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A review by buer
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The first time that Korede's sister calls her, desperate for help, after killing her boyfriend, Korede rushes to help. Gradually, though, the list of dead boyfriends increases and Korede finds it more difficult to see her sister as an innocent young woman guilty only of self-defense. When her sister begins a relationship with a doctor at the hospital Korede works at she needs to decide if she will continue to protect her sister or if it is time to come clean - and possibly save the life of the doctor she loves.
Considering the premise, this is not nearly as graphic of a text as I might have expected. Most of the violence is suggested rather than described in explicit detail, so unless the idea of murder in the abstract really bothers you, most people can probably handle reading it.
Overall, I really liked this book. It's a quick read (under three hours if you listen speeded up on audiobook) that efficiently bumps between the sisters' childhoods and their current lives as adults. Oyinkan Braithwaite is an efficient storyteller - you'd swear the book is longer than it is even as you're blazing through it - and Adepero Oduye is a gifted narrator.
My biggest quibble with the book is arguably one of personal preference, so I only took away half a star. I dislike the "ugly sister" vs "beautiful sister" dichotomy that is is the fuel to most of the conflict between the two women at the center of the story. Although I'm sure the trope rings true for plenty of readers, watching the ugly sister be bitter and the beautiful sister be oblivious just gives me the yuck.
I recommend this for people who like combative but ultimately loving sister stories and folks who like a good old fashioned moral quandry.
Considering the premise, this is not nearly as graphic of a text as I might have expected. Most of the violence is suggested rather than described in explicit detail, so unless the idea of murder in the abstract really bothers you, most people can probably handle reading it.
Overall, I really liked this book. It's a quick read (under three hours if you listen speeded up on audiobook) that efficiently bumps between the sisters' childhoods and their current lives as adults. Oyinkan Braithwaite is an efficient storyteller - you'd swear the book is longer than it is even as you're blazing through it - and Adepero Oduye is a gifted narrator.
My biggest quibble with the book is arguably one of personal preference, so I only took away half a star. I dislike the "ugly sister" vs "beautiful sister" dichotomy that is is the fuel to most of the conflict between the two women at the center of the story. Although I'm sure the trope rings true for plenty of readers, watching the ugly sister be bitter and the beautiful sister be oblivious just gives me the yuck.
I recommend this for people who like combative but ultimately loving sister stories and folks who like a good old fashioned moral quandry.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse