My Sister the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
My Rating: **** out of 5 stars
Published: November 20, 2018 by Doubleday Books
Genre: Satire
Pages: 226
Buy it: Amazon
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Oyinkan Braithwaite hit it out of the ballpark with this story. At only 226 pages, this book has lots to offer – interesting characters, a foreign setting, a little murder, and a sister torn between the bonds of family and her ethical principles. I thought it was very well done. It mixed the dark with humor and also truth. This book explores family abuse, society’s inclinations towards beauty and family duty and expectations.
Korede is a nurse in Nigeria, responsible and competent, and in love with the handsome doctor she works for, Tade. He is kind to her and she looks forward to seeing him everyday, hoping that he will one day ask her out. But these hopes are dashed when Korede’s sister Ayoola walks in to the office. Once he sees Ayoola, Tade is smitten and begs her to set them up, devastating Korede.
It has always been that way for the sisters. Even though Korede is smart, people aren’t drawn to her like they are to Ayoola, who is gorgeous and fun-loving, yet also vain and insipid, not to mention dangerous. Ayoola has a penchant for killing her boyfriends. The first time it happened, Korede came to her aid, helping her dispose of the body and cover her tracks. Ayoola swore it was self-defense, and Korede was used to protecting her sister, having lived through years of physical abuse from their father. But then it happened a second time, and then a third. And now Ayoola is dating Tade.
How far will Korede’s loyalty to her sister stretch? And will she be able to save Tade before it’s too late?
As a debut-novel, Braithwaite did a great job weaving the tale of the sisters’ toxic past, their love-hate relationship and events that seem to spiral out of control. You will find yourself oscillating between liking the characters, wanting to shake some sense into them, and shaking your own head in disbelief at the choices they make. This book is definitely a worth-the-read book.
