Ever since Coco Mellors announced Blue Sisters as her next novel, I’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival. The story was a beautiful and bittersweet ode to sisterhood as well as a tender exploration of loss and grief. The subject matter can be triggering for some and as with Mellors' other book, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, it took me a while to ease into the story and characters. However, Blue Sisters proved to be another impactful book from Mellors and I’m excited to see what stories she shares with us next.

This book was not perfect, but I found it so extremely readable and it jolted me back into reading during a real dry spell over here caused by a whole bunch of non fiction. The highlight of this book for me were the descriptions of the sisters and their personalities and names and jobs and clothes and hair and apartments and I really love that stuff anyway and in this book it was so well done, I loved every detail and I would have read about these women absolutely forever, especially who I adored. The not highlights for me were that sometimes I don’t love reading about people screwing up their lives over and over again, I found the inter sister bickering kind of eye rolly, and I thought Nicky was by far the most weakly portrayed of all the sisters and I felt the lack of it up against the other strong portraits of the Blue Sisters.
Net Galley gave me a copy of this book thank you!

Blue Sisters is a good fit for readers seeking a heartfelt exploration of how sisters and close friendships can help individuals overcome personal struggles, including grief, addiction, and self-doubt.

This book took me a bit to get (very long chapters and characters who initially seemed just too much) into but once I did I quite enjoyed it!
The story of a troubled family with 4 daughters and dysfunctional parents. They become estranged after the death of one of the sisters Nicky who seemed the best adjusted of the group.
The book explores grief and loss, as well as addiction in a sensitive and effective way. I came to really feel strongly for each of the sisters and their personal struggles. It was quite a ride to the ending.
The writing was quite good. I definitely enjoy this author's style. I like that she tackles tough issues and presents characters who seem like real (flawed) human beings.
Definitely recommend this for those who enjoy family drama of which I count myself one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC to read and review.
Look forward to more from this author as well as going back to her debut novel.

A beautiful, compassionate story about grief and healing, and a love letter to sisterhood, Blue Sisters is a powerful novel that has stuck with me since finishing it and will stick with me long after.

Blue Sisters follows Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky as they all navigate the death of their fourth sister Nicky. It's told from the alternating perspectives of the three sisters as they cope and crumble, all dealing with their grief in different ways. It doesn't shy away from the truth of their pain, and what decisions - no matter how poor - they make in the wake of it, and it is done with such compassion and heartbreaking tenderness. Each sister feels terribly real and human.

The alternating narrators works really well here too, as I felt each sisters' story comes together to paint a full picture of grief and tell the full story of family, inherited patterns and addictions, and the ways that the same experiences can live differently in other people.

Though it covers heavy topics, it has a light dusting of humor and is filled to the brim with empathy. The sisters are so complex and the story so honest and true to life. My heart broke several times over before the story ends in glimmering hope.

Blue Sisters is a literary fiction that follows Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky, three sisters who are grieving the death of their fourth sister Nicky. Each sister has a unique and raw POV highlighting their mental health struggles while they navigate their way through life.

It’s tough choosing my favorite POV, but I think it’ll have to be Bonnie. One thing I love about Coco Mellors is that she delivers the gritty details of love and tragedy which makes her extremely relatable as an author.

Tw’s: suicide, death of a loved one, substance abuse

Thank you @netgalley & @randomhouse for the arc!

Release date: 09/03/2024

We meet the three blue sisters, Avery, Bonnie & Lucky, on the one year anniversary of the passing of their sister Nicky. They’ve spent the last year in a fog of grief, individually trying to understand their sister’s passing and blaming themselves for not helping Nicky when she needed them most. When the sister’s mother coldly emails them about the impending sale of their childhood home, they are forced to come together and face their grief together.

Like most I enjoyed Cleopatra & Frankenstein, not so much for the story line but for Coco Mellors writing. She has this ability to drag you into a characters thoughts and feelings so that you understand their complexity deeply. Once I read the premise of Blue Sisters I knew this would be the novel for me. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different sister, allowing you to step into their lives and see them as a whole, past and present. I felt deeply for the oldest sister Avery as a fellow Eldest Daughter and in some ways it was so emotional to be seen in such a way! The guilt you feel as a parentified Eldest Daughter is unlike any other and I felt Mellors did a beautiful job exploring that role we are forced into in life. I think Mellors did an excellent job exploring grief, substance abuse and sobriety that left me cheering for each of the Blue sisters.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blue Sisters is a tender and poignant novel about family, grief, addiction, and girlhood. I think almost anyone could pick up this novel and see a portion of themselves reflected back at them in each sister. A wonderful read, would absolutely recommend.

This was great. I loved the story, and Mellors has such a talent for storytelling. I loved reading about these characters and exploring the story. I love Mellors' writing and I can't wait to see what she does in the future

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC e-copy of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors.

