Tattoo is the debut Young Adult novel by Jenna Cosgrove, and the first book published by The 8 Percent Publishing. Tattoo follows the journey of Mercy Daniels, teenage fugitive, and her search for her birth father across 1960s America.
You judge me when you look at me because of the tattoos that cover my body-but that’s only because you don’t understand what they mean.
My mother named me Mercy, after the nuns who raised her, but my life has been anything but merciful. The path I’ve traveled has been long and winding, full of heartbreak and violence, but also rare moments of beauty.
My story starts in Savannah, the day I found my mother’s body after she’d chased two bottles of sleeping pills with a bottle of home-made moonshine.
It’s the story of my unhinged stepfather, a devastating fire, and how I ended up on the run, wanted for murder.
It tells of my obsessive search for my birth father that I clung to like a life raft as I drifted-from the bright lights of a shady traveling carnival, where I was given my first tattoo by my older lover; to a biker gang falling apart at the seams, where I met the man who would torment me for years to come.
From the cream of high society in California, to the lonely beaches of Mexico where I finally found a type of peace-just not the one I expected.
You judge me because my tattoos make me look strange, dangerous. But there’s more to them than that. To understand the way I look, you need to know where I came from. To understand me, you need to know my story…”
Described as “too raunchy for teens”, TATTOO is the debut YA novel by Jenna Cosgrove. Set in the early 60s, TATTOO follows the journey of Mercy Daniels – teenage fugitive – and the search for her birth father that takes her from Savannah to San Francisco to Mexico, and takes her innocence along the way.
The back cover says this book has been described as “too raunchy for teens,” which means it has some realistic detail that teens can surely handle, but their parents and teachers can’t… it’s a rousing story that’s unlikely to leave the average reader bored.
A truly compelling book which carries out flawlessly the cruelties it presents. It is a tale filled with pain and hope and a narration that portrays every emotion perfectly. Jenna has a wonderful writing style and the ability to write what many would shirk away from or be able to do justice to. Tattoo is a beautiful tale and one I am so glad I have had the opportunity to read.
A rollicking pace, a unique and original plot, compelling characters, and non-stop action make Tattoo an absolute firecracker of a debut novel. It’s impossible to put down.
It is a compelling story with an emotive narration that keeps you invested in the tale. It is highly original, fast paced, descriptive and highly affecting.