After loving Mellor’s debut, Cleopatra & Frankenstein, I was eager to tuck into her new book, Blue Sisters.
The story follows the three remaining Blue sisters – Avery, Bonnie and Lucky – in the wake of their sister Nicky’s untimely death. Each chapter follows a different sister. We are given a window into their lives as they all engage in self-destructive behaviour while grappling with grief.
The story grapples with some heavy themes around addiction, grief, and a level of emotional abuse, but there are moments of humour and lightness, sprinkled throughout.
It was wonderful to be immersed in Mellor’s writing again, as she has a unique turn of phrase and knack for metaphor. Although this book lacked the depth and pace I was hoping for. It is a character-driven novel and, while we get a good sense of who each sister is, I still felt like there was a part of them I didn’t know.
The sibling dynamics of a large family are portrayed well, particularly between the eldest and youngest – the shifting allyship among them will be relatable to anyone who comes from a family of three or more siblings.
I enjoyed learning about the sisters’ childhoods and past, each of their experiences different and distinct from the next. It wasn’t a story I thought about when I wasn’t reading and it left me wanting a bit more, but I think Mellor’s debut was a hard act to follow.
Reviewed by Annika Tague
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Coco Mellors grew up in London and New York, where she received her MFA in fiction from New York University.
Her debut novel, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, was a Sunday Times bestseller, has been translated into over fifteen languages, and is currently being adapted for television by Warner Bros and Brownstone Productions.
Her second novel, Blue Sisters, became an instant Sunday Times bestseller in the UK. It will be published in the US, among other countries, in September.
She lives with her husband and son in New York.
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