Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

119 reviews

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

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

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

shannonlar's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

zulmiro's review against another edition

dark sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Racism, Police brutality, and Stalking

ta_ma_ra_gj's review against another edition

dark lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

cateycat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

eve_kadou's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

jasecordova's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting