Blue Sisters

July 15, 2024
Mellors (Cleopatra and Frankenstein) delves into sibling drama with this frank and soulful offering. The four Blue sisters form a tight bond while sharing a bedroom in the family’s New York City apartment and dealing with their domineering, alcoholic father and aloof mother. They remain close after leaving home, until Nicky, the second youngest, dies at 27. On the first anniversary of Nicky’s death, the surviving sisters learn their parents are selling their childhood home, and reunite at the apartment. Avery, the oldest at 33 and a successful lawyer in London, has taken to hiding her smoking and shoplifting habits from her wife. Thirty-one-year-old Bonnie, a retired boxer, works as a bouncer in Venice Beach, Calif., while former model Lucky, 26, can barely through the day without drinking. As the siblings dredge up old wounds and regrets about Nicky, a kindhearted teacher who lived with all-consuming pain from endometriosis, they’re brought together by their enduring love for one another, even as they judge each other for how their lives have spiraled. Mellors draws each of the characters distinctly, including Nicky, who comes to life via the others’ memories. This story of addiction and grief will resonate with readers. Agents: Mollie Glick and Emily Westcott, CAA.

August 1, 2024
A year after the death of their sibling, three surviving sisters are in rough straits. Nicky Blue was the third of the four Blue sisters and, by everyone's account, the cream of the crop--even their cold, distant mother had a soft spot for her. Though no one thought of her as a drug addict, Nicky died at 27 of a fentanyl overdose; she had become addicted to painkillers due to the unending torment of endometriosis. But now that they've had time to stew over it, each of the survivors can see that she should have known. Avery, the oldest at 33--she basically raised the others due to the disinterest of their mother and the alcoholism of their father--is thought of by everyone as perfect. A lawyer in London, happily married to a loving wife, 10 years sober, she's actually utterly miserable and has begun to act out in ways that threaten to blow up her life. Bonnie, the second oldest, has already exploded hers--she ditched her career as a world-class boxer and is now likely to lose her job as a bouncer at a club in Los Angeles. Lucky, the baby of the family, is the furthest gone--a supermodel since the age of 15, she's partying so hard day and night that even the relaxed standards of the fashion workplace can no longer accommodate her. Mellors' sophomore novel lays a thick foundation of grief, addiction, and self-loathing before bringing these three together in New York to clean out Nicky's stuff from their childhood apartment, which their heartless mother has decided to sell, and in short order they are just about clawing each others' eyes out. The bad decisions, bad behavior, and bad news just keep coming until a few positive plot developments in the final chapters, then a fairy-tale epilogue. Maybe it was Mellors' intention to challenge the reader in this way, but in the end, it seems like a lot of heavy lifting to illustrate well-worn points about sisterhood and addiction. One does come to agree with the characters that the most likable of the group has been killed off.

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August 1, 2024
The three remaining Blue sisters are estranged and living very different lives. Avery is the oldest and has always cared for her sisters. She appears to have gotten her life together, having recovered from her addictions, and is a successful lawyer, married to a beautiful woman. Avery enjoys being needed, but ever since her sister Nicky died of an accidental overdose, she has been sabotaging her future. Bonnie was a champion fighter, up until Nicky's death. After losing a match, Bonnie walked away from it all. Lucky is a beautiful model who flies all around the world, but her increasing dependency on drugs and alcohol is no longer deniable. An email from their mother informs them that she is selling their family home, and all the Blue sisters find their way back. Going home and facing their grief together helps the sisters see that they need to move forward. Sisterhood, grief, addiction, and hope are all themes Mellors (Cleopatra and Frankenstein, 2022) addresses here. This quick but powerful read is a must for fans of Jodie Chapman.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024

Following the debut Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Mellors offers the story of three very different sisters--a lawyer, a boxer, and a model--each with issues and all mourning the loss of their fourth sister as they meet in NYC to try to stop the sale of their family home. Prepub Alert.

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