Chapter summaries Blue Sisters Coco Mellors

Chapter Seven: Lucky – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Lucky spends two days recovering from a hangover in London. She receives a voicemail from Bonnie in New York, who is boxing again and asks Lucky to come help sort through Nicky’s belongings. Lucky impulsively books a flight. That day, she drinks alone, then visits a strip club to find the bouncer BFG. They talk about addiction and life. Lucky recalls a traumatic photo shoot at age 15 where a photographer placed his thumb in her mouth. Later, she has sex with Troll Doll, who secretly photographs her; Lucky deletes the image and leaves. She returns home to Avery, and they reconcile. Avery admits she is “far from perfect.” Chiti finds a Plan B wrapper in Lucky’s trash; Lucky insists it is not hers. The next day, Avery cannot drive her to the airport, so Chiti arranges a car. On the plane, Lucky reflects on her bond with Nicky, from childhood to Nicky’s endometriosis diagnosis. She arrives in New York to find Bonnie holding a sign with her name.

Key Events

  • Lucky wakes from a two-day hangover, checks messages, and hears Bonnie’s voicemail inviting her to New York.
  • She books a flight without telling Avery, then spends the day drinking at a pub and riding a double-decker bus.
  • She visits a strip club to find BFG, the bouncer from Friday night. They discuss why people use drugs—BFG suggests it’s to “fall in love with life again.”
  • Lucky has a flashback to a modeling job at age 15 where a photographer put his thumb in her mouth and asked her to suck.
  • She goes to Troll Doll’s flat, has sex, and later finds Troll Doll taking a photo of her sleeping. Lucky forcibly deletes the image and leaves.
  • She walks home and reconciles with Avery, who apologizes for yelling.
  • Chiti shows Lucky a Plan B wrapper found in the guest bathroom trash; Lucky denies it’s hers.
  • On the plane, Lucky remembers her close childhood with Nicky, and Nicky’s later diagnosis of endometriosis.
  • She arrives at JFK and Bonnie greets her with a sign.

Character Development

  • Lucky: Shows vulnerability through her hangover and her flashback to trauma. Her decision to fly to New York signals a desire to reconnect with Bonnie and confront the past. She begins to question her addiction after BFG’s observation.
  • Avery: Reveals she is “far from perfect,” hinting at personal struggles beyond the fight with Lucky. She tries to be supportive but remains distant.
  • Chiti: Acts as a caring presence, but the Plan B discovery introduces suspicion about Avery’s fidelity or secret.
  • Bonnie: Through the voicemail, we see her fishing for connection; she wants Lucky to be in New York.
  • Nicky: Though dead, her memory looms large. Lucky’s reflections show how Nicky was a lifeline, and Lucky feels guilty for not following Nicky’s example of embracing life.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Escape and running away: Lucky’s default response to conflict is to leave—she flees London, then the club, then Troll Doll’s. She is a “master at leaving.”
  • Trauma and dissociation: The flashback to the photo shoot highlights Lucky’s early objectification and the power imbalance. She dissociated during the assault, and the memory resurfaces when she is drunk.
  • Drugs as a means to “fall in love with life”: BFG’s speech reframes addiction as a desire to reconnect with joy. Lucky reflects that Nicky used drugs “in order not to fall out of love with life,” contrasting with Lucky’s self-destruction.
  • The Plan B wrapper: Suggests secrets within Avery and Chiti’s relationship, or perhaps Avery’s infidelity. It remains ambiguous, but it deepens the mystery around Avery’s “far from perfect” admission.
  • Sisterly bonds: Lucky’s memories of Nicky emphasize their inseparable early years, and her present interactions with Avery and Bonnie show the different ways the sisters reach for each other.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Lucky. She leaves London—a city of self-destruction—to return to New York, the site of Nicky’s death. On the plane, she resolves to “find a way to live” because she is the one still alive. The chapter also seeds a major mystery: the Plan B wrapper suggests Avery may have secrets that will affect the family dynamic.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lucky decide to go to New York after hearing Bonnie’s voicemail?
Bonnie’s voicemail explicitly asks Lucky to come; she says “please” twice. Lucky also feels unwanted by Avery after their fight, so Bonnie’s invitation offers an escape and a chance to be needed.

2. What does BFG’s statement about drugs reveal about Lucky’s worldview?
BFG says people take drugs to “fall in love with life again.” Lucky has never been in love with life; she numbs herself because she doesn’t know how to live fully. The comment forces her to see Nicky, who took drugs for the opposite reason—to stay.

3. Why is Lucky so disturbed by Troll Doll taking her photo?
The flashback to the photo shoot shows that Lucky has been photographed without consent before, in a sexually exploitative context. Having her picture taken while vulnerable (sleeping, naked) re-enacts that trauma, so she responds aggressively to protect her autonomy.

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