I'm an only child and I gave this book five stars ~ love how Coco doesn't shy away from difficult topics but instead leans into them beautifully. This book at its core is about three broken sisters trying to find a sense of home after their sister's death. Trying to figure out who they are without her.
The characters are messy but to me that makes them more authentic. I just love how Coco explores people and the character development.

Highly recommend

3.75⭐️

What a beautiful and heart wrenching book about the highs and lows of sisterhood, loss, addiction, and the overcoming of it all. I was a bit nervous going into this book thinking I was not going to be able to relate to most of its content since I myself do not have any sisters, however, I was surprised to find myself empathizing with the sisters most of the time, especially the eldest Avery, since I am the eldest sister to two brothers. Not only was it easy to connect with the idea of sisterhood, but also the mourning and addiction aspect as well, since we all in life have some things that are hard to control and overpower, and some things that we grieve for. My caveats mostly come from the very long chapters, and at times a lack of engagement in the story. I’m slowly diving into the contemporary/literary fiction world, and I feel like this has caught my attention and convinced me to seek out more books in this genre and more by Mellors. Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Coco Mellors for an advanced copy of this book.

Totally and completely fascinating, riveting and real. From the very first page, I knew this would be an extraordinary book, and it was.

I was moved by the tale of the three sisters, Avery, Bonnie and Lucky, dealing with their grief from losing their sister the previous year. Each is flailing and wildly floundering, not knowing what to do or how to grieve. Each is pushing their family away, while heading down a path of destruction.

In the end, the sisters must take a hard look at their loss, their grief and themselves. The results are both beautiful and hopeful, with a bit of hardship, too.

Advance reader copy provided by Ballantine and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Coco Mellors’ Blue Sisters is a rich deep dive into grief, addiction, and so much more. Told in multiple POVs and flashbacks, the story centers around the Blue sisters, who struggle to cope with the death of their sister one year later.

I wish I had Coco Mellors’ artistry with words to be able to adequately describe just how beautiful the writing is. As Jack Edwards’ review says, the characters and the dialogue leap off the page. When you read this book, you become a fly on the wall in each of the sisters’ lives, for better or worse.

However, I do think there are some things that could’ve been left out since they really don’t add to the story. There are one too many open door scenes and uses of the “f” word than I care for, so that is something to keep in mind if that also matters to you. Whenever these things would come up, it would bring me out of the story when all I want is to be invested in it.

But again, if you appreciate beautiful writing, realistic characters, and poignant coverage of heavier themes, Blue Sisters does not disappoint.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this digital e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors is available everywhere now.

This book was tremendous how the author captures grief of three sisters while developing their characters and relationship conflicts.

A beautifully written story about the power of sisterhood.The blue sisters stuck together while growing up, a force to be reckoned with against their parents and sometimes each other.
There was Avery the oldest, and the rule enforcer in the family. Always trying to fix things, but yet she cannot fix herself. A high powered attorney, she'd drop everything to help her sisters.
Then Bonnie, a professional boxer who is the peacemaker of the family and secretly in love with her trainer. After losing her most important fight, she regroups and is deciding what to do next. 
Lucky is the most beautiful sister, becoming a model at age 14, and spending most of her enormous earnings on drugs and alcohol.
They all are very damaged characters and come together when their mother informs them that she is selling their childhood home, upon the death of Nicky, their 4th sister. 
The first half of the book focuses on the sister's histories together and apart, and how they came to be the adults they are now. There is so much self destructive behavior here it's hard to stomach. Lucky drugs herself close to death multiple times, Avery tries to self-destruct her marriage through infidelity and drugs, then there's Bonnie who seems like the only normal type of character in the book. At least from an addiction standpoint, although she claims to be addicted to pain. 
She's the one who finds Nicky unresponsive in their apartment, dead from an overdose trying to relieve chronic pain.  
The sisters realize only they can save each other as they reunite together in NYC to claim what's left of Nicky and to reminisce of brighter times during their childhood.
The author really doesn't discuss what demons these girls are trying to escape through all their self destruction, as all this precedes Nicky's death. Their dad was a verbally abusive alcoholic and their mom was barely there. But you can't help to hope for the best as you see all their faults and imperfections come to light and how they mirror the best in each other to start the healing process.

