Reviews with content warning for Sexism - My Sister, the Serial Killer

It’s okay. I appreciate the complexity behind the need to protect ones sister, and protecting oneself by reporting the crime. It’s not easy to be in that position and I believe it was portrayed well.

Otherwise the book gets very repetitive and eventually you figure out where it’s going

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catbois's review

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adventurous dark lighthearted sad 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

3.5

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heather_harrison's review against another edition

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dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I could not get enough of the audio book of "My Sister, the Serial Killer" - after picking this up on a whim and hearing some mixed reviews, I really enjoyed this.

It walks the line between dark and funny. The writing is direct, and often sardonic.

Korede is a plain no-nonsense woman, a nurse, and older sister.
Ayoola is her beautiful younger sister who can seemingly do no wrong. Except for the trail of dead men she seems to leave in her wake.

Femi makes three, you know. Three, and they label you a serial killer.

I found both Korede and Ayoola absolutely fascinating, and their relationship is like a train wreck (you can't help but not look away). It is simultaneously disturbing and delicious.

"I am the older sister—I am responsible for Ayoola. That's how it has always been. Ayoola would break a glass, and I would receive the blame for giving her the drink. Ayoola would fail a class, and I would be blamed for not coaching her. Ayoola would take an apple and leave the store without paying for it, and I would be blamed for letting her get hungry."

For anyone who is an older sibling, this not an wholely accurate representation per se, but you will feel so seen in how this book handles the expectations and complexities!

“It’s because she is beautiful, you know. That’s all it is. They don’t really care about the rest of it. She gets a pass at life.”

For a piece of writing that is so dark, funny and light - this does a pretty solid job at reflecting on not just women in patriarchal society, but also the weaponisation of beauty.

For those that get it, get it - a fresh punchy piece of feminist satire.

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guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

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dark reflective fast-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

5.0

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bonneamie's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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psistillreadyou's review against another edition

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challenging 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

4.5

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ferdie's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Had me reflecting on my relationship with my sister and what loyalty and understanding a person mean.

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particledamage's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

2.5

I've seen this book described as biting satire but while it was abundant in commentary--on colorism and beauty standards, on misogyny, on codependency and the construction of the family unit, on wealth--it feels more like "satire" here just means "Everyone is one-dimensional to make a point" rather than anything more biting, nuanced, or funny.

The book goes at a break neck pace but only because of its short chapters and time jumps, not because anything meaningful actually happens or changes. You see everything coming; it's easy to see that that may be intentional but ultimately that changes nothing, you still want to just skip ahead to have it confirmed. There is little to be lost if your eyes glaze over waiting for confirmation rather than taking in what little story this book has to offer.

That said, this book is oozing with potential. The sisterly relationship--and sometimes lack thereof--is compelling and I would have loved to seen it explored more with two fully realized characters. The idea of them both ultimately being their sister's keeper is interesting but when the story is so rote, you never see the boundaries of that relationship tested in any meaningful way. The high takes of this story and their relationship feels much like jumping out of a third story window except you're wearing a safety harness and a bungee rope, knowing you'll never hit the ground.

I think if this book committed more to being a short story, I could forgive its shallowness and lack of peak a bit more. But instead this book half-commits to being a full story and loses its steam halfway through, overextending itself with details that don't add much to the moral questions its asking (and sometimes answering).

Still, the premise alone is so refreshing and new I can't resent it for not reaching the highs I wanted it to.

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