This was a fantastic book that asks the question - how far will we go for our family? In this case, it's a tale of two sisters, one of whom just keeps happening to accidentally kill her boyfriends. Braithwaite tells the story with real emotional feeling, even if the plot is slightly exaggerated.

Just how far are we prepared to go to protect the ones we love?

If someone dear to us is in trouble, we help them. Obviously. But where’s the line? At what point do the larger ethical and moral ramifications of our help become unconscionable to us? Where our assistance actually aids in the continuation of something we ourselves find abhorrent?

That’s the underlying concern in Oyinkan Braithwaite’s dryly funny, no-nonsense debut novel “My Sister, the Serial Killer” (Doubleday, $22.95). An older sister with a wavering and resentful devotion to the younger – a devotion that extends to cleaning up some unpleasant messes – questions the motives behind that devotion. It’s a spare and biting look at just how deep our familial bonds can flow – and what blood relations do when another’s blood is spilled.

Korede is a nurse at a hospital in Nigeria. She lives at home with her mother and her sister Ayoola. The sisters have been close since childhood despite having very little in common. Korede considers herself to be plain, while Ayoola is stunningly beautiful. Korede works hard at her job; Ayoola breezes through hers. Korede is cynical, Ayoola naïve. Korede is forever, while Ayoola cycles through beaus.

And speaking of those beaus – they have an unfortunate tendency to wind up dead by Ayoola’s hand.

Three times, this has happened. Three times, Korede has gotten the call from her younger sister, the call explaining that this new boyfriend had said something or done something, threatened her or struck her, made her so afraid that she had no choice but to stab him with the nine-inch knife she happens to keep handy at all times. Three times, Korede has taken care of it, whether through a meticulous scrubdown and body disposal or evidence-destroying arson.

Three times. According to Google, that makes Ayoola a serial killer.

Korede struggles with the morality of what she has done. She loves her sister, wants to protect her and keep her out of jail for acts that weren’t her fault. Except, maybe they WERE Ayoola’s fault. And if so, is Korede enabling her sister’s seeming ease with killing? What if it keeps happening? What happens if they get caught?

All the while, Korede pines for the affectionate attention of Tade, the charming, handsome doctor – right up until he asks for Ayoola’s phone number, leaving Korede trapped between wanting to save the man she silently and unrequitedly loves and protecting her sister’s secret. Korede’s sole confidant is one of her patients, a man in a coma who is the only person to whom she can truly unburden herself.

Still, family ties or no, secrets – especially dark secrets – can be awfully difficult to keep.

There’s a weirdly engaging style to “My Sister, the Serial Killer” – the story is narrated by Korede, whose pragmatic nature flavors the tale. That pragmatism stands in sharp contrast the visceral nature of the action. Having such deeds described in a voice of dry exasperation makes for a compelling and quick reading experience; it also allows the occasional moment of more obvious vividity in the writing to shine that much brighter.

Family is the magnetic north of this story, the unwavering force toward which Korede must steer. She may do so willingly, or even consciously, but she cannot help herself. The cultural expectations and personal connections are tangled and snarled, leaving her with no choice in the matter. Family is the most important thing, even if it isn’t always the right thing.

That’s the thing about this book: there’s no denying that you are very much in Korede’s head. It’s rare to be so subsumed by a character’s perspective in the book. The clipped nature of the chapters (and the shortness of the book as a whole) offer perfectly-timed windows into her thoughts, glimpses of personality that rapidly add up. You’re alongside the character in a way that you’re not often lucky enough to experience in a book.

And it’s funny. Not a guffawing or knee-slapping funny. A slow burn funny. A truly situational funny. A satiric, very dark funny.

“My Sister, the Serial Killer” is the kind of bold, fearless writing you don’t necessarily expect from a first-time novelist. The author proves capable of evoking darkness without being exploitive or overly bleak; there are lights that burn in the shadows that she casts, though not for long. A laudable debut, to be sure – we’ll undoubtedly be hearing more from Oyinkan Brathwaite.

Sisters are complicated. You can love them and hate them, often simultaneously, frequently in the same breath. They have memory bank eyes, never failing to remember us, at our most vulnerable, often when we feel most powerful. Enter these two Nigerian sisters, one smart, steadfast and prescient and the other, unpredictable, younger and beautiful. Did I mention beautiful? Because her beauty is a big factor in the family’s life and the sisters’ relationship. It determines their relative futures and therefore their relative current values. The book is a satire right up until it isn’t; it depends upon whether or not you have sisters and how enmeshed you are with them. The book is good regardless of your family background. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Korede is the smart daughter with a stable job and a good head on her shoulders, yet her beautiful, flighty, younger sister Ayoola, who simply walks into a room and men fall for her, is perfection in her mother’s mind. If only her mother knew that Ayoola just killed her third boyfriend.

