Such a deep character study on the Blue sisters. Some of them are the most frustrating characters I’ve ever read about, but seeing them grow from their trauma and become close after the death of their sister was beautiful to witness. The first half of the book was a little rough, it took me a while to actually grow and care about any of them that deeply. But then I found myself crying from said frustrating character at the end. This book is so mundane and just following along the characters, which is something I’ve found that I enjoy the most in literary fiction (no plot just characters).

a really gorgeous slow-burn exploring grief, sisterhood, motherhood, and addiction.

blue sisters didn’t land for me quite as hard as cleopatra and frankenstein did, but i think that’s just a personal thing—for people who have sisters, i feel like this could be <i>the</i> book, given how vividly the familial dynamic is written! each sister individually is also lovely; they’re all extremely flawed people, grappling with their own secrets, but the way they’re written makes them feel unbelievably human.

the only con this book really has, at least for me, is that it’s a pretty slow burn; with the synopsis of the book being what it is, i kind of expected that the sisters would be together sooner and spend a little bit more time together. as-written, it did still work, but something about the mismatch between what i thought the structure of the book would be vs the reality did make the first half or so feel a tiny bit stretched out.

regardless, coco mellors’ writing is stunning, and if she writes it, i’ll read it. 4/5 stars!!

Wow. Coming from someone who loved Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Blue Sisters is next level. Words can barely describe how much this book means to me.

I come from a family of girls and at times throughout this book it felt like I was reading about my sisters and me. The realistic depiction of sisterhood is something that I’ve never found in a book before, at least I’ve never read a book that is this well done. The storyline, the characters, the writing… everything was amazing to read about and resonated so much with me. I saw so much of myself within each of the sisters (especially Bonnie as a fellow middle sister), and so much of my sisters in each of them, too. I loved reading about the sister’s individual storylines as well as their dynamic together. There truly is nothing like the relationship between sisters, and seeing that exemplified throughout this novel made me feel so many things. This story is beautiful, heartwarming, funny, and tragic, I laughed, cried, felt angry at times. But that’s everything that I love finding in a book and what makes me love reading so much.

I read 100+ books per year, like many of you, so you know how difficult it is to choose a favorite. I do not say this slightly; Blue Sisters just shot straight to the top of my list.

I loved this book. I've been a fan of Coco Mellors since Cleopatra and Frankenstein came out and I was so excited to read this. It did not disappoint. It follows three sisters as they navigate life after their fourth sister's death while struggling with addiction issues. I adored the sisters' dynamic and their relationship with people outside their family, as well as the exploration of motherhood. I fell in love with each one of the sisters but I also hated them at times, which made them so real and human. I love the way Mellors writes characters. I hope to read more of her books in the future.

Avery, Bonnie, Nicky and Lucky Blue. The Blue sisters grew up depending on each other more than they could ever depend on anyone else.
Following the death of Nicky, Avery Bonnie and Lucky reluctantly converge at their childhood New York apartment from different corners of the world in order to collect Nicky’s belongings. Each sister is arriving to New York at different points in their life, each muddling through their own self destructive choices. Each sister is instrumental to the story, without stealing the spotlight or fading into the background.
This is not just a story of grief. This is not just a story about sisters, or individual women going through the hardest experience of their lives. This is a story of healing, and the power we achieve when we allow other people to care for us. There is no right way to grieve, nor is it linear. Grief is messy, and Mellors translates that by making the reader feel like a part of the cast. I did not feel like an outsider, or an audience member reading this novel. I felt the loss of Nicky as strongly as I felt care and concern for Avery, Bonnie and Lucky. I felt the shame of their mistakes and the joys of their triumphs. That is to say, this is an emotional rollercoaster of a story. This is not a light, feel good novel. This story snakes into your body and wraps itself around your heart, holding you hostage until you reach the conclusion.
It’s hard to say much more without getting too far into the specific plot points, and this is a book that you should go into knowing as little as possible. I can see this one sticking with me for a long time.

This review will be posted to the instagram account @within_words on April 12th, 2024.

