The following edition of the text was used in the creation of this study guide: Mellors, Coco. Blue Sisters. HarperCollins, 2024. Kindle AZW file.

The Prologue introduces the Blue Sisters —Avery, Bonnie, Nicky, and Lucky. Avery, the eldest, cared for her sisters like a surrogate mother while they were growing up. After graduating from Columbia, she moved to San Francisco, developed a heroin addiction, and later detoxed without her family knowing. She is now clean. Bonnie became a professional boxer but recently quit after losing a high-profile match; she now works as a bouncer in LA. Nicky became a teacher but died at 27 of an overdose of painkillers. Lucky became a model at 15 and now lives in Paris, struggling with alcohol abuse.

On the first anniversary of Nicky’s death, Lucky woke up hungover in Paris, late for a fitting. On the metro, she was harassed by a man and retaliated by pouring water on him. She drank with fellow models, including an American named Riley, and arrived at her appointment drunk. During the fitting, she vomited onto the runway. In LA, Bonnie received a call from Avery about their mother selling their childhood apartment, which held Nicky’s belongings. They discussed their strained childhood and Nicky’s death. Bonnie reflected on taking up boxing with Pavel as her coach and recalled that one of the reasons she had quit was because she developed romantic feelings for him. At work, she violently attacked a man who insulted her boss, Peachy, using a racial slur. In London, Avery hid her smoking habit from her wife, Chiti. They discussed Lucky’s impending visit and Chiti’s desire to have a baby, which Avery hesitantly agreed to. Avery reflected on her struggles since Nicky’s death, including smoking and shoplifting, but did not share this with Chiti.

Lucky arrived at Avery and Chiti’s house in London but was disappointed Avery wasn’t there to greet her. Desperate for alcohol, Lucky left to meet acquaintances. At a party, she took drugs and drank heavily. A security guard recognized her as Nicky’s sister and told her she’d always be Nicky’s baby. Intoxicated and barely dressed, Lucky returned to Avery’s house, where a taxi driver groped her. Unable to unlock the door, she passed out on the doorstep. Avery found her, carried her inside, and put her in the shower. In LA, Bonnie feared arrest for assaulting a man at the bar but was reassured by her boss, Peachy, that it was unlikely. Peachy suggested Bonnie leave LA until the trouble blew over, so she went to New York to sort through Nicky’s belongings. Returning to the family apartment, Bonnie remembered the night she found Nicky dead. She had called an ambulance and carried Nicky to the lobby, but it was too late. After Nicky’s death, Bonnie insisted on fighting her scheduled match but performed poorly, allowing her opponent to hit her without fighting back until eventually her coach Pavel threw in the towel on her behalf. In the present, Bonnie visited her old gym and imagined Nicky encouraging her to go inside.

Back in London, Avery accused Lucky of being an alcoholic, which led to an argument. Avery stormed out and went to see Charlie, a man she had met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the previous week. Charlie, a poet, and Avery had bonded over shared losses—his brother and Nicky. Avery shared that Nicky’s death was caused by a fentanyl-laced opioid she took to manage endometriosis pain after being devastated by the prospect of a hysterectomy. Avery and Charlie had grown closer over several meetings, and he had kissed her. That night, after leaving the argument with Lucky, Avery and Charlie had sex.

Hungover, Lucky checked her phone and found a message from Bonnie inviting her to New York. She immediately booked a flight. Before leaving, she visited the club from her previous night out to find the security guard who had claimed to know Nicky. He denied knowing Nicky, leaving Lucky to wonder if she imagined the interaction. Back at Avery’s house, Lucky apologized for her behavior and told Avery she was going to New York to help Bonnie. Bonnie met Lucky at the airport.

In New York, Bonnie returned to the gym, where Pavel allowed her to train but refused to coach her. She began working with a new trainer, Felix, while Pavel trained a male fighter, Danya. Bonnie recalled a past moment of hope for a romantic connection with Pavel when they shared some cheesecake the day he signed his divorce papers. At the apartment, Bonnie found Lucky in distress, detoxing from drugs and alcohol. Bonnie cared for Lucky, helping her shower, eat, and recover. When Lucky tried to leave, Bonnie tackled her to prevent her relapse, which made Lucky laugh and agree to stay. After a week of recovery, they went for a run together. Bonnie opened up about her feelings for Pavel and encouraged Lucky to consider new paths in life. When they returned, Avery was waiting at the door.

The narrative jumps back in time to before Avery arrived in New York. In London, Chiti confronted Avery and Avery admitted she had slept with Charlie. Heartbroken, Chiti moved into the guest bedroom. A week later, Avery flew to New York. In New York, tensions rose as the sisters hid truths from one another—Avery concealed her rift with Chiti, and Bonnie and Lucky didn’t tell Avery about Lucky’s detox. During a walk, they found a pink Smeg fridge that Lucky insisted was a sign from Nicky. They struggled to carry it back, laughing together, but their mood soured after learning their mother had visited but avoided them. Sorting through Nicky’s belongings, they found a Spice Girls t-shirt tied to a childhood memory. Lucky claimed it, sparking a fight with Avery, who accused Lucky of being irresponsible. Lucky revealed Bonnie’s feelings for Pavel, and Bonnie, annoyed, disclosed Lucky’s attempt to get clean. Tensions escalated, with Avery telling Lucky that it should have been her who died instead of Nicky. Lucky ran out of the apartment.

Lucky encountered Riley, a model she knew, and joined him and his friends at a bar. Initially sober, Lucky tried to initiate sex with Riley, who declined but expressed interest in dating her. Lucky began drinking heavily and caused a scene at a party, upsetting Riley. After being kicked out, Riley found her collapsed on the street and took her to his apartment to ensure her safety. The next morning, Riley told Lucky her behavior wasn’t okay. Lucky admitted she was an alcoholic. Afterward, she attended an AA meeting, where she nervously read aloud—a triumph that reminded her of Nicky’s support when she struggled with reading as a child.

Bonnie returned to the gym and sparred with Pavel’s new boxer Danya, regaining her confidence despite being distracted by Pavel. At the gym’s party later that night, Bonnie danced with Peachy, provoking Pavel’s jealousy. Outside, Pavel admitted he couldn’t think clearly around Bonnie and said their 13-year age gap made a relationship inappropriate. When Bonnie asked what he’d do if unafraid, Pavel kissed her.

Avery visited her mom after the fight with her sisters. She confessed her guilt over Nicky’s death and her doubts about motherhood. Her mom admitted she’d never wanted to be a mother and advised Avery to either commit to making Chiti happy or leave her. Returning to New York, Avery reconciled with Lucky, who had begun attending AA. The sisters bonded, sharing their grief and guilt over Nicky’s death. Bonnie revealed her relationship with Pavel and plans to move in with him. Avery confessed to cheating on Chiti, and the sisters assured her of their unconditional support. Avery returned to London, ended things with Chiti, and found solace swimming in Hampstead Heath, choosing to rise to the surface of the pond rather than sink.

The Epilogue takes place 10 years after the events of the novel. Avery teaches law at Columbia and has a new partner. Lucky is a successful musician but continues battling addiction. Bonnie has just given birth to a baby girl, whom she names Nicky.