My Sister, the Serial Killer

OMG! This is dark! This is incredibly funny, entertaining! This is wild! This is incredibly smart, sarcastic and sardonic! Why did I wait too long? (Bang! Bang! Bang! Nope, I didn’t hit my head against the wall, this time my husband practiced his squash training with my head using oranges! I think I......more

OMG! This is dark! This is incredibly funny, entertaining! This is wild! This is incredibly smart, sarcastic and sardonic! Why did I wait too long? (Bang! Bang! Bang! Nope, I didn’t hit my head against the wall, this time my husband practiced his squash training with my head using oranges! I think I’m going to punch him so bad after his practice’s finishing!)

So let’s take a look at this provocative, unique, mind bending and hilarious crime story.

Korede, antisocial nurse, only feeling comfortable to hang around the comatose patients has a beautiful, self-absorbed sister Ayoola who also has a unique flaw like killing people and getting away with them with them. She kills and sister comes to clean the mess. Ayoola killed third times (as a charm) and she insisted that all of these men tried to harm her, rape her blabla so what she’s done for three times was self-defense!!! Look at this innocent girl suffering from bad dating experience but interestingly there is no wound, scar in her body to prove the wrongdoings of those guys.

You know blood is thicker than water and family always comes first so Korede cleaned her sister’s mess and acted like she believed in her.( I liked her inner thoughts and way of thinking which made me captivated! )

And poor Korede has a long time crush to Tade, charming doctor. But here we go, the killer ( or poor sister who always makes the worst boyfriend choices) decides to visit her sister in her work place and Tade looks like he has a crush on her. ( Oh hell! Poor Korede, what are you gonna do now? Do you insist to choose your family over your love interest?)

Of course normally Korede becomes jealous, angry, resented because even they were little, she gets the blame on for all wrongdoings of her little sister. Ayoola always takes her way because she is the beautiful one. Who believes in awkward sister suffering from mental problems?

This is the pattern of their dysfunctional relationship. Now is she going to let her sister hurt the one man she’s obsessed with?

Let’s get our popcorn and bring out refreshments to read the end of the story. It’s getting darker and more quirky, absurd, entertaining at each moment.

I enjoyed THE AMAZING, REMARKABLE CHARACTER BUILDING.

I loved the intriguing, riveting, fast pace.

I loved the purpose of the book makes us question so many important things in our lives such as family, sisterhood bounding, social media.

It was fantastic, promising debut novel fits with my entire expectations and my dark sense of sarcastic humor. I truly LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Cannot wait to read more works of the author!(less)

Clever novel about two sisters, one of whom is a serial killer, the other the resentful, yearning enabler. The satirical bent works really well here because it walks that fine line of being, given the contretemps, entirely plausible. Interesting observations about social media, men and what they wan......more

Clever novel about two sisters, one of whom is a serial killer, the other the resentful, yearning enabler. The satirical bent works really well here because it walks that fine line of being, given the contretemps, entirely plausible. Interesting observations about social media, men and what they want, and women who see right through them. Well worth a read.(less)

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite is a 2018 Doubleday Books publication.

Genius!

That provocative title and amazing cover art certainly piques one's curiosity. Noticing all the positive reactions the book received, I just had to see for myself if it was wort......more

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite is a 2018 Doubleday Books publication.

Genius!

That provocative title and amazing cover art certainly piques one's curiosity. Noticing all the positive reactions the book received, I just had to see for myself if it was worth all the kudos.

Well, I have to say, this is my kind of book!! Seriously, I really, really, really love satire and dark humor. I do understand it is often an acquired taste, but it takes a special kind of creativity and balance to pull it off. Dark humor and satire are often very subtle and if you aren’t in on the joke, it can sail right over your head. It requires a little more effort, from the reader, too, on occasion, and that is the case with this book.

Family is supposed to help one another out, right?

Set in Nigeria, amid a corrupt system of law and order, Korede is forever coming to the aid of her beautiful, but kooky, younger sister, Ayoola, who has a bad habit of killing her boyfriends. She always claims self-defense, but she’s never injured, and her conscience never seems to suffer.

Korede, is a borderline, antisocial nurse, more comfortable around her comatose patient, to whom she bears her soul, than with anyone else. She has a crush on Tade, a doctor she works closely with. However, when Ayoola shows up at the hospital to visit her sister, Tade is immediately smitten with her. So, not only is Korede hurt emotionally, with her sister’s history with men to consider, this development is quite troubling.

Deep down, Korede is angry, jealous of her beautiful, favored sister, but she always comes to her rescue. Ayoola is self-absorbed, flaunting her beauty, and appears not to notice the stress and strain she causes Korede.