I received an ARC from Netgalley prior to publication September 3rd, 2024!
Coco Mellor's debut novel, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, was my favorite book of 2022, so I watch itching for a chance to read Blue Sisters!
Blue Sisters follows Avery, Bonnie, Nicky, and Lucky Blue. Raised in NYC and now spread out across the globe, the three remaining Blue sisters are navigating the death of their middle sister, Nicky. A year after her death, and all three sisters are reckoning with their grief in different, destructive ways. Their mother notifies them that they will be selling the family apartment, the one where they were raised and where Nicky was found dead. The surviving Blue sisters are reunited in this family drama about sisterhood, grief, addiction, pain, and resentment.
Coco Mellors could teach a master class on creating nuanced characters. The way she develops characters is impeccable, and you feel attached to every one in a different way. (Though, I HATED Avery, but I think that was intentional). I was so moved by so many parts of this book. I would highly recommend it if you have more than one sister. I feel like having separate, differing relationships with your sisters would give you an extra layer of understanding about these dynamics.
I did dock one star for two reasons. 1. I was NOT into the love story component with Bonnie and Pavel. I hated the Russian accent in the dialogue, and I couldn't get their chemistry. It gave me the ick. and 2. It started to feel a little Hallmark-y towards the end. A little bit like an ABC family special. The way things wrapped up felt a little bit too tight with a bow. It might be how people want it, but after a book that was so full of authenticity and tension and grief, it didn't feel true.

Three estranged sisters are torn apart by the death of one of their own. As their lives reconnect, old grudges come alive while each deals with their grief in sometimes less than healthy ways.

The author did a good job of painting a melancholic picture of the emotional reaction to an unexpected death. I liked the periodic flashbacks. They helped to explain each sister’s respective personality traits and how those affected their childhood relationships. In the end it was obvious that the sisterly bond, while fragmented, was still strong and unbreakable. It’s a messy, tender and heartwarming read.

I like this author and look forward to reading more of her work. Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've never heard of this author and I have no idea how she stayed off my radar for so long. Coco Mellors said in an interview "You have to be present" when you're writing. I just fell in love with her descriptive and honest writing. She reminds me of when I read La casa de Bernarda Alba. The complexity and , sometimes toxic, exchange of family dynamics. She has a beautiful way of bringing you into the story and making you a part of the narrative. Stunning work. I'm such a fan!

I never finished Cleopatra and Frankenstein, just gave out about 30 pages into it. I’d bought it hardcover, new, excited to hop on the BookTok train of fandom. But it just…fell flat. When I saw Coco Mellors' new book on NetGalley, I eagerly requested it to give her another go, as I was certain I’d never pick back up what I’d put down on that first try. I needed a whole new narrative and a fresh start to judge her fairly.
Her sophomore novel follows the three Blue sisters, all grieving their youngest fourth sister, Nicole, in markedly different ways. The eldest, Avery, is a former addict, turned workaholic, practicing law in London and living in a fancy house with her patient wife. Next in line Bonnie was a pro-wrestler before Nicky’s death, but she absconded to LA, working as a nightclub bouncer after her trainer threw in the towel (literally) at her last match. And Lucky Blue (just like that model with the German wife on TikTok who makes homemade yogurt, homemade bread, and homemade granola without perspiring a single drop) is a model struggling to maintain or lose her partying lifestyle.
Unfortunately, I found this book just as unreadable as her debut, except I did read this whole thing. The first thing that makes this book so cumbersome is its long chapters with changing perspectives. We rotate among the lives of the sisters beginning on the first anniversary of Nicky’s death, viewing the fallout of their grief or their avoidance of it. Each one is lengthy, clocking in around 50 minutes of reading time for each one, and absolutely bland. Which brings me to my next point: books revolving around death are not inherently interesting or dramatic just because they include something that typically evokes emotion in our own lives. I found Mellors’ writing boring and almost meaningless, the plot contrived, and the characters mere caricatures of people.
To continue on this, I found their family dynamic so ridiculous, primarily because Mellors didn’t really address the parents of these four girls directly for most of the novel. There’s a lot of vagueness and odd avoidance coming from the mother, who was always absent and seemed detached from them even when she was around. When she does enter the story, the section feels odd and disconnected from the rest of the novel, as though she was thrown in there to provide more roundness to the narrative but is failing to fulfill her purpose. I wished that we’d seen more from her in all the girls’ perspectives to contextualize her behavior more, as some of the things she said surprised me, not in a plot twist way, but in an inconsistent way.
The thing that confused me the most about this novel is it is less about a family or sisterhood at all and more about addiction, the different ways that it can manifest. I know this because the book told me so in plain terms, hitting me over the head with the idea multiple times. Each of the sisters is supposedly addicted to something different (not really) and goes about handling this addiction in different ways (also not really true). What I can say is that it did make me think about the dearth of options for substance use recovery programs. There’s basically just AA or nothing. As a nonreligious person, I’ve found this troubling: why do we force vulnerable people to stake their future on a higher power in order to save their own lives? Surely there’s something else that makes life worth living (though I’d kindly request you not ask me what). But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Alcoholics Anonymous is integral to pretty much every fancy rehabilitation program, and the local meetings are also the only one that many people can afford.
Back to the book itself, I found it generally unmemorable and I would not recommend. I didn’t hate it, but I would hate to see so many people spend so many hours reading it when I think it's just meh. Like AA, its popularity is confusing and I wish there was a better alternative on offer. Rounding up to 3 stars from 2.5 because it feels like the right thing to do.

