Member Reviews
Blue Sisters is an emotional saga, told from the multiple viewpoints of three strikingly different sisters who are brought together after their fourth sister's death. They come together and must confront their unique personal difficulties while considering how their shared trauma makes them more alike than they suspect.
I loved this book because each of the sisters' experiences, character development, and storylines are fully explored. Often in a multiple viewpoint family saga, at least one character is less featured. In Blue Sisters, you can tell the author thoughtfully created each character's arc. I enjoyed following along with each sister's personal story, as well as seeing how they interact with each other. The relationships between each character feel so real, so authentic that Blue Sisters could be easily mistaken for nonfiction.
I have already recommended this book to others and have considered a second read-through myself. Blue Sisters is a must read for any sister or anyone who wishes to better understand sister relationships.
The Blue sisters — Avery, Bonnie, Nicky, and Lucky — grew up in a household where the distance their mother created, largely due to their father’s alcoholism, forged a strong but complex bond between the four sisters. As adults, they spread out into their own unique approaches to life. Avery, the oldest sister, is an accomplished lawyer but continues to grapple with her own addiction problems while maintaining a seemingly perfect life with her wife in their large home in London. Bonnie is working as a bouncer in Los Angeles after a devastating defeat in an important boxing match. The youngest, Lucky, whose own addiction issues have reached a boiling point, is struggling to maintain the successful modeling career she’s had since she was fifteen. Nicky, who had become a school teacher, died the previous year from an apparent overdose. Now, the three remaining sisters reluctantly convene in NYC following an email from their mother stating that she plans to sell the apartment where they grew up, where Nicky had lived, and where she was found.
Mellors sets up a novel that proves to be an emotional journey as we follow the three sisters — and a bit of their mother — through their shared grief over losing one of their own. Each sister is a distinct facet within the whole, fully realized and knowable. In addition to themes of grief and pain, Mellors covers a wide mix of addiction, identity, self-awareness, and the web of interpersonal relationships.
Blue Sisters is one of those books that I felt was trying, or wanting, to draw more from the emotional well but never quite got there. I really liked it but didn’t love it. I thought it was emotional but had some room to spare — and the ending felt a touch too easy. Perhaps this is just because the room wasn’t there to delve deeper, with time devoted to each sister in turn. However, I did appreciate the journey Mellors ultimately took each character on. And I still intend to read the previous book, Cleopatra and Frankenstein.
Thank you Netgalley & Ballantine Books Publishing for an eARC ♥️
Sisterly love is a mysterious thing - it can be both fierce and fragile, full of laughter and tears. “Blue Sisters” captures this complexity perfectly, weaving a tale of three sisters navigating life's ups and downs together.
As someone who has a big sister, I can confidently say that this book gets it right. Coco Mellors nails the intricacies of sisterly relationships - the silly squabbles, the deep connections, and everything in between. I found myself nodding along in recognition, thinking "yep, that's so true!"
With humor, heart, and a healthy dose of sarcasm, the author explores the ups and downs of sisterhood. You'll find yourself giggling at the relatable moments and maybe even getting a little teary-eyed at the more emotional parts.
But this book isn't just about sisters - it's about resilience, hope, and the power of love to overcome even the toughest challenges. Coco Mellors tackles heavy topics with a light touch, making this a read that's both entertaining and thought-provoking.
So if you're looking for a book that'll make you laugh, cry, and maybe even call your sister to catch up, Blue Sisters is the perfect choice♥️
Rating: 5/5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
It's been a year since their sister died, and the three remaining Blue sisters each have handled their grief in different ways: drugs and alcohol, acting out, cheating on a spouse.
This was such an intimate exploration of navigating loss, addiction, complex family dynamics, and healing. The way each character's perspective is used alternating chapters makes the story feel very personal and helps with connection to the characters. This is a very well written and engaging story about sisters, womanhood, family drama, grief and vulnerability.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC.
