A horror satire set in modern-day Nigeria. I'm not sure satire is quite the right word; it's not laugh-out-loud funny, but there is a black cynicism running underneath the plot that gives the story its punch. Think 'American Psycho more than 'Scary Movie'.

Ayoola is pretty, outgoing, flirtatious, popular, and skilled. She's also stabbed three of her boyfriends to death, each time claiming that it was in self-defense and convincing her older sister, Korede, to help her hide the body. Korede is beginning to suspect that there might be something wrong with Ayoola, particularly since she seems not at all bothered by the deaths and has to be reminded not to post sexy selfies to Instagram when she's supposed to be in mourning. Matters come to a head when Ayoola starts dating Tade, a handsome doctor that Korede herself is in love with. Does she warn Tade about her sister? And who will believe her if she does?

Not a particularly scary novel, but one that is deeply enjoyable, about the bond between sisters even in the most, ahem, unusual of circumstances.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2574372839

I read this one while unable to sleep last night. It is a quick, fairly interesting read. It kept me reading and I finished in one sitting...it is not a long book. I wish the story went more into the mental health of the sister, and I wasn’t a fan of the very end. I’d say it’s a worthwhile, easy read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this novel. A story of a nurses's unconditional love even when she resents the madness that her beautiful sister brings into their lives.

Basically, the main character's sister kills her boyfriends and her sister helps to hide the evidence. The killer sister is beautiful and beloved and gets away with murder. The helper sister is an unattractive but smart nurse. When I write this out, it sounds cliched, but the book as a whole was clever, fresh, and fun. This book has very short chapters and was a really quick read. I could see this being a good book club pick.

I have gone back and forth on my review for this novel. I have some much to say and so many feeling that I'm not sure I can even put them into words to articulate them correctly.


This deliciously wicked title is centered around two sisters, Korede (meticulous and calculating) and Ayoola (instinctive and a bit insane) gets you right from the start as we see Korede having to help Ayoola clean up yet ANOTHER murder! This book takes you on a one heck of a ride as you uncover why Ayoola commits these murders, and how Korede copes with her resentment and jealously towards her sister. 

Everyone is this story is bewitched by Ayoola and no one is safe. This was definitely a page-turner that I highly recommend.

I don't have anything to say. I did not finish it. I was not grabbed. I did not finish it. I did not rread more than 10 pages. I was not into it at all.

“Ayoola summons me with these words - Korede, I killed him.
I had hoped I would never hear those words again.”

I mean, really. How can you not love this book?? That quote and the title pretty much let you know what this one is about, however, I still did not expect anything of what I just read. This was simply brilliant, and I did not want it to end.

As the oldest child, I sympathized with Korede in that the younger siblings can oftentimes do no wrong in the parents’ eyes, BUT this was a bit extreme and obviously created some bad behaviors in both sisters to say the least - both in the killing and the cleaning up of messes. Yikes.

The plot was certainly unique - I loved the short chapters and writing style, and it was a legit page turner. The ending was phenomenal too, a book like this just should not have a bow put on the end, and this did not disappoint.

5 stars, no question, this was stunning. You must read this one, hands down. Pub date is November 20, 2018.

Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book. All opinions above are my own.

Ayoola's beauty and charm have made her spoiled.  She's used to getting everything she wants and that makes her sister Korede a little bitter.  Especially when Korede has to clean up her sister's murders.

...Wait, what?

It's true.  Korede and Ayoola both suffered abuse at the hands of their father who is now thankfully dead.  So when Ayoola tells her sister that she was defending herself against a boyfriend, Korede rushes to help dispose of the body and all evidence to protect her.

But then more die at the hands of Ayoola who swears self defense and there are more boyfriends to dispose of and messes to clean up for Korede, who is growing not only tired but suspicious.

When a handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works as a nurse sets his eyes on Ayoola, Korede must deal with her jealousy and the fear of what her sister has become.

This was a short book that packs a huge punch!  I would describe it as a slasher satire with heart.  The dark humor envelops the intense relationship between two sisters who have supported one another through childhood abuse at the hands of a parent.  Korede and Ayoola have extremely different personalities but are compelled to protect one another through some satirical situations, bringing the bond of sisterhood and abuse to the forefront of the story.

I would've enjoyed more back story to further the character development but this was overall a wildly entertaining tale that takes readers to Nigeria with some brief cultural descriptions and dialogue that added to the setting I'm completely unfamiliar with.

Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  My Sister, the Serial Killer is scheduled for release on November 20, 2018.

This book was received through NetGalley for my honest review. The story revolves around two sisters, one is a nurse and one has a habit of murdering her boyfriends. It's set in Africa, Lagos in particular. I liked the writing, the author is clearly very talented and has a good way painting her characters. I didn't really love the actual story though. This is being billed as a darkly funny story. I didn't find the story humorous in the slightest. Maybe I'm missing something though. I feel like the story would have worked better if it was portrayed more as a study in sisters, what families will do for each other, what makes us the way we are, etc. Overall, I think this is a really promising new author, but I didn't particularly care for this story.

My sister, the serial killer is funny ride through sibling rivalry. Korede feel the need to protect her sister, Ayoola, even though she is jealous of her.

Ayoola has it all. She is the favorite child and is very beautiful. Men are always attracted to Ayoola and Korede feels like the ugly duckling. Ayoola has a dark side, men seem to die around her. Korede spends most of her time cleaning up after Ayoola.