Both sisters are flawed, with abominable character traits, but at the same time, they both managed to, inconceivably, elicit sympathy from me. The author creates a unique brand of suspense, an ever- present sense of dread, while toying with the readers' emotions. The social commentary could be at the core of the story, perhaps playing a key role in the sisters’ pathos.

There’s much to ponder on in this amazing debut novel. Kordede’s stoic inner thoughts stole the show for me, though. The story is meant to be dark, meant to be taken seriously, but so sardonic, it is morbidly funny at times.

But, one thing is for certain, this author has done an incredible job creating these wickedly entertaining characters, adding rich layers to the story, while keeping the prose pointed and sharp, even minimal, and still manages to add the rarity of humor into the mix with perfect balance and poise. I simply could not tear my eyes off the pages. It is also a rarity for me to say I liked a book better than I thought I would, but this one caught me completely off guard.

Overall, I am mightily impressed with this stunning, but unsettling debut, and yes, it deserves the kudos(less)

A line like that is enough to grip the reader and their attention into a disturbing read of a serial killer and her sister. Being transported to Nigeria, where the sister of a nurse has just called her letting her know she has killed another one of her boyfriends is, without a doubt, something distu......more

A line like that is enough to grip the reader and their attention into a disturbing read of a serial killer and her sister. Being transported to Nigeria, where the sister of a nurse has just called her letting her know she has killed another one of her boyfriends is, without a doubt, something disturbing I would be up for reading. Unfortunately, the plot of that took a different turn and did not live to its praise. I strongly feel like I'm on the minority here, but the author did not manage to make me laugh at the "humor" and I did not find anything disturbing, besides the beginning.

Oyinkan Braithwaite starts off the book in an effective way. We meet Korede, who is a nurse, caring for her patients, in charge of other nurses, and is pretty fond of cleaning up after the mess of her sister, who has killed two of her boyfriends. When she is interrupted one night by her sister, she knows what it's about: her sister has killed another boyfriend, Femi. She didn't know much about him, besides the fact that he wrote poetry and was with Korede's sister, Ayoola, for one month. Korede is, of course, on her way to her sister to clean up the mess. With the practice she had with Ayoola's other boyfriends, Korede can dispose of the body of Femi, clean up the room, and make it seem like nothing ever happened for there to be no suspicion. Set up with bleach, gloves, soap, brushes, and other equipment, Korede wants her sister to stop, but she's her sister, after all, so she needs to lean on her side. That is until Ayoola begins a relationship with the doctor Korede herself has had a crush on for a long time.

See, Ayoola and Korede are dramatically different. Ayoola is flirtatious, witty, and is known as the beauty of the family, and she knows it. She can walk into a room where everyone will lay their eyes on her, whereas Korede is more dedicated to her work, has not been in a relationship, and is not like her sister: curvaceous with luscious hair, getting what she wants when she wants it.

When Tade asks Ayoola for her sister's number, she can't feel anything but anger and jealousy. As she tries her best to hide it, she fakes her happiness and smiles, and although sometimes her rudeness is apparent, she continues her work as a nurse, even when the most unexpected turn of events come into play. Unknown who to talk to, Korede feels close to a patient who has been in a coma for a very long time now, expected to die one day. His family has not visited him in a long time, so Korede feels like its right for her to care for him since no one else will. Although this patient is in a coma, Korede didn't expect him to remember everything she has told him, including the darkest secret she is hiding from everyone.

Oyinkan Braithwaite started the novel strongly. The title itself is exciting and something a thriller fan would want to pick up. On another note, there are a few tiny things I can point out that Oyinkan did well. For example, although the novel is very short, little, and each chapter's pacing is quick, she gives us enough information to understand the reasons behind the actions of both sisters, Ayoola and Korede. Through flashbacks and memories recalled and told by Korede, we learn a little about how their father was, what their mother went through, and how all three survived those tough times. Some of Ayoola's actions such as being flirty and a selfish beauty at times, we learn that she became like this due to some of the trauma she received when she was little. Korede, on the other hand, always helped her sister and looked out for her, which is why she always feels like she needs to be the older sister.

I personally think the author did a good job of portraying the flaws of the family, especially the sisters. When you have a sibling, the moments of comparison always rise. Personally, I would always follow my brother, being a little follower and helper, always looking up to him. I thought he was the greatest and smartest person out there. Ayoola and Korede are like this, and it's shown a lot. Korede constantly gets jealous and angry, and that is something that is common around siblings. Aside from Korede, it was also obvious that Ayoola needed her sister, and not only to clean up her mess. Although Ayoola's personality got in my nerves a lot, I can see why else she would need her older sister. She was the younger one, but she was also being saved by Korede, and she would always be the one blamed for everything. With that being said, this was the only thing I actually liked about the book. Although there are a couple of other things I didn't like, related to the sisters, the flaws felt real and refreshing, especially because we got to see why this family is basically unable to communicate with each other.