Blue Sisters had such a strong premise. Three sisters navigating the world only a year after they had lost their fourth. The loss and grief portions of this book made my heart ache. I found myself invested in Bonnie and her storyline, but even as a classic older sister myself, Avery let me down. And Lucky... oh sheesh. Anyway, I liked this story but I did not love it even though I wanted to.
I loved everything about this book. It is the story of 3 sisters grieving the loss of their fourth sister amidst their own life struggles and with careers, relationships, and addiction. It is a beautifully written portrait of grief, sisterhood, and hope. The characters are complex and I loved them even when I hated them. Each of the sisters grieves in their own (often destructive) ways but the love they have for each other is so pure underneath all of their issues.
One of the best novels I’ve read this year . A story of family and sisters so sweeping and so wonderful(even teared up a bit)
Where do I begin? Cleopatra and Frankenstein walked so this could absolutely soar.
I put off cracking this one open because I had such high expectations, but I was not disappointed. This was such a beautiful portrait of what true sisterhood is, as well as an accurate depiction of the many faces of grief, addiction and self-discovery. Mellors handles a slew of difficult subjects with such grace and sensitivity; I felt both seen and respected, called out yet safe. I even cried (actually, sobbed). Every sister's narrative was so unique and enjoyable to read, I felt that I was experiencing their worlds firsthand. I wanted to celebrate their wins and sit with them in their pain. While each point-of-view was so different, they are woven masterfully into a both haunting yet hopeful tale of intergenerational trauma and the meaning of coming back to yourself over and over again. Death might bring the Blue sisters back together, but life drives this story. Life ends up being the answer for each remaining sister, no matter how messy it may be. My only complaint (as always with a new favorite) is that it was too short and the ending was rushed. I could have stayed with the girls for another 500 pages and not grown tired. Through a more critical lens, though, I will offer that with all of the themes explored, there should have been more time to resolve them all with the same amount of effort. Or, that might of been the point. This is a beautiful slice-of-life that we leave the same way we dropped in; in the chaos of everyday life. Life is never perfect, but if you read between the lines, you can see the beauty in the flaws. Hence why I can accept that this didn't check every single box. I still loved it and needed it like I need air. A well-deserved shoutout for Mellors' gorgeous prose, which had me in an annotating frenzy for the sheer amount of wisdom and truth in every other page. It was such a special read in many ways and I will be thinking about it for the foreseeable future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. To say I was thrilled to receive this book is an understatement.
Coco Mellors can write! Wow. This was a heavy story about a really messy family, and some of the themes were challenging for me. Mellors’ writing is GORGEOUS, our four Blue sisters are so real and so flawed and so dimensional. And to quote another Goodreads review that stated it perfectly, “dialogue so believable you forget there’s a page between you and the characters talking.” In essence, this was stunning.
Blue Sisters is immersive and beautiful and something I truly wanted to savor. After a spell of three star reads, this was like a long drink of water when you’re really thirsty. It reminded me why I love lit fic.
I’m now running to read Cleopatra and Frankenstein.
Since the release of her debut novel, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Coco Mellors has become an author I have kept on the look out for in terms of anticipating her next works, and whether it would be just as good. Blue Sisters, however, had exceeded my expectations.
If you didn’t like Cleopatra and Frankenstein, or if you did, Blue Sisters is so much more complex and nuanced yet better written in comparison to Mellors’ debut novel.
The theme of grief is prevalent throughout the novel and woven into the characters’ lives in way that is effortless yet realistic. There is a level of realism in this book in terms of how Mellors has written her characters’ being affected by grief.
Mellors has perfectly encapsulated the bond between sisters as well as the complexity of grief, and I could not recommend it enough.
Wow, I knew this book was highly anticipated and now I get why!
I loved this book, and it’s tittering more on the 4.5 stars for me. There were a few sentences and metaphors I felt like were a tad cliche, and some paragraphs went on a little long, but other than that it’s a fantastic read.
