You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lydiature_ 's review for:
My Sister, the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The good: Braithwaite’s writing style. It was simply immaculate—chef’s kiss. She had a way of drawing you into the story that was unmatched. I seriously couldn’t put it down—and the short chapters helped with that too. Each character felt realistic, especially Ayoola. I think Braithwaite captured Ayoola’s sociopathy/psycopathy well without making her character dramatic or unrealistic. She really captured the narcissim.
The “bad”:
One thing that really irked me (and this one is minor) were Ayoola and Korede’s interviews. I’m sorry-but if a girl’s recent and current boyfriends end up dead (within a short period of time), that’s suspicious as heck. The police—no matter how beautiful Ayoola was—shouldn’t have been satisfied with vague answers from both Ayoola and Korede. And then factor that into Tade. It just wasn’t realistic.
I know the ending made a lot of people mad (and believe me, I’m upset too), but when you think about it, it makes sense. Korede was raised in a culture that put family about everyone. At the end of the day, regardless of Ayoola’s murderous ways, she is still family—so it’s obvious that Korede wouldn’t have confessed to the police. When we read books that are set in other countries with characters who aren’t like us, we need to understand that everyone has different standards and values. And most writers (good writers) are going to include that—this is no exception.
So as much as I wanted Korede to turn Ayoola in (or honestly, just kill her), I see Braithwaite’s purpose: to showcase the complexity of right and wrong in a culture that demands familial duty and loyalty, no matter the cost.
The “bad”:
One thing that really irked me (and this one is minor) were Ayoola and Korede’s interviews. I’m sorry-but if a girl’s recent and current boyfriends end up dead (within a short period of time), that’s suspicious as heck. The police—no matter how beautiful Ayoola was—shouldn’t have been satisfied with vague answers from both Ayoola and Korede. And then factor that into Tade. It just wasn’t realistic.
I know the ending made a lot of people mad (and believe me, I’m upset too), but when you think about it, it makes sense. Korede was raised in a culture that put family about everyone. At the end of the day, regardless of Ayoola’s murderous ways, she is still family—so it’s obvious that Korede wouldn’t have confessed to the police. When we read books that are set in other countries with characters who aren’t like us, we need to understand that everyone has different standards and values. And most writers (good writers) are going to include that—this is no exception.
So as much as I wanted Korede to turn Ayoola in (or honestly, just kill her), I see Braithwaite’s purpose: to showcase the complexity of right and wrong in a culture that demands familial duty and loyalty, no matter the cost.