This isn’t usually the genre I go for, but I’ll admit the cover got me. As an only child I certainly came at this book from a different perspective than other readers. Sibling dynamics have always intrigued me, and I feel as though this book portrayed the highs and lows well. The characters are messy and real, each dealing with their grief in a different way, they were developed so well throughout the story I often thought about them during the day, wondering what they were up to as if they were real people. This story is certainly a character study, whilst there is a plot, the focus is on each character, their relationships with each other and how they individually get through each day after losing their sister.

Whilst I don’t often venture into this genre, I enjoyed it a lot, and often found myself sneaking a couple,pages in here and there whenever I had time to spare. Character development is a key factor to keep me engaged in a book and this one certainly does that.

One of the most highly anticipated novels of 2024, Blue Sisters is Coco Mellors' follow up to her bestselling novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein (which we loved).

The pre-release reviews on this novel are GLOWING. In fact, it was hard to find a single review that did not give this book a solid 4-5 stars. Me on the other hand? Without wanting to discount the fact that Mellors is an incredible author, who burst onto the literary scene with Cleopatra and Frankenstein, a book that took her no less than 5 years to write, I was not as captivated by this one.

The novel is told from the perspectives of three sisters, Avery; an uptight lawyer who personifies the characteristics of the eldest child, Bonnie; formerly a champion boxer, now a bouncer at a nightclub and Lucky; the youngest and most rebellious of the three.

The sisters are all grieving the death of their fourth sister Nicky, whose death one year prior left the Blue sisters reeling. Whilst all of the sisters are navigating the tremendous hole left in the wake of Nicky's death, they are each forced to face their own fears, demons and addictions head on as their decisions slowly catch up with them one by one.

What I loved about this novel:

the characters are each three dimensional, and in their own ways, very relatable.
the relationships between the sisters are complex and Mellors (also one of three girls, albeit she has said in interviews the Blue sisters are nothing like her own sisters), doesn't shy away from the grittiest aspects of life.
the book has a lot of heart and despite its heavy themes, makes for a "fun" read.

What I didn't love: I found it quite a slow read at times. I wanted the sisters to choose differently on so many occasions and their ability to choose the most self-destructive option every time was frustrating. In saying that, this was probably the point.

Blue Sisters follows the POV of three estranged sisters, Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky, as they return to their childhood home in New York to deal with the loss of their sister, Nicky.

I loved this novel. It is a story that as much deals with grief and the different ways it infects us, as it does with sisterhood, family, addiction, being a woman in your late 20s/early 30s, being in love, falling out of love, and so much more.

The voices of each sister are so finely crafted that I always knew whose story I was reading just from their dialogue. And while all the characters were distinct, there was something in each of their struggles that I found I could relate to.

On a personal note, as a sufferer of endometriosis, I felt so emotional seeing the quiet disease that has affected my life for the past fifteen years so accurately portrayed in a piece of literature. From the crippling pains, having surgery only for it to come back again, to the reliance on painkillers, and how at times it just puts your life on pause. It is these works by women which are so important in shining a light on the realities and complexities of our lives.

How do I sum up such a masterful piece of literature? There were tears from the heart wrenching moments and there were tears from the heart warming, but in the end it was all just a story of love.

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia for providing me with this ARC via Netgalley to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! The story follows three sisters, Avery, Bonnie and Lucky, as they navigate their lives after the death of their sister Nicky. Each chapter is from the POV of a different sister, which I sometimes find ruins the pacing of books as it interrupts the storyline, but I thought it was done really well in this book. Although all the sisters were successful and seemingly perfect, they all had troubles and flaws and were trying to cope with their grief in whatever way they could. I thought the relationships between the sisters was also portrayed beautifully; they frequently fought and hurt each other, but they always came back to how much they loved each other. There were also some fantastic side-characters who all felt as real as the three sisters. And one of my favourite quotes from the book which I think sums up the Blue sisters perfectly:

"Their family had always been good at hellos and goodbyes, moments ending even as they began. It was easy to love someone in the beginnings and endings; it was all the time in between that was so hard."

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors has been my most anticipated new release of the year, so I was thrilled when HarperCollins Australia sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First up, let me say Blue Sisters didn’t just live up to my expectations, it exceeded them. It’s a beautifully written depiction of grief, told through the perspectives of three sister as they learn to cope in the wake of their fourth sister’s sudden death.

Mellors explores sisterhood in a way that only somebody with sisters themselves can (and I was not at all surprised to see in the acknowledgments that one of the first people she thanked was her own sister). She tackles both the grieving process and family dynamics in such an eloquent and nuanced way and has created characters that will stick with me for a long time.

While Blue Sisters was heavily character driven rather than plot driven, it was still a compelling story as each of the sisters navigates the new world they find themselves in and struggle to come to terms with the changing dynamics of their family. I loved the alternating chapters from each of the sisters’ perspectives and felt the structure suited the story perfectly.

Super excited to have found my first 5⭐️ read of the year!

Thank you again HarperCollins Australia for sending me Blue Sisters in exchange for an honest review.

// blue sisters

i loved this so much. we get povs from Avery, Bonnie and Lucky who are navigating the loss of their sister Nicky.

it is about family. it’s about grief. it’s about being a mess. it’s about navigating life without emotionally available parents. it’s about the intricacies of sibling relationships.

each of the sisters felt distinct and individualistic, yet interconnected and relatable in a way where they all resonated in their own way. each sister has her own struggles and joys, addictions and way of experiencing grief.

the familial bonds and exploration of the balance between protection and letting go was handled tenderly and it was so real.

its complication and messy and it is simply beautiful.
5🌟

thankyou to Harper Collins Australia and netgalley for the eARC

Blue Sisters is the highly anticipated second novel from Coco Mellors, the author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein. I absolutely loved her first novel and was so excited to read Blue Sisters ahead of its release.
A year after Nicky's death, her sisters Avery, Bonnie and Lucky are forced to reunite in their childhood family home which has been vacant since Nicky's death. There is a lot of tension to say the least. Avery seems to have a perfect life but she is witholding a huge secret. Bonnie, a former champion boxer has been working as a bouncer at a bar in L.A and is in a bit of a limbo. Finally Lucky who has a been working as a model since 15 is an avid partygoer with drug and alcohol addiction who is trying to figure out who she is. Blue Sisters explores the routes each sister has taken and what's next as they navigate grief, growing up and family.

The Blue sisters are far from perfect and Mellors does a superb job at depicting both the friction and love in sisterhood. We are not made to feel sympathetic for the sisters but rather are given an explanation for their dynamics and actions. I enjoyed how each sister was on a different path. Avery a lawyer, Bonnie a boxer, Lucky a model and Nicky was a teacher. I really enjoyed learning about the boxing profession, I thought this was quite unique. I think how their childhood shaped them was an important aspect of the different sister relationships i.e. how Avery being the eldest took on motherly role as their mother failed to care for the girls. Addiction (drug, alcohol) and chronic pain (endometriosis) played a huge part in the story and Mellors tackled this in a really sensitive and enlightening way. Coco Mellors style has allowed her to beautifully describe the multi-faceted aspects sisterhood.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me a DRC of this book before it's release on May 31 in exchange for a review.

'Blue Sisters' starts with a strong prologue that introduces the reader to the central conflict. The story follows three sisters, Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky, as they deal with the death of their fourth sister, Nicky, which occurred a year earlier. The narrative switches between the past and present, revealing the sisters' complex feelings and the tragedy that binds them together.

My only gripe was that the portrayal of the sisters felt a bit over the top. They are all highly successful in their careers and beautiful, which might come across as too perfect and could potentially disconnect readers from the characters' real challenges.

Overall, 'Blue Sisters' offers a genuine look at the complexities of family relationships and the varied aspects of grief. The story highlights the strength of sisterly relationships and the journey toward healing.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for this ARC.

thank you netgalley and harper collin’s australia for an early copy!

i absolutely loved cleopatra and frankenstein so i was extremely excited when i got sent an early copy of this!

in ‘blue sisters’ we follow the lives of three estranged sisters, avery, lucky and bonnie after losing their sister nicky. each sister is going through their own struggles and dealing with their grief. coco has such a unique writing style that i absolutely love and gets you hooked from page one. i loved the first quarter and last quarter of this book but unfortunately the middle kind of fell flat for me. i found that some chapters dragged on a bit and felt really long at times. though i did really love how we got povs of each sister and what was going on in their own lives. i loved how the book ended and loved seeing the sisterly bond between the three of them grow

"She was home, the only one she knew,
not because she always lived in it, but because it always lived in her"

Thank you so much to Coco Mellors, Harper Collins and NetGalley for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! Still giddy that I got to read this before its release! Check it out on May 21st 💙

Blue Sisters tells the stories of Avery, Bonnie and Lucky Blue as they are brought back together a year on from their sister Nicky's sudden passing. The sisters are so well fleshed out, and you truly get to know and love them as the layers of their lives are peeled back to reveal them in all their messiness and vulnerability. Even the side characters were well developed and have a life of their own beyond their role in the sisters' worlds. (I loved Chiti! ♥️)

Pick this up if you want a moving and incredibly human exploration of themes such as sisterhood, grief, addiction, love, relational conflict, and sexuality. I also loved the storyline about women figuring out how they know they want to have children in a society that assumes we just will! It is girlhood encapsulated - messy, painful, fierce and adoring 💙

I loved how the sisters' reflections on their childhood show how they each experienced growing up impacted by a parent suffering with addiction, and how they all came to take on different 'roles' within this dynamic. As a psychologist I thought this was done well, and you could see exactly how each of the sisters have ended up developing the coping mechanisms and attachment styles they are displaying as adults. They were all so frustrating at times and yet also so loveable and vulnerable and begging to be understood and loved. It made me reflect on who l am; as a person and as a sister 💙

I initially rated this 4.5 stars and then it got a 5 star upgrade because it lingered in my brain and I’ve been thinking about it so much since finishing! ✨

Avery, Bonnie and Lucky Blue have become estranged in the year following their sister Nicky’s shocking and unexpected death. When their balanced and harmonious four becomes a sharp and unfamiliar three overnight, the surviving sisters flee their home city of New York to Europe, London and Los Angeles respectively as they each grapple with their grief and guilt over the parts they played in their sister’s death and whether or not they could have, or should have, done more to prevent it.

I loved Cleopatra and Frankenstein and I was interested to read Blue Sisters knowing it took Coco Mellors five years to write it and only two to write Blue Sisters. But if there’s one thing Mellors never fails to deliver on, it’s building compelling characters. I completely devoured this novel. Coco Mellors is such an exquisite writer, each of the Blue sisters felt so real, so completely developed and interesting with all their complexities, flaws and incredibly unique characteristics that are so true of a group who share DNA but are very much their own people.

I completely lost myself in the world of the Blue girls and on multiple occasions forgot I was reading the story instead of watching it happen in real life. I only surfaced from the chapters to marvel at the incredible artistry and craftsmanship of the book. I become engrossed and wholeheartedly invested in the journey of Bonnie, Avery and Lucky. I saw myself in each of them with their desire to numb their pain with alcohol and internalise their emotions rather than talk about them for fear of vulnerability and rejection. Blue Sisters is a story about grief, trauma, love and family. It reminds us that whilst none of us is perfect and we may find ourselves frustrated by our relatives, we are all facing our own internal battles and during the times where we most want to run away from the pain, those are the exact moments we should lean into it and more importantly, lean on those who love us unconditionally.

Blue Sisters delivered on Mellor’s reputation in spades, and more, as a novel that I know I will return to and reread (along with Cleopatra and Frankenstein) for years and years to come. Mellors holds her own against literary heavyweights such as Donna Tartt with her ability to create complex and engaging stories that will stand the test of time. Congratulations Coco on another phenomenal body of work. It is a true honour to read your writing and I’m so excited for whatever you next have in store.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for the advanced copy of Blue Sisters.