The surviving Blue sisters are your classic insufferable women characters, which I adore and will devour any book with unlikable women. Mellors does a fantastic job of letting us into their world, and each character is highly defined and their voice strong. They are imperfect, all battling some form of addiction or grief or just the day to day survival of life. The ending was perfect and made me cry, and I’m sad that my time with the Blue sisters are over. Pick up this book if you love complex and unlikable female characters, family relationships, and coming to terms with who you truly are. (Goodreads Review)
This is a beautiful, captivating and heartfelt story about the Blue Sisters which reminds me somewhat of Little Women. The sisters suffer a heartbreak in their family and each sister expresses their grief through different forms of addiction (pain, kleptomania, drugs/alcohol). Throughout the saga the sisters learn to forgive themselves, let go and live again.
The author captures the bond between and the complexity of the sisters beautifully. She displays such dreamy prose. Some novels hit a lull or boring point but I did not experience that at all in Coco Mellors’ writing. I loved this. I can’t wait to read what else the author has in store for us!
4.5 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for ab honest review.
Blue Sisters - Coco Mellors
⭐️⭐️.5
“It's the hope that kills you. A loss is always more bitter if you let yourself dream of victory first.”
The Blue sisters have been struggling in their year since their beloved sister, Nicky, died. As the year anniversary hits, Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky struggle in their personal and professional lives. They all return to their childhood home as they learn their parents are selling it.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I hated all of the sisters except for the one that is, sadly, dead. They were all a mess and pretty unlikeable throughout the whole book. I really didn’t connect with any of their storylines and was found wishing I could hear from their lost sister, Nicky, who clearly held them all together. I really wanted to love this book but I just didn’t connect on any levels.
This is Little Women on drugs (quite literally), and I loved it. I especially loved Bonnie the boxer and the second half of the book. It has heavy topics to be sure: infidelity, grief, addiction—and these are addressed so thoughtfully. I loved how the sisters blossomed in their own relationships and also allowed each other to come into their own. The ending scene is one of the most precious things I have ever read. I will read everything Coco Mellors writes-she gets you in the heart with exquisitely written scenes and beautifully crafted endings.
Wow. Just wow. Unbelievably written. Reading this as an older sister really hit me. I do not know how I am supposed to not think about this book for the rest of the day. Thank you so much Netgalley, Randomhouse and of course Coco.
After liking, but not completely loving Cleopatra and Frankestein, I wanted to give this one a chance because I do enjoy Coco Mellor’s writing.
I adored this! I loved how the sisters’ portrayal as they navigated their grief and their connection and love to each other. I also walked away with my new favorite phrase: Go lightly.
This is a must read!
It's been a year since their sister died, and the three remaining Blue sisters have different ways of handling their grief: drugs and alcohol, acting out, cheating on a spouse. They've always been close, but lately, being around each other seems too much to bear.
Mellors presents an interesting look at family dynamics, and what happens when members fail to perform their expected roles.
I'm an only child, and this one, yeah - made me wish I'd had at least one sister.
Family, trauma, and grief are the main themes of this book about four sisters. A interesting look at how being raised in the same home is experienced in a different way by each sibling. Good writing and interesting characters make this an engaging read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley. My review will be published on IG and Litsy on 8/27
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Coco Mellors for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Blue Sisters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this family drama of four sisters and all of their struggles with life and each other. I found myself immersed into their lives-feeling awful when they made poor decisions but yet optimistic all would work out because they cared and loved each other unconditionally. I don’t have sisters -it was quite the education of how they make their relationship work which often times it doesn’t. Being able to listen and compromise is essential along with honesty. I found their relationship with their parents was also problematic. All of our baggage comes with us in our adulthood and sometimes it’’s hard to let go of past mistakes.
This story is very well written with fully developed characters and a well thought out plot line. The ending seemed rushed with all of the problems being solved rather quickly and the three remaining sisters living happily ever after. But as I discovered in the conclusion, this took years to happen with lots of work and effort to get there, I am thrilled to discover this new to me author.
i loved this book. There isn't much to say beyond that. I deeply ocnnected with all of the sisters at one point in the book and their relationships seemed to jump off the page.