My sister, the serial killer is a fun and fast read. I look forward to reading more from Oyinkan Braithwaite.

I really enjoyed this! It tells the story of Korede, a sensible and hardworking Nigerian woman who has to deal with her beautiful and murderous sister Ayoola. It is a lightly comic novel about family and sisterhood and making the best out of bad situations. Say, when your serial killing sister starts dating the man you secretly love.

"On their one month anniversary, she stabbed him in the bathroom of his apartment. She didn't mean to, of course."

Braithwaite has written an exquisite dark tale about murder that bind two sisters together. I loved Braithwaite's sense of humor and sass in this mix of murder!

Korede has always come to her younger sister Ayoola's side when she needs her even when it involves dead bodies upon dead bodies. The story starts out with a bang.... as we see already a murder that is being covered up by Ayoola and Korede. Talk about a kicker to this start of a novel!

This story definitely packs a punch in this 180 page book! I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone that has an interest in human psyche, murder, and crazy characters!

Overall, 4 stars for this unique and dark tale.

Huge thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Publication date: 11/20/18
Published to GR: 10/15/18

I love reading about unapologetic women. The main character, Korede, is a strict nurse whose sister keeps murdering her boyfriends. Korede spends most of the book dealing that her sister is not protecting herself when she kills but really wants to murder. Then she has to decide will she protect her little sister or give her to the police.

I thought this book was really interesting. I think that this is your dynamic is what really interested me because story was so intense and every time I thought that it was going to go one way or the other. I definitely recommend it for people who like reading about complicated relationships and not avoiding the hard stuff.

AAARRG! With ten percent left of this novel, my Kindle battery died. If not for that, this would have been a one sitting page turner!

This bizarre tale of a sister gone wrong is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It's bad enough having a sibling with a nasty habit of knocking off boyfriends, but when she starts dating the man of your dreams? The tension built by Braithwaite was palpable and deliciously painful with pathos and dark humor that wouldn't let me set it aside. 4+ stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay books for making an advance reading copy available for an honest review.

2.5 stars. A quick, quirky read. Two sisters, one spoiled and beautiful, the other plain and protective. Both have suffered past trauma from their father which has caused a strong bond between them, Neither sister is particularly likable and I almost gave up on the book. I only finished it in order to give an honest review. Glad I did since as I kept reading, the story became a bit deeper and I had a better understanding of the dynamics between the two sisters and some sympathy for them. Not a great book but okay.

Korede, a nurse, spends too much time cleaning up her beautiful sister Ayoola's messes. Literally. Korede has helped Ayoola clean up blood and dispose of a body. More than once. Now Ayoola is starting up with Korede's crush, Tade, a doctor at her hospital. What is an elder sister to do when she is no one's favorite?

MStSK is a quick read, and though you expect to be surprised, you still are.

I like how the Nigerian author intentionally or accidentally trolls DJT:

"I realize I am a maga--a fool who has been taken advantage of."

I'm also intrigued by Braithwaite's educational credential. She has a degree in Creative Writing and Law from Kingston University. From her bio it looks like that's one department, which I wish was true, but it looks like they are separate. Regardless, that's a phat double major.

Korede, the older sister, has always come second to her younger sister, Ayoola. Ayoola is the beautiful one, which is all anyone ever sees. Korede has spent her life looking out for her sister, so when Ayoola calls to say that she has (once again) killed her boyfriend, Korede rushes to handle the issue. Aside from these incidents, Korede lives a fairly normal life. She works as a nurse, crushes on a doctor, Tade, at the hospital, and helps her mother mange the house. Everything in this separate life works out fine, until one day Ayoola decides to visit the hospital. Tade is immediately taken with her. Nervous for his fate and for her sister's freedom, Korede begins to struggle between doing what is right and her family loyalty.

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a bit of a wild ride. While this book is labeled as "humor," nothing about it struck me as particularly funny. It's definitely satirical and offers a lot of social commentary, but "darkly funny" isn't how I would describe it. More like a psychological family drama. Mostly it left me with a feeling of sadness at the end. However, the author's style and the interesting dynamic between the sisters makes this a great, quick read. Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay for the eARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book-it has everything you could want! Sisterhood, romantic relationships, and murder! The author has a way of character building that really makes you understand and empathize with the characters, and the setting was vibrant, rich, and different from what I expected (in the best sense). This debut title makes me clamor for more from this author. I cannot wait to talk this up at my library!

This is truly a breakout year for debut Nigerian authors.  First Tomi Adeyemi delivers the first book in a thrilling new YA fantasy series, and now Oyinkan Braithwaite brings to the table a wonderfully crafted family drama.

Despite its dark content, this book was an absolute delight.  I often found myself imagining how I would react in the situations Korede found herself in.  As someone with two younger sisters, I know how strong and complex the sibling bond can be.  To further complicate the relationship, Korede and Ayoola's bond is forged not only by love (more notably Korede's), but by shared trauma.  As Ayoola's lifelong protector, Korede shoulders the burden of saving Ayoola from the consequences of her crimes.  Ayoola herself is an interesting paradox because her exquisite beauty makes her both a victim and a perpetrator of extreme violence.

At times witty, and at times chilling, this book really had me questioning exactly how far I would go to protect the ones I love.