I love the Blue Sisters and I want to scream it from the rooftops! Mellors painted such a realistic picture of grief, sisterhood, and what it really means to be family.

I somehow missed Cleopatra and Frankenstein when it first came out, but now I’m grateful for the excuse to read more of Mellors’ work!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

Three sisters -- each amazing, interesting characters -- return home after the death of the fourth sister to try to stop the sale of the home they grew up in. As with any family reunion, there are secrets, lots of tension, and many obstacles to overcome. These characters are so real and relatable that as a reader, I kept turning the pages to find out how it all turns out for all of them! A fascinating, heartfelt family story.

I sobbed during this book which doesn’t usually happen to me! Mellors is so good at writing characters that feel so real. While all of the sisters were imperfect, they were still so lovable and it was great to root for them. My absolute favorite was Avery, but I loved reading each of the sister’s perspectives. I also loved the scene with Avery x their mother and wish there had been a little more of that dynamic explored with the other sisters.

My biggest hang up was that I felt it was a bit cheesy at times in a way that Cleo & Frank was not. Otherwise, I loved this sophomore novel from Mellors and can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Blue sisters is what I wanted from coco mellors and didn’t get with cleopatra and Frankenstein. I thought that they’re different stories but this book felt so much more real to me. Less pretentious, with more fleshed out imperfect characters. Absolutely stunning writing and exploration of grief.

Blue Sisters is already hands down one of my favorite books of 2024. For readers who love family stories, be sure to add this to your TBR. With three sisters mourning the death of the fourth sister, this book feels so real, the characters seem like people you know and I just wanted to reach through the page and hug them. Told in alternating viewpoints between the sisters, this story of family, love, addiction and heartbreak is a must read for 2024.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book.

From page one, the description of your relationship with your sisters—and how it so exceeds a "best friendship"—had me hooked.

I loved leaning into every character. As someone with four sisters myself, I quietly identified who is Avery, Bonnie, Nicky, and Lucky. I cannot wait to buy each of my sisters a copy of this one.

34. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

4/5 ⭐️

I really loved Mellors’ debut novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this ARC of her new book that’s publishing on 4/25/24. The book follows a set of three sister after their fourth sister passes suddenly of an overdose. Coco Mellors is truly a master at turning hard and difficult emotions into beautiful, honest stories, and this book was no different from her debut.

The three remaining sisters regroup in NYC after their mom announces her plan to sell their NYC townhome a year after Nicky’s death. We hear from each sister individually in alternating chapters, which succeeds in building a multi-layered, kaleidoscopic story.

I was super impressed by how complicated and endearing each character was in this story. I related so much to Avery, the eldest daughter doing everything she can to protect her siblings and making mistakes along the way. Bonnie was the foundational, quiet rock of the sisterhood, always doing what she could to get everyone on the same page while balancing her own internal storms. And Lucky is a classic rowdy, unpredictable youngest child, with her own body image and addiction issues to boot. Mellors did an excellent job depicting the reality of intergenerational addiction and the many ways it presents. Each sister struggles to balance an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or pain, and yet Mellors writes each character gently and with empathy. This story is a labor of love that could only have come from someone who is intimately familiar with the patterns of addiction.

