Sisters. Loss. Love. Growth. This book explores what happens when 4 sisters become three and deals with the aftermath of loss. A gripping look at grief as well as the power of addiction, this book is a powerful read.

The prose was amazing, but the story fell flat. Instead of focusing on 4 sisters this book would have been stronger with only 3. There simply wasn’t enough time to explore Nicky or Bonnie when 85% of the story focused on Avery and Lucky. A story on the complexity of addiction is hard to achieve and I don’t think this book does well enough of a job. Removing the character of Bonnie and instead focusing on the relationship between Avery and Lucky after the death of Nicky and how their similarities and self destructive tendencies clash would have made this a 4 or 5 star read.

I absolutely loved this book, Blue Sisters is the story of four sisters who grew up in very difficult circumstances and, although very different, all have a very strong bond. It is set in New York City and London. The sisters have suffered the loss of one of the four due to overdose. Avery, the oldest, and seemingly the most put together has been the “parent” to all her sisters. However, Avery also struggles with recovery and another compulsion. Bonnie is a female boxer and the one who discovered her sister’s body. Lucky is a young model who is on a self-destructive path.
It is a story of love and how it helps people overcome not only their differences, but their difficulties as well. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Ballantine Books for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Blue Sisters tells the story of three sisters, who are living through the first anniversary of their beloved sister’s untimely death, and their first reunion altogether since that time. We learn about their backgrounds, how their lives have changed since their sister’s passing, and how they continued to be affected by this tragedy.

I was a fan of Coco Mellor’s debut novel, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, and was so excited to be able to read this new novel in advance of its publication. To say that this novel exceeded my expectations was an understatement. This is one of those books that found me at the right point in my life and there were so many points where I read a line and would think “Yes, this is exactly how I have felt or am feeling now!” . The author’s raw descriptions of grief, addiction, mental health struggles, and so much more felt very true to reality for me; it was raw and real and captured so well the pain that comes with losing a loved one.

I loved the structure of this book and although I don’t usually like long chapters, I enjoyed the lengthy chunks of time we got to spend with each character in this book. The author brought you right into the mind of each sister and brought you to walk alongside her in her journey. This book was such an absolute enjoyment to read and by the time I was halfway through, I couldn’t put it down. I thought the pacing of the book was so well balanced, with enough events to propel the plot forward and also enough time to contemplate and sit with the emotions of the character at the time.

I would absolutely recommend this book to literary fiction lovers and those who enjoy family centric stories. I am looking forward to revisiting this story at some point myself and can’t wait to see what others think when it’s out in the world!

Cleopatra & Frankstein was one of my favorite reads of 2022. When I saw the author wrote another book, I couldn't have been more thrilled! Coco Mellors writing completely captures the reader in her orbit. This is another stellar read. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After being completely enchanted by Mellor's debut, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, I was eagerly anticipating this read. And it did not diappoint. The rawness of the grief, the depth of the bond between sisters, the dynamics that went unsaid, it is simply perfection. I lost myself in the world of the Blue Sisters. Mellors has a way of writing relationships that feel like they float above the mess of the world. You, as the reader, are invited in to the intimate connection between individuals. In Blue Sisters, we meet a trio going through a deep and almost violent experience of death. Nothing else matters nothing else could matter. Only the sisters.

I loved the writing and how the author portrayed the sisters in this book. The plot was familiar but I like books with complicated themes and characters. This story had those elements. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

There is a lot here that Coco Mellors does well. She easily conveys the messiness and complexity that comes with sister relationships, and I enjoyed her exploration into the impact of family trauma and grief. Their prose is also very lovely and easy to read. My main issue is that I found it a bit boring. The concept of the book isn’t anything new, and when you’ve read many books with similar plots and themes, it takes something special for one to stick out, and this didn’t have it for me.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I was really excited to read this book since I previously enjoyed her debut (Cleopatra and Frankenstein) and it did not disappoint. As always, Coco Mellors sharp and genius writing was phenomenal in here and it was such a delight. I was invested from the very first page, the characters were described and portrayed in a way that made you want to read more and more. I absolutely loved it.

