ability to prospect for gold. The stories alternate in quick succession, making it sometimes difficult to keep track of narrative threads as crushes, friendships, and parental conflicts develop in both time periods. Larson's drawings are full of motion and life, her characters' faces expressive, and she uses decorative details to illustrate emotions and ideas. Compared with the wonderful art, the story comes up short, with little action for much of the book, but readers may take pleasure instead in the book's atmospheric appeal and the manga-like illustration of fluttery emotional states. Ages 12–up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Jan.)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Two interconnected stories are the focus of this graphic novel in black-and-white. Tara, a teen who runs cross country, lives with her relatives in town after a fire destroys the family farm. Her story of integrating back into high school life after being home schooled for two years is the classic new-kid story line. She joins track, meets a boy, has misunderstanding with the boy, and then falls for the boy. The secondary historical story line features Josey, TaraÆs ancestor in 1859. Gold has been discovered on her farm by a handsome charmer named Mr. Curry. When her father disagrees with Mr. Curry, he is murdered and the gold disappears. The two stories merge as Tara uses Mr. CurryÆs mysterious necklace to find the missing gold. LarsonÆs black-and-white artwork focuses primarily on the characterÆs faces and expressions. The artwork defines the different time periods very well, using black backgrounds for the past. JoseyÆs story line is stronger than TaraÆs. There is plenty of intrigue and family dynamics detailed in the dialogue and artwork to keep the reader entranced. TaraÆs plot is more insular, with only Tara being of much interest. Still there is enough momentum from the interconnected aspect to keep readers turning the pages. Libraries looking for quality one-volume graphic novels should consider this one a solid option.ùKristin Fletcher-Spear.