1. When the novel opens, the Blue sisters are all living different lives in disparate cities. How does the loss of Nicky impact each of the sisters differently?

2. Discuss the line: “A sister is not a friend.” What do you think the author means by that? Do you have siblings? If so, would you consider your sibling a friend?

3. Discuss the role of addiction in the book. How does it shape the sisters’ choices and actions? Have you ever struggled with addiction or been close to someone who has?

4. How does the author depict grief and the process of healing in the story? Which sister’s journey resonated with you the most?

5. What do you think the New York City apartment meant to each sister? What do you think it symbolized for Nicky?

6. Each Blue sister has her own romantic encounters and frustrations. Whose romantic storyline did you find the most frustrating, and which did you find the most satisfying?

7. When the sisters reunite, they realize that they had very different understandings of Nicky. What were you the most surprised to learn about Nicky and why?

8. The Blue sisters have a complicated relationship with their parents, and their mother plays a small but pivotal role in the novel. How do the sisters’ parental relationships affect their own feelings about motherhood?

9. Discuss the ending of the book. Were you satisfied with how the sisters’ stories were resolved? What were you hoping for each sister?

10. Which sister did you identify with the most? Explain why.