Blue Sisters
Ratings65
Average rating4
there are many criteria you can follow to review a book, but I don't feel like I can apply them here, and I don't want to. some books are just brilliant because how they make you laugh, cry, be glad to be alive, wrap around you like a warm hug. this is exactly the book you need if you want a page-turning, lovely and sad story about sisters, if you want to restore your faith in the world. this is a real comfort book, so warm that you can't stop reading it - but it was touches very important themes such as female health and available responses, addiction, pain and grief. it is also very beautiful, emotional, and well and sensibly written. also: potentially extra destructive to people with sisters. be careful.
"Blue Sisters" by Coco Mellors is a popular book published in 2024. The story is told through the perspectives of three sisters: Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky. They are part of a family of four sisters, each dealing with personal struggles. Avery is struggling with her identity and her inability to connect emotionally with her wife, Chiti. Bonnie, the second sister, is a boxer battling feelings of guilt and low self-worth. Lucky, the third sister, is a model in Paris who is also struggling with addiction. The sisters reunite after the death of their fourth sister, Nicky, who died from an overdose. The reunion forces them to confront their pasts and figure out what happened. To know more about their journey, read the book.
A beautiful story, beautifully told. The way the author captured the uniqueness yet likeness of the sisters (and their mother) over the course of the book was excellent story telling.
One of the main characters of this book has her story conclude by getting in a relationship with a man fifteen years older than her that she met as a minor and having a child with him, yet it is presented as a romantic victory, and even though while reading I was hoping this would not be the case I couldn't shake the feeling that it would be, so I wasn't surprised when it happened. There's a tinge of idolization for bad things and bad people that permeates this novel, contrasted by a hint of disdain for the opposite. The few characters that aren't complete pieces of shit are characterized as bumbling idiots or the equivalent of a golden retriever in human form, like someone couldn't possibly be interesting or have a functioning brain if they weren't also a horrible person.
I'll admit this book has it's moments and at times I did find myself crying, some specific scenes are excellent, but mostly in a vacuum, and not as a part of a whole. I could tell that Coco Mellors is a talented writer that at the very least understands human emotion deeply, and I appreciate that in any story, but this was way too problematic for me to rate it positively, I'm really disappointed.
When I started Blue Sisters I have to admit to being concerned that I'd find it hard to relate to a story rooted in sisterhood, but even before finishing the prologue I'd already realised that my concern was misplaced. As the eldest of four brothers, living apart from them in another country (coincidentally, also England) with a similar age gap dynamic to the Blue sisters, it actually became difficult NOT to see huge swathes of their dynamic as a gender-swapped mirror image to our own.
Even more so, to be honest, in a story about those siblings reconnecting and putting parts of their lives back together again after a year of trauma, depression and heartbreak. Coincidentally, I happened to be reading this in a week I'd returned home myself to - for the first time, really - connect to my brothers as grown adults. And I can relate the state of my life more than I'd wish to the eldest sister's own eventual homecoming.
So, personally, the story certainly resonated with me in a way and with a timing that anyone would be hard pressed to deliberately plan and engineer.
That certainly doesn't make it a perfect story. Each chapter switches perspective between the Blue sisters in a way that largely works, but also kind of loses the ‘middle' sister, Bonnie in the much more violent whirlwinds that the eldest, Avery and youngest, Lucky each leave behind in their own wake.
There's also a certain weakness in the (few) male voices featured within the book. They each barely present as anything more than a one-note stereotype (the british ‘cockney geezer', the alcoholic dad, the empty, placid fuckboy poet, the gruff macho russian boxer who never learns the basics of english grammar no matter how many decades pass speaking it). You could maybe argue that it's a feminist statement to reverse the status quo of poorly written women by men, but it's more likely that it's just poor writing in and of itself.
Flashback exposition - often seeing any one of the three Blue sisters decide to meander casually down memory lane for a few pages, sometimes more than once per dialogue exchange - is a bit of an over-indulgence on Mellors' behalf that ocassionally makes a scene much more difficult to follow than it needs to be, or really disrupts the pacing in general.
Other than that, the writing is enjoyable to read, easy to digest and - even if there are perhaps a lot of unrealistic extremes to them - the lead characters feel alive (well, except for one literal exception) and relatable. It's a worthy read that will probably, personally, stick in my mind for some time.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors is an absolute gem and my first book by this amazing author. It's a heartfelt story about four sisters, each grappling with their own struggles. Despite their differences—and occasional resentments—their bond remains unshaken, serving as a lifeline through life's challenges.
The narrative begins a year after the tragic death of Nicky, one of the sisters. Her loss has left a void in their lives, yet they've all been trying to move forward, albeit unhappily. On the first anniversary of her passing, their mother decides to sell Nicky's flat and asks the sisters to visit one last time to take anything they'd like to keep. For the sisters, this decision feels like losing one of the last tangible connections to Nicky. As they gather, the story delves into how her death has shaped their lives and whether any of them have truly had the chance to grieve.
I picked up Blue Sisters based on recommendations from Goodreads and Fable, and it exceeded my expectations. The interplay between the sisters reminded me of Intermezzo by Sally Rooney, but Blue Sisters offers a sweeter, less existential take on similar themes. What I loved most was the realistic portrayal of how Nicky's loss reverberates through each sister's life. The character development is beautifully done, and Mellors' writing is accessible, making this a perfect pick for beginners and seasoned readers alike.
If you're looking for a wholesome, emotionally resonant book that isn't overly heavy, Blue Sisters is a fantastic choice. Highly recommended!
I hate to be this person but this is honestly not that good. I wanted to love it so badly
Wow this was so sad and inspiring and heartfelt and amazing. I loved every second of it. I don't have any sisters but through reading this, I could feel what it's like to have a love as strong as sisters do. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Ik denk zelfs 4,5 sterren!! Heel mooi boek over de dynamiek tussen zussen en ieders manier van het verwerken van rouw. Daarnaast gaf het, zeker bij Lucky, echt brat summer vibes en daardoor een heerlijk boek om te lezen.
I read Coco Mellors previous book Cleopatra and Frankenstein earlier this year and did not particularly enjoy it, but I was impressed with her writing style so wanted to give her new novel a go. And thank goodness I did!!
I really loved this book. I'm endlessly impressed by the way in which Mellors slips between character POVs in such a realistic way, with every character feeling distinctive and the book still flowing beautifully.
This book looks at grief, addiction and family in such a raw, honest way and I adored it. The characters are often times dislikable but not to the extent where I did not care about them. I am thoroughly impressed and definitely will be giving Coco Mellors future work a read!
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book. I am under no obligation to post this review and all thoughts are my own.
”As long as you are alive, it is never too late to be found”
With Blue Sisters Coco Mellors tells us the journey of three entitled and privilege girls through grief.
It is a testament to Coco's writing that I still loved the book, despite not being able to relate to the characters for one single bit. Even so, I can appreciate how well the bonds of sisterhood between the sisters were described, and how heavy themes such as addiction were handled with care.
This was a beautifully written and engaging family drama, and I'll certainly going to come back for more of Coco's writing.
I would like to 4th Estate | Fourth Estate and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest an honest review.
P.S – A huge appreciation to all authors writing about Endometriosis. Let's not normalize pain.