That’s how My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite begins, with jealous Korede helping Ayoola clean up blood and ditch a body. Korede wonders if this will be the fate of any man Ayoola dates, and the stakes are raised when Korede’s boss, who she’s madly in love with, falls under Ayoola’s spell.

Told by Korede, this sounds like a dark novel, but if anything it’s a dark comedy, because Korede has such a sarcastic, caustic wit that cracked me up. With the story going back and forth in time, there’s also some good commentary on gender and power, making this a much more nuanced read than I thought it would be. Many dark things have followed these sisters for years and they’ll stick together through anything…or will they?

All the way through the novel I kept seesawing on whether or not I thought their bond would break, and while the end felt a bit abrupt, it didn’t end like I thought it would and I kind of like that. It’s an intriguing read about power, tragedy, sisterly bond, and, yes, some murder, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
A Classic Clash – Though My Sister, the Serial Killer is about two Nigerian sisters who grew up in a wealthy but very troubled household, the relationship Braithwaite built between the two rings true for so many siblings. Korede was the classic first-born: responsible, hard-working, driven. She was smart, but plain looking. Her younger sister Ayoola filled the role of the entitled, favored, flighty younger sibling perfectly. Clearly her mother’s favorite, beautiful Ayoola seemed to breeze through life.

“Her movements are in no way rhythmical; they are the movements of someone who has no audience and no self-consciousness to shackle them. Days ago, we gave a man to the sea, but here she is, dancing.”

From the time Ayoola was born, Korede felt both love and resentment for her sister. She wanted to protect Ayoola, but who was protecting her?

A Budding Mystery – Debut author Oyinkan Braithwaite masterfully drew you into her story with hints about a bigger cause for Ayoola’s strange proclivity toward men. There’s a dead father, around whom many questions swirl, a dazzling 9-inch knife with more than one story behind it, and a past that had to be let go. As her story unfolds each new clue leads the reader to understand this family just a little more.

Full of Humor – I’ll admit it. I feel a little weird saying a story about a serial killer and a family willing to cover up for her is funny, but it is! Plenty of parts of My Sister, the Serial Killer are quite serious, but Korede’s fears about her sister’s little habit and her own penchant for making everything right are often handled in a sort of tongue-in-cheek way that had me laughing out loud. Braithwaite deftly balanced the serious with some fun.

What Didn’t
A Little Too Understanding – At times I grew frustrated by Korede’s willingness to let her sister shine. She had so much going for her, but was willing to be the family’s martyr and though this was explained, I grew tired of her long-suffering silences. Korede’s fate seemed to be set on the day her sister was born.

{The Final Assessment}
Overall, I liked My Sister, the Serial Killer very much. I especially appreciated the classic family relationships taken to an extreme. Just how far are we willing to go for our family? It was a fun, sad, twisted little novel from an author I will happily read again. Grade: B+

Note: I received a copy of this book from Doubleday (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

A quick tongue in cheek read about two sisters of which one has a bad habit of carrying a knife around that ends up in boyfriends. Hits the mark on objectfying women and a woman's place in culture. Entertaining yet thoughtful.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Sharp, taut and fiercely feminist, MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER is the creepy, thoughtful read you never knew you needed --- and just in time for spending time with family over the holidays! The novel debut of Nigerian writer Oyinkan Braithwaite, a 2016 Commonwealth Short Story Prize finalist for "The Driver," MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER is a quick, but biting read, and is the perfect cap to your 2018 reading list.

Korede is plain, dutiful, and diligent, both in her home life with mom and sister Ayoola and at her job, where she is a staunch but respected nurse. Her sister Ayoola is her polar opposite --- curvaceous, vapid and entirely self-absorbed. At the start of MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER, Korede receives a call for help from her sister, who has just stabbed her boyfriend to death. She, of course, claims that it was self-defense, but this is her third murder, and Korede has become suspicious of the lack of bruises or scars on Ayoola, who seems to bounce back from each murder as if nothing has happened. Korede is on the precipice of disbelief, but she is also a fiercely loyal sister, and thus she sets about thoroughly cleaning the crime scene and helping Ayoola dispose of the body --- business as usual.

