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nataliekh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Drug abuse, Death, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Chronic illness and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual harassment and Vomit
danielleboldry's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
coco mellors you have done it again!!
i love this author’s writing so much and it was such a privilege to hear her talk about the book in person beforehand on her tour. you can just tell how much of a labour of love this story is - it explores some of my favourites themes; familial responsibility, sibling dynamics and so many different types of love.
i truly loved the blue sisters on every single page and the epilogue had me weeping. i fear i will be sat in waiting for another book to touch me like this until mellor’s next novel.
i love this author’s writing so much and it was such a privilege to hear her talk about the book in person beforehand on her tour. you can just tell how much of a labour of love this story is - it explores some of my favourites themes; familial responsibility, sibling dynamics and so many different types of love.
i truly loved the blue sisters on every single page and the epilogue had me weeping. i fear i will be sat in waiting for another book to touch me like this until mellor’s next novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death, and Grief
whatbidoureads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First book i read by Coco Mellors.
I just finished the book and i don’t even know where to start.
First and foremost, i loved this book. I think the only reason it isn’t a 5 stars is because of the epilogue. Had the book ended before it we would have been subjected to our own imagination to create what the sisters didafter they sell the apartment.
But i feel like the epilogue have a sense of closure, and happiness that wasn’t needed. It finished almost too neatly after everything we learn about the family, the sisters, and their personalities.
Although this book was a medium read for me, it is centered on a short amount of time. It seems like a lot happens, because you can see how everything unravels for each character, and yet i didn’t feel suffocated by the character development. It was just the right amount of info for me to build the story in my head and follow along.
I loved the writing, it went from elaborated, to simple, from serious, to lighthearted, all while dealing with heavy topics of addictions, childhood trauma, and death. It felt like reading a page of a diary at times, which was strange yet comforting.
I think Coco Mellors did such a beautiful job with this story, and i cannot wait to dig into C&F as soon as I’ve digested this one fully!
I just finished the book and i don’t even know where to start.
First and foremost, i loved this book. I think the only reason it isn’t a 5 stars is because of the epilogue. Had the book ended before it we would have been subjected to our own imagination to create what the sisters did
But i feel like the epilogue have a sense of closure, and happiness that wasn’t needed. It finished almost too neatly after everything we learn about the family, the sisters, and their personalities.
Although this book was a medium read for me, it is centered on a short amount of time. It seems like a lot happens, because you can see how everything unravels for each character, and yet i didn’t feel suffocated by the character development. It was just the right amount of info for me to build the story in my head and follow along.
I loved the writing, it went from elaborated, to simple, from serious, to lighthearted, all while dealing with heavy topics of addictions, childhood trauma, and death. It felt like reading a page of a diary at times, which was strange yet comforting.
I think Coco Mellors did such a beautiful job with this story, and i cannot wait to dig into C&F as soon as I’ve digested this one fully!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity and Vomit
bethanwx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Coco Mellors is a master of creating flawed characters who you can't help but root for. An irresistible novel of intricate family dynamics and love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Drug abuse, Vomit, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
risemini's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Drug use, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Grief
lunabean's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A beautiful read: sisters battling grief and addiction- what once was the 4 Blue sisters has now become 3 after Nicky overdosed unexpectedly, leaving the rest of them lost and on the run from themselves in different parts of the world. a year after her death, they are called back to the apartment they grew up in to go through Nicky’s belongings, each of the Blue sisters carrying a different burden: the eldest worn and weary from taking care of her sisters (SO felt with all the eldest sibling affliction in the book); the middle sister a boxer quietly in love with her trainer; the youngest an addict unable to find her way.
I can’t really understand any of the sisters- self-sabotaging (so exasperating), passive, childish, selfish. They didn’t really interact much with each other, spending each of their respective chapter perspectives mostly separately in their own lives. With addiction plaguing the Blue family in different ways, I’d also expected a fuller picture of its ability for destruction. Surprisingly addiction is talked about in practical terms like AA meetings and waking up disorientated and confused, but never really explored in depth- a couple paragraphs on the effects of an absent explosive father and a sister’s denial of being an addict.
Although I think there’s nothing life-changing or powerful about the story or message, the characterisation and first-person narratives are immersive and painfully familiar, the prose very compelling and beautiful. There is a lot of grief wrought in the characters and a lot of love, Mellors writing emotionally and intimately to our desires and fears- love and loneliness… and who’s not a sucker for a book about that😔
I can’t really understand any of the sisters- self-sabotaging (so exasperating), passive, childish, selfish. They didn’t really interact much with each other, spending each of their respective chapter perspectives mostly separately in their own lives. With addiction plaguing the Blue family in different ways, I’d also expected a fuller picture of its ability for destruction. Surprisingly addiction is talked about in practical terms like AA meetings and waking up disorientated and confused, but never really explored in depth- a couple paragraphs on the effects of an absent explosive father and a sister’s denial of being an addict.
Although I think there’s nothing life-changing or powerful about the story or message, the characterisation and first-person narratives are immersive and painfully familiar, the prose very compelling and beautiful. There is a lot of grief wrought in the characters and a lot of love, Mellors writing emotionally and intimately to our desires and fears- love and loneliness… and who’s not a sucker for a book about that😔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death and Sexual assault
okayletsread's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a quiet little book about four sisters and the impacts of their grief after their sister dies from an overdose. It explores grief on all levels—relational, familial, and relational—and how it fundamentally changes you and those around you.
The sisters make questionable throughout the book which many readers will not like or resonate with, but we get an honest view into their flawed sisterhood. Since this is written in multiple POVs, I connected with some characters more than others, but there's no doubt Coco Mellors can write. A wonderfully written sophomore novel that makes me more excited to pick up her debut which is currently sitting on my shelf.
Thank you NetGalley for an early advanced copy!
The sisters make questionable throughout the book which many readers will not like or resonate with, but we get an honest view into their flawed sisterhood. Since this is written in multiple POVs, I connected with some characters more than others, but there's no doubt Coco Mellors can write. A wonderfully written sophomore novel that makes me more excited to pick up her debut which is currently sitting on my shelf.
Thank you NetGalley for an early advanced copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape
lailajm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I thought cleopatra and Frankenstein was amazing- this book is on another level. Coco Mellors manages to capture the good and bad of sisterhood in the most emotional, tear-inducing way with the most beautiful writing and style. I love her ability to switch between the three sisters giving you insight into how they all work together while showing you them as individuals. It’s a book every sister with a sister should read in their lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, and Drug use
Minor: Miscarriage
readwithnicki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read Coco Mellors previous book Cleopatra and Frankenstein earlier this year and did not particularly enjoy it, but I was impressed with her writing style so wanted to give her new novel a go. And thank goodness I did!!
I really loved this book. I’m endlessly impressed by the way in which Mellors slips between character POVs in such a realistic way, with every character feeling distinctive and the book still flowing beautifully.
This book looks at grief, addiction and family in such a raw, honest way and I adored it. The characters are often times dislikable but not to the extent where I did not care about them. I am thoroughly impressed and definitely will be giving Coco Mellors future work a read!
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book. I am under no obligation to post this review and all thoughts are my own.
I really loved this book. I’m endlessly impressed by the way in which Mellors slips between character POVs in such a realistic way, with every character feeling distinctive and the book still flowing beautifully.
This book looks at grief, addiction and family in such a raw, honest way and I adored it. The characters are often times dislikable but not to the extent where I did not care about them. I am thoroughly impressed and definitely will be giving Coco Mellors future work a read!
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book. I am under no obligation to post this review and all thoughts are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, and Drug use
Minor: Domestic abuse