I thought the length and character development were great. The settings of London and NYC were lush with vivid detail. I think this is a great beach read where you have time to soak up all the details of the story without interruption. I recommend this book, especially if you have a sister 💙

I received access to this advanced readers copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so my thanks goes out to them. Get this book in stores on 4/25/24.

A beautiful book about sisters that will hit you hard even if you don't have one. It took me the first 40% or so to really get invested in the story, but then I couldn't stop. Cried at the end! Lovely exploration of family, addiction, grief. Would recommend to anyone!

"Blue Sisters" offers a compelling exploration of sibling relationships amidst personal struggles and the aftermath of loss. The characters, each with their own distinct backgrounds and challenges, add depth to the narrative as they navigate grief, addiction, and ambition.

While the premise of the story is promising, the execution falls short in some aspects. The pacing feels uneven at times, with certain plot points feeling rushed while others linger unnecessarily. Additionally, the characters, while well-developed, sometimes lack consistency in their actions and motivations.

Despite these shortcomings, the novel shines in its portrayal of familial bonds and the complexities of overcoming past traumas. The themes of redemption and reconciliation are handled with sensitivity, offering moments of poignancy amidst the chaos of the sisters' lives.

Overall, "Blue Sisters" is a worthwhile read for those interested in character-driven dramas, although it may leave some readers wanting more cohesion in its storytelling.

Okay, so. I'm coming into this after having just read Coco Mellors's debut, 'Cleopatra & Frankenstein' days before diving into her sophomore endeavor (which was kindly provided by NetGalley). That book had been on my list of books to read for quite some time, and left me wanting MORE from Miss Mellors. Her writing, her ability to weave narratives, her imagery - all top notch. But, boy, is it so REFINED in this new novel.

On paper, I should not be the target audience reader of this book. I have no sisters. I'm a gay man with one straight brother who lives halfway across the country, and we are both either too lazy or too apathetic to keep in touch. I am not worldly, I've never left America. The only part of this novel that I can *truly* relate to from life experience is the theme of addiction, which can kind of be a heavy theme on its own.

'Blue Sisters' follows Lucky, Bonnie, and Avery Blue, the three surviving sisters of Nicky Blue, who we find out at the beginning of the book has passed away. The book picks up on the one-year anniversary of her death, by which time the living sisters have scattered to different parts of the world. Lucky is the youngest, a reckless model who has lived on her own abroad since she was 15. Bonnie, the second oldest, is a former champion boxer, now working as a bouncer in LA after losing her last professional bout. Avery is the oldest, married to a woman named Chiti (we stan Chiti in this house), and living in London in a sparkling, porcelain life only just starting to show its cracks. Through rotating chapters, we get a close view of each of the sisters and a dissection of sisterhood in general through Mellors's masterful, weaving sort of storytelling that blends past and present seamlessly.

Nicky's death upends all of the Blue sisters' lives, and this book is about all of them reconciling the lost symmetry of the four of them; trying to find a new balance as three. Their father is an alcoholic, and Mother turns a blind eye to addiction. We see the sisters fight, we see them say some of the cruelest things you could say to another person, but then we see their capacity for forgiveness, the ability to laugh. How it is possible to know someone so well that you can inhabit their mind and experience almost totally so that they can make you laugh and cry in the same breath.

These characters are all so complex and well-crafted. So too are their story arcs. I went through periods of strongly disliking (or at least disagreeing) with each character except Bonnie, who at her worst was too stubborn and passive but is the undeniable star of the book. But by the end, I loved and appreciated all of them. They feel like REAL people.

Anyway, I loved this book. The writing is glorious, the pacing is great. The author said something in the acknowledgments about learning boxing and how it taught her, "less talk, more action," and every page sings with that sentiment without it feeling too in-your-face. The characters have failures many, but the overwhelming theme of this book seems to be hope. And I really think that we need more of that!

A truly amazing story of grief, forgiveness, addiction, family and ambition. Tnree sisters have not been close since the death of the youngest. Their journey was to learn how to navigate life after losing their sister. So beautifully written.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.