It is possible that Korede would have tolerated Ayoola's murderous streak quietly and obediently for years...but when Ayoola sets her vicious eye on the object of Korede's affections, she becomes entangled in a desperate plot to save the man she loves, while keeping her sister out of jail. Braithwaite's supreme talent here is her ability to craft a believable sibling relationship, while maintaining the two wildly different personalities of her characters. Korede loathes Ayoola underneath it all --- she must --- and yet she is always the first one to clean up her messes, direct her social media posts and maintain whatever social niceties she must to appear normal.

The serial killer theme is not unfamiliar in horror or thrillers, but Braithwaite presents a fresh and original take in MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by combining dark comedy, sisterhood and true creepiness. Ayoola's brazen lack of remorse combined with her pretty face and voluptuous body present an interesting take on beauty and darkness --- but that does not mean her plain, overlooked sister is entirely innocent either. As Korede laments her place in her sister's schemes, Braithwaite reminds us never to trust a pretty face, always be prepared and...maybe call out your serial killer siblings once in a while.

If you imagine American Psycho except Patrick Bateman is a woman in Nigeria rather than New York, and it's told from the sisters' perspective. This book sucked me in immediately and I absolutely loved Braithwaite's writing. The short chapters and flashbacks worked really well and made for a fast-paced read. Korede is such a fascinating character, strong and weak at the same time. I felt for her and sympathised with her, yet couldn't fully like her because of the things she did. Which made me love reading about her. We learn more about the family and their father who has passed away, and the traditions and keeping-up-appearances that are expected to be upheld. All of the characters were excellent and the story was compelling from start to finish. A very solid 4 stars!

I'll admit, I really wanted to read this based on the cover and title alone. I was completely drawn to the premise of a sister having to clean up after her sister who's a serial killer. Upon getting to know Korede and Ayoola, I struggled with the lack of character development for both. Korede is bending over backwards to enable her sister to stay out of trouble and continue killing men but the author didn't make me understand why really. I found both characters annoying in different ways and for a story like to work the characters need to on point. One thing I did like was the very short chapters which kept the pace super high. This wasn't a story I ended up enjoying and I found the ending to be very trite and unfulfilling. This one wasn't for me

A short debut novel, it is sparse in its length but has plenty of meat in its main character, Korede and her shallow, sociopath of a sister. Morality is the name of the game, and while Ayoola has none in her sociopathic thought process, Korede does and struggles with doing the right thing, evading police, and handling her sister, all at the same time.

Set in Lagos, Nigeria, there is a lot of slang and native words, though this adds to the story and gives us, as Western readers, a sense of place rather than distracts from the story in terms of we don't know what the words mean.

I wish we had a little more sense of any more info on Muhtar after the end, but I'm pretty sure what is inferred is what is accurate (it's tough to talk about such a short book without giving any spoilers!). Worth the quick read.

I loved the sound of this book right from the start, I mean a woman who keeps cleaning up after her sister murders her boyfriends!?! Yes please, also the cover is fantastic. While the story started off extremely promising I found that something was missing by the end. I think I just wanted more, with such a cool idea it felt like the author only half developed the idea but this might have been because it was shorter book.

I did enjoy the flashbacks about the girls childhood and I thought the ending was really interesting even though there wasn’t a huge twist like most books about murder. The chapters are super short and I found that I both liked and disliked it in this book. It really keep the story moving but I think it prevented me from connecting with the characters and I found that I didn’t end up liking any of them.

I expected more from this book. Not that I didn't like it--I really did--but I did expect something a little different. But, that speaks more to my expectations than the actual book, which is darkly funny and absurd. The story is about two sisters, one of whom works in a hospital, the other the titular serial killer. The story revolves around the sisters' interactions and then quasi- love triangle which arises. Again, I did enjoy it, but I did not fully buy into the characters. They were a bit too frustrating for me. Because it is such a quick read, though, I think many people will breeze through this one and enjoy it.

I always enjoy a good serial killer thriller. This one was a little different than others I have read before and from what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it just as much.

I absolutely loved Oyinkan Braithwaite’s writing style. I love short chapters and she was able to really use them effectively. I flew right through this book because I was never able to say “just one more chapter” and actually mean it. Even though the plot was never exactly harrowing, there was definitely a tense atmosphere and I had to do know what would happen next. It also managed to not be a really heavy or somber read. It was just really entertaining.

So how is this different than other serial killer stories? It’s told from the point of view of Korede, the sister of the killer, Ayoola. Korede is the older sister who has always taken care of Ayoola, even into adulthood. That includes cleaning up after her murders. Ayoola always claims self defense, but Korede has kind of stopped believing her. While no deep, psychological explanation is given for Ayoola’s behavior, we do explore the sisters’ childhood with their abusive father that we get to draw our own conclusions from. The story is really more about Korede’s relationship with her sister, who she both loves and resents and the choices she must make when the man she has feelings for falls into Ayoola’s web.

Overall, I really enjoyed My Sister, the Serial Killer. I loved the writing, the short chapters, and the interesting characters. I enjoyed reading about a different culture, as well. The only thing I didn’t really like about it is that I felt it left a few more things open-ended than I like. While it wasn’t the kind of story I was expecting it to be, it was really enjoyable and I definitely recommend it. I look forward to reading more from Braithwaite in the future.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Super fast, darkly-funny book about a woman who’s younger sister is a legit serial killer, and the lengths she will go to protect her from getting caught. However, problems arise when the younger sister and the woman fall in love with the same man, and the woman must choose between protecting her sister or protecting the man she’ll eventually turn her killer instincts on. I loved the author’s writing style and the characters were funny and well-written and believable, even with the outlandish premise. Definite recommend.

For a book about a serial killer, this book isn't too terribly dark. It isn't so much a story about murder as it is about sisterhood. How far would you go to protect someone you love? What if going that far meant you were stuck in that role for the rest of your life?

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. It's got a pretty simple structure and short chapters, so it's easy to read. (Even if you struggle with some of the Nigerian words in the story, they're all placed in context you can easily infer what the author is talking about if your Kindle dictionary fails you.) The plot itself is dead simple: Korede has a crush on a doctor at work and a sister (Ayoola) who tends to kill the men she dates. Things get ugly and stressful for Korede when Ayoola meets Korede's doctor crush and starts dating him.

In some ways though, this simplicity works against the book too. It's never really quite clear why Ayoola is so prone to offing her boyfriends. There are some flashbacks showing the sisters' horrible father (who perhaps was a sociopath?) but he too is a rather vague. In the end, the book really rests on the character of Korede and her need to feel in control in her own life, as well as her decidedly out of control sister's life too. Even though her sister's behavior indicates that Ayoola is a pretty awful person she also seems to love Korede, and Korede will go to some pretty great lengths to protect that love.

Also, just a random note that I literally LOL'd when I read that "Maga" (which people use as a very popular abbreviation here in America) is a Nigerian word that means "a fool who has been taken advantage of." Perfect.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel, My Sister, the Serial Killer, is a wickedly comedic story of Korede and her sister, Ayoola. Despite their differences, the sisters couldn’t be closer. And while critical of her sister’s decisions and often jealous of the attention she receives from men, Korede is still the protector of Ayoola’s secrets–no matter how deadly.

Set in Nigeria, this story is one of family and loyalty. Ayoola is beautiful, enchanting, and has a problem keeping her boyfriends alive. Korede is the responsible, self-deprecating older sister. As a nurse, she is used to taking care of others and her sister is no exception. As she continually cleans up Ayoola’s messes, Korede begins to question her loyalty to her mischievous sister.

How long can this go on? Can she keep Ayoola’s secrets forever? Should she? What is she getting out of it and would her sister do the same for her?

This was a fast-paced story, accessible and entertaining. Braithwaite allows us to peek into life in Lagos, including interactions with police that have Korede worried. I almost felt like I was a friend of the sisters, even though they only truly trust one another.

I was immediately drawn into the fray with Braithwaite’s brisk pacing, short chapters, and darkly humorous writing style. Her subtle hints allow the reader clues into how Korede and Ayoola grew up; reminders of their lives with a violent father and detached mother.

I agree with Parul Sehgal’s review in The NY Times:

"There’s a seditious pleasure in its momentum. At a time when there are such wholesome and dull claims on fiction — on its duty to ennoble or train us in empathy — there’s a relief in encountering a novel faithful to art’s first imperative: to catch and keep our attention."

It’s not that the book isn’t deep; it does encourage reflection about family loyalty, courage, right and wrong. But it doesn’t force you into it. You could just read the book purely for entertainment and we need that right now. Somehow reading a book about a serial killer and her enabling sister and enjoying it without judgment feels subversive… and I am here for it.

My Sister, the Serial Killer is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year. Nigerian authors continue to offer us lithe, clever, and original fiction–add Oyinkan Braithwaite to this list. Highly recommended.

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

In case you haven't noticed, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer has been taking the social media scene by storm the past few weeks. And I get it; the cover art is (pardon my pun) killer and the title exudes a certain titillation that will make a reader quickly reach for the book on the shelf. For me, My Sister, the Serial Killer, was an easy, brisk read that I mostly read in one sitting. And I was additionally excited to read it when I realized that the author and I graduated from the same university in England and likely had the same creative writing instructors! The short chapters (some only a few sentences long) created the effect of breezing through the novel at record speed, which is a plus, but it also created a few issues for this narrative.

Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel follows sisters Ayoola and Korede – Ayoola kills ‘em and Korede cleans ‘em up. But this isn’t just a novel about the boyfriends falling like flies; it’s a novel about the trials and bonds of sisterhood, an exploration of childhood abuse and a would-be love story all wrapped up tightly in the culture of Lagos, Nigeria. Now, that’s a lot to try to cram into 240 (not even full) pages, but it can be done; I’ve even seen it done well. Here, I wasn’t mind-blowingly impressed by the execution (again, couldn’t resist!) of My Sister, the Serial Killer. If you’re a reader who puts a lot of weight on pace, you might find that you’re in for a rather jerky ride with this novel. It flowed neither at a lyrically smooth pace nor at a heart-pounding thriller pace. It just sort of jerked from scene to scene with very little, if any, narrative connective tissue to sew the chapters seamlessly together. In short, while it a had a great plot and an ending that did manage to surprise me, it was not written with a lot of finesse. It read, to me, like a very first draft, not quite filled in enough to give us readers an entire picture. It was like a well-done sketch of artistry that hasn’t yet been filled in with color, like the structure of a building that has not yet been painted and offered windows and balconies.

Now, ONWARD to the pros that you’ll find within these pages, because there are several of those. For one, it was a plus that this novel read so fast. While the plotting was jerky, the pace was quick, and that pulls you in to the story fast as you realize that you’re already so deep into it with so little time spent on it. And one of the real gems of My Sister was how Braithwaite interlaced the heart-pounding narrative of the killings themselves with the humor of said serial killer’s indifference and feigned naiveté:

There is music blasting from Ayoola’s room. She is listening to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” It would be more appropriate to play Brymo or Lourde, something solemn or yearning, rather than the musical equivalent of a pack of M&Ms.


This novel is fully current, with narrative tools and chapter titles like “Instagram.” Ayoola is addicted to SnapChat and Instagram, often being scolded by Korede for posting frivolous updates for her followers when she’s supposed to be mourning her missing boyfriend, whom she herself has killed. Ayoola has forgotten, just that quickly about the fallen men and goes on with her life in a way that baffles her sister – enter The Comedy.

So, while I wished that My Sister, the Serial Killer was better built out as a narrative, there is merit to it as a quick, amusing little read. It all comes down to what you’re looking for on your TBR. If you’re interested in a narrative set in Nigeria, this may be a great pick for you. If you’re looking for lightness and humor, a read you can breeze through easily that still offers some suspense, then you’ve absolutely come to the right place. But, if you’re more in the market for a side of intellectual stimulation with your killer thriller, then you may want to side step this one; you want find a lot of that here. 3 stars. ***

Entertaining, one-sitting read. Would be good for a plane ride - would also probably make a great audiobook.

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a unique novella following the perspective of a young woman, Korede, living in Lagos, Nigeria. Korede is a nurse and seems to lead a fairly normal life; she is on the straight and narrow, if you will. 'Normal' until you discover that Korede's younger sister, Ayoola, kills all of her boyfriends and then calls on Korede to help clean up the mess!

I did fluctuate throughout the story between feeling bad for Korede for all the bullshit she had to put up with and being angry at her for not standing up to her damn sister. It was like every other chapter, like a seesaw. Ultimately I wish it would have gone a different way. I really was hoping Korede would make more growth as a character and fight back against the treatments and judgments laid on her. This is a novella though, very short, and I just don't think there was enough time for her character to get there.

Overall, I felt the story was compelling, it definitely kept me interested and was unique. Thank you to the publisher, Doubleday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity and I know a lot of people will enjoy this little tale. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Braithwaite. I like her style!

Book RevIew: My Sister, the Serial Killer

This was a fun short twisty book between two sisters where one is a serial killer. In this book, we discovered that they had an abusive father who shaped their relationship.

The opening scene we are in the set of the Ayoola’s third killing while Kerode is cleaning it up. The book moves fast from then. We discover that Kerode likes a doctor who in turns after meeting Ayoola he is enchanted with her. We are afraid that he is going to be Ayoola’s fifth victim. Oh yeah Ayoola, kills a fourth men. She is a serial killer.

What I like about this book is that is set in Lagos, Nigeria. It was awesome to be transported to a new to me setting.

My only gripe was the ending. Who was that man? What did he wanted with Kerode?

My feels: If you like reading about serial killers, this is a fun book to read. It’s a short, quick pace reading.

Book Review will be published on What to Read Next Blog in December 2018. This book will also be featured in What to Read Next Podcast in December 2018.