Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

A Four-Star Book Review

I am a pushover for a good family drama. Give me tortured siblings, complex relationships, and a tragic plot line, and I’m good. By all accounts, Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors ticked these boxes. While this wasn’t a soaring five-star read for me, I enjoyed it and recommend it as a book to pick up when you’re looking for a deep emotional journey.

Summary of Blue Sisters (No Spoilers)

Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky are the three remaining Blue sisters and have been estranged since their beloved sister Nicky died. The story opens on the first anniversary of Nicky’s death, jumping from Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky’s points of view to show how their lives have been impacted. Avery, the eldest, is slowly, secretly burning down her marriage in London. Bonnie ran away from a world champion boxing career to anonymity as a bouncer in Santa Monica. And Lucky, the baby Blue sister and supermodel, is stumbling through Paris under the weight of drugs and alcohol.

But when their absentee mother announces that their parents are selling the girls’ childhood apartment in New York City, the location of Nicky’s death, each woman finds her way back to confront her sisters, her current demons, and the past.

What I Enjoyed about Blue Sisters

Coco Mellors is an exceptional writer who has a strong mastery of prose, syntax, and narrative. Although I thought the pacing of Blue Sisters was imbalanced, the quality of Ms. Mellors’s writing made up for the slow pace for the first half of Blue Sisters.

As the title alludes, what makes this novel work are the sisters, their own sagas, and their relationships. The themes of grief, pain, and addiction resonate with each woman as we learn their stories:

• Avery: As the oldest child, Avery was a maternal figure from early childhood. The girls’ volatile drunkard father and emotionally absent mother left Avery to raise her three sisters in many ways. She has shouldered that responsibility for more than 30 years, with only a small break when she battled her own drug addiction. Avery is convinced that if Bonnie and Lucky would just listen to her, they will be okay. But her own existence with her wife Chiti hangs in the balance as Avery feels herself disappearing.
• Bonnie: The second Blue daughter was in a regimented, disciplined state since she was 15, living and breathing boxing with her coach Pavel. But then she walked away with no explanation. Bonnie, the quietest daughter, is addicted to the pain of the fight but seeks peace amongst her sisters despite the violent sport she loves. She is lost outside the boxing ring and riddled with guilt about her last moments with Nicky.
• Lucky: At 15 years old, Lucky fled the family apartment for a global career as a supermodel. Years later, she has little to show for it except airline miles and pictures in magazines, along with a serious addiction to drugs and alcohol. Lucky wants no responsibilities; she wants her sister to return. Since that is impossible, she continues to party and fill her body with whatever will help her forget.

My Final Thoughts about Blue Sisters

I read Blue Sisters slowly, but it was a good read, one that made me feel satisfied in the end. The three sisters are not necessarily lovable characters, but they have redeeming qualities that made me want them to find happiness. I appreciated the deep look into grief, addiction, and family dynamics. While this isn’t a book I’d want to read again, Blue Sisters is one I will remember.