A wicked little tale of dependency and how far it can push us.
Author: Oyinkan Braithwaite
Released: November 2018
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 226
Audiobook Length: 4 hours (approx.)
Awards/Acclaim
Longlisted for the Booker Prize (2019)
Shortlisted Women's Prize for Fiction (2019)
Winner of Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller (2019)
Amazon Publishing Reader’s Award for Best Debut Novel (2019)
Anthony Award for Best First Novel (2019)
British Book Award for Crime & Thriller Book of the Year (2020)
Book Review
It is an entertaining short story that will stick with you. The story is sparsely sprinkled with dark humor. I found most of the book to be light, despite the subject matter. However, when the book is dark it is profoundly so.
Plot
The narrator, Korede, is the oldest of two sisters. She's the responsible one. Her younger sister, Ayoola, is not. Ayoola is beautiful, carefree, spoiled, and, perhaps, a little sociopathic. But, Ayoola's worst trait is her inability to keep a boyfriend. They all keep ending up dead.
Korede does her best to care for her sister and even cleans up her literal messes, but the dynamic changes after her sister catches the eye of Korede's handsome co-worker. Korede has been in love with that same coworker herself. Now her sister is a threat to him and to Korede's desires.
Additional Comments
My Sister, The Serial Killer is Oyinkan Braithwaite's debut novel. It was first published in Nigeria (2017) under the title Thicker Than Water. It was picked up by Doubleday Books publishing and released in the US in 2018 under the current title.
About the Author
Oyinkan Braithwaite wrote two poems in 2007. One poem was about the black widow spider. The second poem depicted two friends torn apart by a man and murder. Braithwaite has said that these two poems created momentum for My Sister, The Serial Killer.
Braithwaite has had a few short stories published following My Sister, The Serial Killer including the Amazon Original Treasure.
I'll be adding Treasure to my "to be read" reading list!
Content Warnings
Abuse
Violence
Verdict
Score: 9.25/10
It is a story of sibling love, drama, and family dynamics. A compelling short read.
Oyinkan Braithwaite has a promising career ahead of her. I look forward to seeing what she creates next.
Pick it up at your library, local bookstore, or favorite online retailer.
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