Coco Mellors is a great writer of family. Blue Sisters exists in the tradition of the feminist family bildungsroman: she takes great cues from Austen, Alcott, and Bronte. Her voice is driving yet gentle: I couldn't put the book down, yet it retains an ease and simplicity. I think people are really going to love this book.

blue sisters is a lot of things: 3 sisters grieving over the death of a sister, addiction in its many forms, complex female family dynamics (with daughters prone to perpetuating the cycles of mothers if not careful), and more. i loved getting to know avery, bonnie, lucky, and nicky as individual people as a result, but also as a family unit. because death is often the branching event that makes humans consider the before and the after in order to move forward there is so much growth to be had. i particularly loved the discussions about faith and how believing in something, whether that is a god or something else, makes the world feel less big. in mellors build up towards the sisters' acceptance of their grief, however faith manifests, the deceased can still serve a complimentary role in the lives of those who were left behind and i think that's a sweet sentiment. honestly, this sentiment is a perfect example of what i consider to be the best quality of mellors' writing, the ability hone in on the desire of people to be honest and outright above all. i hope to say "i love you too. without the too" more because of it too.

‘Weren’t all addicts looking for relief for some invisible pain? Weren’t all people?’

This was my first book from Coco Mellors and I really enjoyed it. It's an excellent exploration of family trauma, specifically how alcoholism in a parent affects children in a range of different ways.

There were a variety of other themes explored, such as grief, chronic pain in women, the choice of motherhood, shame, adultification of eldest sisters, sobriety, and addiction. There was also some interesting exploration of class, with the family being one of the 'poorer' families at a private school, owning a house in NYC, but it being too small for them to live comfortably.

The characters all felt really distinct and real, and the locations also came alive in the writing. I really got to know each sister individually, they really stood out in their own way, with their own struggles stemming from a shared centre. These struggles felt really realistic, with real depth that you really felt for what they were going through.

There were a lot of messages I loved throughout such as the importance of being vulnerable and loving ourselves and others despite our flaws. Throughout I found myself highlighting a lot of sentences that resonated deeply.

My only small nitpick is there were a lot of ‘SAT words’ used. I had to use my dictionary a bit more than usual, so I was thankful to be reading digitally. I highlighted a sentence where a character says ‘it’s the usual palaver of American prurience’ which stood out to me as being overly flowery. This is entirely down to my personal preference though and definitely won’t bother everyone!

Overall, I’m really glad to have had the chance to read this, and will likely pick up Mellors’s debut next.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein was one of my top books from last year and maybe just generally. (I know it’s a bit of a divisive book but I really loved it!!!!!!!!). Sooo Blue Sisters has been one of my most anticipated releases for 2024. I emailed the publisher basically begging for an ARC and I can’t believe they actually sent me a copy???

I absolutely enjoyed this book and found it to be a smooth read, but I wouldn’t say I loved it as much as C&F. I’m sure my expectations clouded my read a bit.

This book tells the stories of three sisters who are trying to keep their lives together after the death of their fourth sister a year ago. Addiction runs in their family and touches each of the four sisters in different but acute ways. Their stories take us to New York, Paris, and it’s told split through the three perspectives of the Blue sisters.

Mellors’ writing will never fail to pull me in to her books. Her character are always so well developed and complicated. I will continue to read everything she writes. The way she writes and the subjects she write about make it feel like she’s writing directly to me.

My biggest block with this book, which even feels to big of a word, is that I wasn’t totally in love with one of the sisters chapters. I can’t point to anything wrong with those chapters, but I just didn’t connect with Bonnie as much as I connected to Avery and Lucky. The ending also didn’t quite hit me enough emotionally for me to give this 5 stars.

If you liked Cleopatra and Frankenstein, then I would definitely recommend Blue Sisters! I also don’t think the characters were as unlikeable in this book, so even if you didn’t love C&F, you may enjoy this one!