"Trying to stay true to your dreams and heart in the face of bullies and opposition — this uplifting YA romance packs a lot of big themes into its big heart."
July 2024 Debut of the Month
Brimming with drama — of both the emotional and musical theatre variety — and threaded with a fun “What would Freddy Mercury do?” mantra, Rachael Fernandes’ The Mercury in Me is an inspiring ode to being unapologetically yourself. Alongside tackling universal themes — first love, family conflict, fallings-out, and school bullies — it’s also brilliant on the British Indian experience, and fist-pumpingly uplifting.
Though studious sixth-former Maya is set on becoming a doctor, she also has a talent for music that comes to the fore when handsome Harry Wu, her school’s “musical theatre heartthrob”, convinces her to audition for a production of We Will Rock You. After bagging a big role in the show, Maya finds herself falling for Harry big-time, while also handling the school’s nasty bully, and trouble at home.
At its heart, The Mercury in Me is about finding the courage to be true to yourself, and navigating the confusing road to finding that truth in the first place. It’s also about the pull between following your dreams and talents versus wanting to please your parents. In Maya’s case, her parents have forbidden her from having a boyfriend. In Harry’s case, he’s desperate to study drama, but feels he has to read music at Oxford to fulfil his mum’s dream.
Matters come to a crunch right before Maya’s parents are due to see her perform in the musical. “I’m tired of not being quite Indian enough, not quite British enough”, she declares, while her older brother steps in to support her as he also reveals his own truth.
With a show-stopping finale (quite literally), The Mercury in Me is funny, packed with drama, and delivered with an empathetic lightness of touch.
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