Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

 

On the first anniversary of their sister's death, the remaining siblings, Avery, Bonnie and Lucky, are all struggling with the direction of their lives. Reuniting gives them an opportunity to find closure.

When I first opened Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, I thought this was going to simply be a tale about sisters; their rivalry, in-fighting, and the unwavering support that anyone who has a sibling will be familiar with. The book certainly examines these issues, but offers so much more.

With only eight years between the eldest and the youngest, sisters Avery, Bonnie, Nicky and Lucky have always been close, mainly because of the lack of maternal instinct shown by their mother. Being the eldest, Avery took responsibility for protecting the others, something that has continued into their adult lives.

Each of the sisters found their place in the world, some of them extremely successfully. However, the death of Nicky has thrown them all into a spin, upsetting the stability they had found in each other. Now, on the first anniversary of Nicky's death, they are finally coming together, a meeting which forces them to examine the choices they have made.

Each of the women is flawed, much of their character stemming from their upbringing. Alongside the theme of grief, the book also takes a close look at addiction and how its shadow effects individuals and families. For each character, it is easy to see how their actions fit the traditional expectations based on their position in the family; first-born Avery is the responsible one, last-born Lucky is reckless. Despite Avery being the responsible sibling, Nicky was the homemaker, the one that the others gravitated to, so it is easy to understand why her death has impacted them so greatly.

The time spent together allows the sisters to come to terms with their loss, to find the closure they so desperately need. It also gives them a chance to see how the others have been affected and, for one of them in particular, to learn about motherhood.

Author Details

Coco Mellors is a writer from London and New York. She received her MFA in Fiction from New York University, where she was a Goldwater fellow. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Cleopatra and Frankenstein was her debut novel.