Reviews tagging 'Death'

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

413 reviews

bibble_kingly's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book gets you from the first chapter. For only 4 hours, it feels like a lot is happening.

The main character's relationship with her sister really highlights how family obligations and cultural expectations can put people in really difficult situations. 

On another note, the main character's fasidious cleaning tells the reader a lot about who she is as a person. 

Overall, kind of a dark read. It was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcohol

pagesofplatypus's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My Sister, The Serial Killer is much more a character study than a thriller. The chapters are short and fly by. Korede is such an interesting, conflicted protagonist and I loved getting inside her head. The relationship with her sister, the titular serial killer, is 
messy, frustrating, and deeply compelling as we see intermittent flashbacks to instances from their childhood that show the context of the toxic cycle of their relationship.

I also loved seeing Nigerian culture. There is pidgen and Yoruba sprinkled throughout, sometimes with translation but mostly readers can infer from context. The setting and culture is also crucial in showing the circumstances that shape the actions of Korede and those around her.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

lauren16297's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Murder

callme_tippy's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a nice quick read that kept me interested from beginning to end. 

I really loved the style this was written in, it has very short chapters and it told in fragments kind of which works really well for the plot of this. I think it was great the way it's treated seriously but not too seriously. It was the perfect amount of suspense for a short read. 

This was great little dive into family ties and bonds, societal expectations, family expectations, and how to navigate right and wrong, when the wrong-doer is the only one in your corner. 

I can't wait to try another one of Braithwaite's books!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this contemporary story. It's not so much a mystery or thriller as a book about relationships and family.  It was excellent on audio with the narrator's lovely accent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

smiller_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The writing felt almost like poetry, very well written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity

aeleis's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I picked this book up and was genuinely stunned (what turned out to be a few hours later) to realize I'd come to the last page without putting it down. The detail so deftly packed into such few words is really impressive (and Braithwaite's an addictive writer to boot)
Definitely involves some dark topics, so tread carefully if you're sensitive to those - but they're not gratuitous or insensitively handled.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Death of parent, and Murder

bookspaperink's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent

aeroyou's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, and Medical content

mal214's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Medical content and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Police brutality, and Classism