One year after the death of Nicky Blue, her three remaining sisters reunite and grapple with their grief, the effects of their shared childhood, and the dissolution of their own relationships in the wake of this family tragedy. Coco Mellors’ sophomore novel is a love letter to Little Women, and also its modern incarnation.

I found many great things to say about Blue Sisters as a novel. The writing is lyrical and descriptive; every scene is easy to imagine, and while reading, it plays out before you like a film. The characters are realistic and flawed while also being likeable. There are four Blue sisters and countless other side players in their lives—essentially, everyone reading this book will relate to someone, whether they like it or not.

As the eldest of four sisters just as different as the Blue clan, this story was personal for me. It was hard to stomach at times and painful to imagine, but it was also refreshing to read something so believable in a world where things sometimes seem so sanitized or simply fantastical. The Blue sisters aren’t “good” or “bad” people—they’re just real, and I enjoyed reading about each of them.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - GREAT

Three very different sisters come to terms with loss and change in this novel. Although I didn't particularly click with any of the characters, I still found them and this novel entertaining and at times found myself rooting for them in light of their turbulent upbringing.

Thank you Ballantine Publishers for sending me this arc. This was a beautiful story of three sisters figuring out how to work through their struggles, and how to stay connected as they grow up into their separate lives. As the eldest sister, I felt this book on a whole other level and resonated with Avery. This was so different from anything I have ever read, and the character development in this is like no other. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to read this book and I am so excited to read EVERYTHING ELSE by Coco Mellors. I was completely submersed in this story, immediately a book that I wish I could read for the first time again.

Thank you again to Penguin Random House, Ballantine Publishers for this book.

What a beautiful and emotional story. I loved reading this book and understanding sisterhood. This book was MESSY, but having that said... it kept me entertained. Coco Mellors is brilliant and I am so excited for this to get publish and share with friends.

I love Coco Mellors’ writing. It’s beautiful without being pretentious and really taps into the human condition. I am a sister, but I do not have a sister, so I wondered if this book would still resonate. It did. I sped through the pages, savoring every part. I will always be first in line to read her work.

A lovely story about sisters finding each other and themselves. A must read for anyone with a sister (or 3). Each sister has their own storyline, as well as coming together to see their dynamics. Check trigger warnings as this book deals with the death of a sibling and drug use, amongst other things.

I enjoyed reading about the sister dynamics. I found each sisters storyline interesting. Naturally, there were sisters I would be more excited to read about than others. This book reminded me of Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I enjoyed that book and enjoyed this one as well. It was touching to read about how grief weaved into the lives and relationships of the sisters and how it shaped their futures.

This may be my favorite book of the year so far. From the intro I was all in. Each sister is a true portrait and so fully developed, I adored them all. I need to get my wits abt me on this one because it’s still settling in but I was just so enraptured by this book, when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. Well done coco well done.

this book looks into the lives of the three remaining blue sisters after the loss of the 4th sibling: nicky. the author offers a poignant exploration of grief and resilience with a narrative that keenly observes how life persists after profound loss, navigating feelings of guilt, and the search for closure. what struck me most was the raw authenticity of each sister's portrayal: flawed, honest, and achingly real. as the eldest daughter of four who knows the complexities of ..less than perfect family dynamics, i found myself deeply connected to the story, and to avery in particular.

ultimately, blue sisters isn't about enjoyment; it's about feeling, reflecting, and finding solace in this life in the wake of loss.

a heartfelt thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🤍

Oh my goodness.... THIS BOOK! I cannot remember the last time I highlighted so many lines in a novel, or cared so deeply about the characters. This novel was everything- funny, poignant, wise, beautiful and more. I will be recommending it to everyone I speak to once it is out and in the weeks leading up to its release- it is my favorite book that I have read in YEARS!

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the chance to read this beautiful story ahead of its publication date!

Blue Sisters follows the three remaining Blue sisters, Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky, one year following their fourth sister's sudden and tragic death. The three sisters live completely different lives, but they have one thing in common: they don't know who they are without their sister, Nicky. After the first anniversary of Nicky's death passes, the three sisters are unexpectedly reunited in their childhood NYC home at the lowest points of their lives. The relationship between the sisters is frayed and strained, complicated by grief, addiction, and loss of identity, but maybe together, in their own way, the Blue Sisters will make it through to the other side.

Listen, NO ONE characterizes like Coco Mellors. These characters are so fully fleshed-out and well-written that I often forgot that these weren't real people. While this story is not plot-heavy, this is a gorgeous character study with a lush, visceral sense of place and setting. Compared to Mellors' debut that I also adored, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, this story has a more hopeful vibe. Personally, I think I may have liked Cleo and Frank slightly more because I tend to like messier, gritty stories, but both of these will stick with me equally. I think the fact that this story ended on such a note of levity, while a little bit corny, speaks to the positive place Mellors seems to be in her own life right now, which struck me as really touching.

I loved this book, and it may be my favorite read of 2024 so far. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys character-driven stories with imperfect characters. This story will be powerful for most readers, but especially so for those with sisters.