Blue Sisters, the second novel by Coco Mellors, is a wonderful novel about three sisters dealing with the grief of losing their sister Nicky. The novel opens on the first anniversary of Nicky’s death. The story is told from the perspective of each living sister and effectively gives the reader the opportunity to experience each sister’s viewpoint. All three were so realistic and flawed. The relationship between the sisters is not perfect but they would do anything for each other.

If you enjoy character-driven novels that give all the feels, this book is for you! As someone with two sisters, I found the interactions between them to be very realistic. Each sister has a distinctive personality and I could identify with parts of each of them. I am definitely going to read the author’s debut novel and look forward to her future work.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Average for me. Messy characters who came off as self involved. Too down in the weeds with their suffering. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing. The relationship the sisters have is something I’ve always wanted. I love to see the way they love each other. It was sad to see them grove the way they did but coco wrote this story with such grace. I loved every moment of it and cried several times.

What a great story full of family drama. The author writes beautifully and I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are so real.

A beautiful exploration of sisterhood. Makes me wish I had a sister!!! I've owned Cleo & Frank for a while now, so I think it's time to read that one now.

While I didn't love the writing style here, I loved the stories. Each sister was distinct and the portrayal of grief here felt very true to life.

The Blue Sisters are not perfect. Sure, they made something of themselves, but when the glue that holds them together passes away, the Blue sisters must find amongst themselves a way forward in the void their sister Nicky leaves behind.

Explore the world of Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky as they navigate what sisterhood, life, and addiction mean in a world that seems to have dealt them the short end of the stick.

If you're looking for an emotional read that explores family dynamics, grief, and addiction, "Blue Sisters" will take you on a ride.

As a reader, it was hard not to feel like the lives and observances of the sisters are superficial. You're required to suspend reality; the three sisters are successful, objectively. Sure, they face undeniable hardships, but it's a bed of their own making. To come from very little to all three being highly successful? It was hard for me to empathize. The only one who felt attainable as a character is the one whose perspective we can't read.

I do not doubt that this book will be well-received and loved. It's an emotional rollercoaster where you can find endearing characters. You may even root for them. As for myself, it was hard to love them. It's a good read -- it just isn't for me.

thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy.

I’ve always wanted a sister and the relationship that comes with it. The four Blue sistes are raised by an alcoholic father and an uninterested mother. They escaped around the world.

Avery, the oldest became a drug addict and joined a commune. After hitting rock bottom, she gets sober, becomes a lawyer, moves to London and marries a woman.

Bonnie becomes a boxer at a young age and develops feelings for her trainer. After losing a big fight, she runs away to LA and becomes a bouncer in a bar. Things spin out of control when she beats up a customer.

Lucky leaves to become a model at 15. She travels the world and eventually spins out of control.

Nicky, the youngest, is the most grounded. She becomes a teacher, loves children and dreams of becoming a mother. Unfortunately, she suffers from debilitating endometriosis. She becomes addicted to painkillers and dies when she overdoses on tainted drugs.

The tragedy causes the sisters to all spiral but they come back to their childhood apartment in NY where Nicky was living so they can clean out her stuff. Their relationships need to hit a low before they can come back together.

The characters become hard to like as they all make poor decisions. They eventually clean up their acts and the epilogue moves forward 10 years later with the birth of Bonnie’s baby girl, Nicole.

Thanks to Net Gallery for the advanced copy of this book. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Blue Sisters" is a deeply moving novel that captivated me from the very first page. This is a story about three sisters, each grappling with the grief of losing their sibling, and the ways they navigate their pain in different, often heartbreaking, ways. Mellors beautifully captures the raw and often messy emotions that come with loss, and the complex dynamics within a family that’s trying to hold itself together in the wake of tragedy.

The novel also delves into the effects of addiction on families. Mellors doesn’t shy away from depicting the harsh realities of how addiction can fracture relationships, but she does so in a way that allows you to empathize deeply with each character’s struggle.

