Member Reviews
This was an enjoyable psychological thriller. While predictable (the point is the title), it was more interesting to see the history of the sisters that lead up to the creation of someone who was a serial killer. It was written very well and it was easy for me to picture the cast of characters based on the descriptions of Korede. But I still don't really have a picture in my mind of what Korede looks like. None of the characters were likeable, which was something I actually enjoyed and it allowed me to see past the characters to the main issue of the story: Ayoola.
Overall, this was just an OK read for me, but it was an entertaining story.
This quirky, quick, and wonderfully violent romp is a fun addition to most general collections. A good recommendation for fans of My Name Is Nathan Lucius.
“Three, and they label you a serial killer.”
Korede has always felt it was her responsibility to look after her younger sister Ayoola. Not only is Korede older, but she’s also the sensible one, the one with the good job. And while she may not be the “pretty” one – at least she doesn’t have a habit of murdering her boyfriends.
Thus is the plot behind this compact little slice of fun. If you enjoy the stabby stabby over the bump and grind while sitting poolside, My Sister the Serial Killer might be right up your alley for a fun little time killer.
3.5 Stars because that cover deserves at least a half star all on its own. Perfecto!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
~4.5 stars~
I loved everything about this book. I loved its straightforward prose and its unsettling plot. I loved the relationship between the sisters and the flashes that we got of their past. A spooky, eerie tale of a pair of Nigerian sisters—one always making messes and one who cleans them up.
<i>My Sister, the Serial Killer</i> is short but powerful, and it completely sucked me in. Korede has helped her sister, Ayoola, cover up the murders of three of her past boyfriends, but what will she do when Ayoola sets her sights on the handsome doctor Korede works with? I was expecting more of a thriller, but this book is more of an examination of the twisted relationship between two sisters--how they got there, and how far they will go. It was dark and disturbing and even though I didn't feel completely satisfied by the end, it fit the story. Highly recommended!
OOOPS, she killed another one! Although the title gives away the dynamic that drives the book, Oyinkan Braithwaites spare prose moves the reader rapidly through the pages. As much about the relationship between the two sisters as it is about the murders of the younger sister's boyfriends, this is a well written tale, set in Lagos, Nigeria that is not to be missed!
My Sister, the Serial Killer was a really fun read. It isn't your traditional nail-biting thriller, but rather, a quick and upbeat satire. Though our protagonist's sister has a habit of killing her boyfriends, the novel never feels too dark. This would be the perfect intro thriller for someone who doesn't like to be scared but wants to explore the genre. At times, I wished it had more depth to it, but I think that just adds to its fast-paced nature.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. The premise of the story is good, and I love the cover art. I went into it thinking it was going to be this dark and twisty, exciting and suspenseful ride. I was disappointed.
I don't like to give too much away about the story itself in a review, because I really dislike reviews that contain spoilers. I think between the blurb and the actual title of the book, you get a pretty good sense of what the plot is. There were a couple of quick suspenseful moments, but not enough to call the whole thing suspenseful. There was darkness, but somehow not in a way that worked for me. I can't really say there was any twistiness.
The biggest downfall for me with this book is that I didn't like any of the characters enough to want to keep them around in my life (well, maybe "coma-guy"). I finished the book, and said good riddance to them all. The character development was well done enough, it's just that none of them had enough redeeming qualities (if any at all) to make me want to "be around" them any longer than necessary. This was a miss for me.
This was a fun fast read. I laughed at times, and was frustrated with the sister as much as the narrator. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a witty short read.
Wow! This fast-paced thriller had me gripped from page 1! There are some interesting dynamics going on here, the free-spirited, beautiful sister, Ayoola, who has a history of "disposing" of her boyfriends. The responsible narrator, Korede, who cleans up after her sister's messes. The mother who wants to see Ayoola married. I caught myself yelling out loud while reading through this one. Read this one, you won't regret it!
In My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite we get meet Korede, the elder sister of Ayoola who is the novel's titular serial killer. Korede has a good nursing job, and cares deeply for her family in spite of her father’s negligence and her mother’s favoring of her sister. Her life would be one of contentment, except her sister can’t stop killing her male lovers. At first, Ayoola tells Korede that these men have been abusing her or viewing her as an object- that their untimely end is out of self defense. With time Korede beings to develop doubts, but can’t help but try to protect her younger sister. Set in modern-day Nigeria where Snapchat and Instagram make many appearances with a cast of empowered women, this is a refreshing take on the serial killer/thriller concept. Braithwaite's well-written debut keeps readers anxiously flipping pages in hopes of learning the fate of these two sisters. This is a story not to miss for those who like a good thriller and non-thriller readers alike.
My sister, the serial killer is the debut book by Oyinkan Braithwaite. It is like a slap in the face. So good. It's about two sisters.... one happens to be a serial killer and the other cleans up her messes. BUT!! BUT!!! BUT it's also the story of a broken family. This story has so many layers to it. My only complaint would be that it's too short. Hopefully this become a series.
This a dark, lovely book about the bond between sisters. It wasn't quite what I was expecting (for some reason, I expected a little more humor), but I really enjoyed it. After the third time that Korede's sister calls her to help clean up after stabbing her boyfriend, Korede starts to suspect that maybe these really aren't cases of self-defense. Three or more is the mark of a serial killer. Things get even more complicated when her sister takes an interest in Tade, the doctor co-worker that Korede has been secretly in love with for years. This should go on everyone's November to-read list.
Braithwaite has created a clever, compelling little punch of a book featuring a pair of codependent sisters. One is a nurse who has a fondness for thorough cleaning. The other, well, has a tendency to murder her boyfriends. That alone is a fascinating premise for a book, but Braithwaite makes it all the richer by adding a complex background to tie the women together.
This book is a short thrill ride that I couldn’t get enough of. I wish it was longer because I was invested in the characters and didn’t want their story to end. Korede and Ayoola are sisters that support each other through all things-murder, hiding bodies, abuse. This is set in Lagos, Nigeria and one is a beautiful killer and the other a controlled nurse. Towards the end, I thought of Merricat and Constance and their complete devotion to one another. I loved this book.
Thanks so very much for the ARC in return for my honest review.
If you are going to read this book-And I suggest you do-for the fun and frivolity that the title proposes, you will be very pleased. I was grabbed right after the first two sentences, “Ayoola summons me with these words—Korede, I killed him. I had hoped I would never hear those words again.” And three or so hours later I was basking in the enjoyment I had experienced by reading My Sister, the Serial Killer.
It was such a crazy, frolicking joyride of time spent with the pretty Ayoola who has a penchant for killing her boyfriends. This isn’t due to any declared or diagnosed mental defect, indeed happenstance seems to be as major a culprit in her killing ways as any other explanation.
Ayoola is not a pre-meditated kind of girl, she is simply an accident prone beauty. “Ayoola’s loveliness is a phenomenon that took my mother by surprise. She was so thankful that she forgot to keep trying for a boy.”
Korede is the poor unfortunate big sister often left to clean up after Ayoola’s murderous mishaps.
Korede, out of love for her sister is complicit in Ayoola’s strange and fatal interactions with men. Korede really has no concrete plan to stop her sister, though she is troubled enough to keep counsel with a coma patient at the hospital she works at, as a nurse. If you have to vent and confess, what better foil than one who can’t reveal any of your secrets, and you can’t really be sure he can hear you through a coma.
When the doctor, that Korede is secretly crushing on meets her sister and quickly falls for her, Korede is concerned for his safety, she clearly understands, that his interest in Ayoola could be deadly. What’s a loving sister to do? So at the base of this novel, is sibling love and loyalty. Author, Oyinkan Braithwaite explores the question of how far one would go for a sibling? Does sisterly love override morality, ethics and the rule of law?
There are several instances where Korede contemplates turning her sister into the authorities, but love conquers all, even Korede’s latent jealousy and envy. And as Ayoola once blatantly told her, “You can’t sit on the fence forever.”
Quite a creative undertaking by Oyinkan Braithwaite, she obviously has a wild sense of humor and for readers who are humor-challenged this book will help you get laughed-up. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I’m smiling as I think of the possibilities. Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced DRC. Book will be published Nov. 20, 2018.
A fast-paced read that packs a punch! Korede has always felt she walks in the shadow of her beautiful and charming little sister, Ayoola. When Ayoola starts killing the men she dates, Korede finds herself cleaning up the messes. Braithwaite had me engaged from the very beginning: Why does Ayoola kill these men? Why does Korede help her? Will they get caught? The story is told with intrigue, wit, and surprising twists and turns, and it will keep you hooked through the very end.
My Sister, the Serial Killer, was a fast-paced read that unexpectedly sucked me in.
The story centers around two sisters, Korede (meticulous and calculating) and Ayoola (instinctive and a bit insane), and begins with Korede having to help Ayoola clean up yet another murder. We're left with finding out why Ayoola commits these murders, and how Korede copes with her resentment and jealously towards her sister.
I particularly enjoyed this novel because every single character in the story hid who they truly were from the other characters. Everyone is blinded by the show that they put on for one another, and the reader is left cursing each and every single one of them. Aggravating as it was to read this novel, it was definitely a page-turner, and it was oddly interesting watching the characters destroy/be destroyed by one another.
This was a super quick read, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the human psyche, crazy/irrational people, and murder.
Loved this book. It was really more of a family tale than the title suggests but it was really interesting and I couldn't put it down. Loved the Lagos setting and the peek into life in Nigeria as the backdrop. Can't wait to see what she does next.
This book was interesting, but it ultimately fell short for me. It took me less time that I expected to adjust to the way the author formatted the story, and I did think the familial relationship were fairly well developed. However, I found it frustrating that there was no real depth to the sister character, so it was impossible to understand what was driving her. I also felt the story ended very abruptly without any real resolution.