The book is labeled as a disturbing thriller, but there is nothing thrilling nor disturbing in this. It felt like I was just reading out of pure boredom. Said to be disturbing, the novel does nothing but disturb you in the beginning. The title and synopsis can also be quite misleading. We know that Ayoola has killed before, and when she calls her sister for help, we know that this is her third boyfriend that she has killed. Not to be a violent person, but after reading that, I really thought there was going to be more violence. I really thought Ayoola was going to be a

I think the fantasy has gotten to me...

I think what bothered me the most from this was how I thought this would be a thriller, but there is nothing teeth-shattering and fist-clenching about

I didn't get it, didn't get the satire, the dark humor, the psychological emotions, and feelings. I didn't feel anything towards anyone or anything besides neutrality. In fact, I'm confused as to what about this is actually funny and satirical. Perhaps I missed it after reading out of pure boredom when I was trying to just finish this.

All characters made it to the point where I was actually fist-clenching and teeth-shattering because of how bored and uninterested I was in everything. Both sisters are selfish because they both cared about themselves only. Although it may not seem that way on Korede's perspective, it's noted when she gets angry and jealous over the fact that her sister has begun dating the man she's in love with. On the other hand, Ayoola would only call Korede when she needed her help, show up to her work when she was working, and would always bother her even when it was obvious that Korede wanted nothing from her. The other characters, well, the only one I liked what Muhtar. He was in a coma, but his brain was still proceeding, so he remembered everything that Korede told him. He was sweet, sympathetic and kept her and her sister's secret safe. It was sad to see that the only person who truly cared for him was Korede since his family was also selfish, as they only cared about themselves. Tade was only interested in Ayoola because she was "so beautiful" and that made her

The mother also praised Ayoola too much, lying, wishing for Tade and Ayoola to get married already. Information from the nurses and workers was unknown, but from what is known, they were all lazy and unproductive compared to Korede.

After all the events, I wish Korede would have had some character development. I wish she had sided with herself instead of her sister. The whole

was utter bullshit, and I had hoped Korede would have seen that. In the end, Korede made a decision that I think she should have thought through, and I mean,

I understand now that

is more about sisterhood and who should believe who, but I wish there was more to it. 226 pages were not enough, and the small chapters didn't make it any different. Although this was not something I usually read, I was hoping it would get me on the track of reading something similar, but it failed in doing everything it promised: humoring and shocking me.(less)

3.5 stars

Ayoola, the beautiful, younger sister of Korede, calls her up on night for....what's quickly becoming a disturbing trend.

Ayoola's last three boyfriends have been...well...murdered by her own hand.

At first, Korede was inclined to side with her sister - t......more

3.5 stars

Ayoola, the beautiful, younger sister of Korede, calls her up on night for....what's quickly becoming a disturbing trend.

Ayoola's last three boyfriends have been...well...murdered by her own hand.

At first, Korede was inclined to side with her sister - that these men were intending to harm her, rape her or do far worse - but three times? In such quick succession?

Despite her misgivings, Korede loves her sister. And uses her skills (honed from long hours of cleaning up the hospital as a nurse) to dispose of the dead bodies.

And besides, if she reaches out to anyone, Korede just knows she would be blamed.

But then one day, Ayoola shows up at Korede's place of work and the doctor - the one that Korede has been crushing on for...forever - begins falling for her sister.

Suddenly Korede will have to decide - the doctor or her sister - and when she picks her side, the other one is doomed.

This one had such good elements - Ayoola's casual murder-y-ness and Korede's practical view of things was pretty interesting.

The only thing that threw me out of the book was there seemed to be a tendency to look at things at a surface level - everyone who was in the know was surprisingly cool with the murder-business.

I'm not expecting everyone to have a mental breakdown every few pages, but it felt like there should be SOMETHING by the way of reflection over the matter.

But overall - it was good.

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In case you haven't noticed, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s

has been taking the social media scene by storm the past few weeks. And I get it; the cover art is (pardon my pun) killer and the title exudes a certain titillation that will make a reader quickly reach for the book on the s......more

In case you haven't noticed, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s

has been taking the social media scene by storm the past few weeks. And I get it; the cover art is (pardon my pun) killer and the title exudes a certain titillation that will make a reader quickly reach for the book on the shelf. For me,

, was an easy, brisk read that I mostly read in one sitting.

The short chapters (some only a few sentences long) created the effect of breezing through the novel at record speed, which is a plus, but it also created a few issues for this narrative.

Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel follows sisters Ayoola and Korede – Ayoola kills ‘em and Korede cleans ‘em up. But this isn’t just a novel about the boyfriends falling like flies; it’s a novel about the trials and bonds of sisterhood, an exploration of childhood abuse and a would-be love story all wrapped up tightly in the culture of Lagos, Nigeria. Now, that’s a lot to try to cram into 240 (not even full) pages, but it can be done; I’ve even seen it done well. Here, I wasn’t mind-blowingly impressed by the execution (again, couldn’t resist!) of

. If you’re a reader who puts a lot of weight on pace, you might find that you’re in for a rather jerky ride with this novel. It flowed neither at a lyrically smooth pace nor at a heart-pounding thriller pace. It just sort of jerked from scene to scene with very little, if any, narrative connective tissue to sew the chapters seamlessly together. In short, while it a had a great plot and an ending that did manage to surprise me, it was not written with a lot of finesse. It read, to me, like a very first draft, not quite filled in enough to give us readers an entire picture. It was like a well-done sketch of artistry that hasn’t yet been filled in with color, like the structure of a building that has not yet been painted and offered windows and balconies.

Now, ONWARD to the pros that you’ll find within these pages, because there are several of those. For one, it was a plus that this novel read so fast. While the plotting was jerky, the pace was quick, and that pulls you in to the story fast as you realize that you’re already so deep into it with so little time spent on it. And one of the real gems of

was how Braithwaite interlaced the heart-pounding narrative of the killings themselves with the humor of said serial killer’s indifference and feigned naiveté:

This novel is fully current, with narrative tools and chapter titles like “Instagram.” Ayoola is addicted to SnapChat and Instagram, often being scolded by Korede for posting frivolous updates for her followers when she’s supposed to be mourning her missing boyfriend, whom she herself has killed. Ayoola has forgotten, just that quickly about the fallen men and goes on with her life in a way that baffles her sister – enter The Comedy.

So, while I wished that

was better built out as a narrative, there is merit to it as a quick, amusing little read. It all comes down to what you’re looking for on your TBR. If you’re interested in a narrative set in Nigeria, this may be a great pick for you. If you’re looking for lightness and humor, a read you can breeze through easily that still offers some suspense, then you’ve absolutely come to the right place. But, if you’re more in the market for a side of intellectual stimulation with your killer thriller, then you may want to side step this one; you want find a lot of that here. 3 stars. ***

I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Doubleday, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.



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(2.5?) I'm so torn on how to review this book.

This was part of my "Goodreads Reading Challenge" as one of the nominees in the Thriller/Mystery section.

While unique and interesting, I found it way too short. The audiobook was nice but it felt more like a family drama than a th......more

(2.5?) I'm so torn on how to review this book.

This was part of my "Goodreads Reading Challenge" as one of the nominees in the Thriller/Mystery section.

While unique and interesting, I found it way too short. The audiobook was nice but it felt more like a family drama than a thriller/mystery.(less)

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is a

following the perspective of a young Nigerian woman, Korede.

Korede is a nurse and initially it seems she lives a fairly normal life; she is on the straight and narrow, if you will.

Normal that is, until you discover her younger sister, Ayoola, kills all of h......more

is a

following the perspective of a young Nigerian woman, Korede.

Korede is a nurse and initially it seems she lives a fairly normal life; she is on the straight and narrow, if you will.

Normal that is, until you discover her younger sister, Ayoola, kills all of her boyfriends.

I'm speaking literally. She kills them and then calls Korede to clean up the bloody mess for her.



Apparently, this is the sentiment Korede was raised with and now, no matter what her sister does, she feels obligated to

.

Protect her?!?

The witch is crazy. She shows

for the things she does. At one point, Korede muses,



I did fluctuate throughout the story between feeling bad for Korede for all the bullshit she had to put up with and being angry at her for not standing up to her damn sister.

Ultimately, I wish it would have gone a different way. I really was hoping Korede would make more growth as a character and fight back against the way people treated her.

This is a novella though, very short, and I just don't think there was enough time for her character to get there.

Overall, I felt the story was

, it definitely kept me interested and was unique.

Thank you to the publisher, Doubleday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I always appreciate the opportunity and I know a lot of people will enjoy this little tale. Personally, I look forward to seeing what comes next from Braithwaite. I like her style!(less)

3.5 stars. I was hooked from the beginning of this book and loved the subtle, dark humor ingrained in Braithwaite's writing. I found the characters and sister dynamic to be super compelling, which incentivized me to read the rest of the story pretty quickly. Halfway through the book though, my inter......more

3.5 stars. I was hooked from the beginning of this book and loved the subtle, dark humor ingrained in Braithwaite's writing. I found the characters and sister dynamic to be super compelling, which incentivized me to read the rest of the story pretty quickly. Halfway through the book though, my interest started dwindling as the narrative ended up pretty straightforward. I wish there was more development with the plot points and relationships; this would have made the ending a lot punchier.(less)