The story is told through multiple points of view, giving each sister a voice and allowing us to understand their unique perspectives on grief and healing. The writing is beautiful, pulling you deeper into the emotional world of these characters. I found myself crying more than once, as the emotions were so vividly portrayed that it felt impossible not to be affected.

As someone who has a sister, this story resonated with me on a profound level. It’s a novel that will speak to anyone who has ever loved, lost, and struggled to find their way back to themselves and their family. By the end, I just wanted to reach out and hug each character, feeling as though I had walked beside them on their journey.

Avery, Bonnie, Nicky and Lucky, four sisters, each with her own incredible talent, secret, flaws, and addiction. The novel begins on the one year anniversary of Nicky’s death and allows the reader to watch the other three sisters on their individual journeys while they learn to cope with their grief. It all culminates (and somewhat explodes) when the three meet up in the NYC apartment where they grew up so that they can clean it out before their parents sell it.

This will be a top book of the year for me; I absolutely loved it.
Mellors is just such a smart writer, the prologue grabs you instantly. While I didn’t like any of the characters in the sense that I would want to have dinner with them (maybe Bonnie), Mellor’s writing made me get past that. This is a story about sisters, addiction, grief and also there is an underlying theme of motherhood (who should be one, what makes a good mother). While you may not want to hang out with any of these women, you are invested in where their life paths will take them.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the ARC to review

Coco Mellors' novel offers a compelling exploration of grief, sibling dynamics, and the complexities of family bonds. From the first page, her witty and clever prose draws the reader in, highlighting the raw messiness of loss. The Blue sisters, each dealing with their grief in wildly different ways, remind us that no one is ever truly prepared for loss, no matter how accomplished or exceptional. Mellors deftly portrays how grief is not linear, with the sisters’ resentment and competition over who has the right to feel more devastated.

What stands out is how relatable the emotions are, even for someone without sisters. The sibling rivalry, the unresolved trauma, and the longing for a past that can’t be reclaimed resonate deeply. The sisters’ return to their childhood home in New York underscores the weight of family ties, even when those relationships are strained and difficult. Mellors doesn’t shy away from showing the characters as flawed, making them feel real, if not always likable.

This novel is a profound and sometimes messy exploration of trauma, healing, and the impossibility of truly moving on. For readers drawn to stories about complex family relationships, this book offers an emotional, authentic, and satisfying journey.

wow, this was fantastic.

thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books Publishing for approving me for the uncorrected proof of coco mellors' new book! the writing style was equal parts lyrical and easily digestible. the characters all felt so realistic and beautiful in their respective messinesses. this was a gorgeous story intertwining discussions on sister dynamics, generational trauma, alcoholism, various manifestations of addiction, survivor's guilt, grief, and the many ways people cope.

told in seamlessly alternating perspectives, we follow avery, lucky, bonnie, and nicky, as they are forced to navigate uncharted territory and reckon with who they are and are becoming. this was tense, emotional, and packed with love and hope.

beautifully written! definitely check trigger warnings!

4.5 ⭐️

Blue sisters doesn't just tell a story; it immerses you in it.

The way the story unfolds is heart-wrenching and beautiful, leaving you with a hard-to-shake connection to the characters. The book didn’t sugarcoat the messiness of life, and that’s what made it so compelling.

The writing was spot on—each of the three main MFCs felt painfully real, navigating through the complexities of their lives while grappling with the loss of their sister. Their flaws and struggles made the book all the more authentic, dragging you right into their orbit.

I haven’t had a chance to dive into Cleopatra and Frankenstein yet, but after this, it’s definitely next on my list!

Thank you for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own :)

There was so much about this book that enriched the reading experience. The prose was strong and beautiful. The main four were complex. The exploration of grief through different lens and personalities was well done. I enjoyed the sisters. I teared up. I read it in two sittings if that says anything about its readability.

However, there were things that snagged me. I couldn’t relax and get into a specific relationship in the novel. It felt sticky and weird for me. Some of the jokes didn’t land and after things started rolling I felt like the outcomes were pretty predictable. That said, this has def inspired me to pick of cleopatra and Frankenstein!