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My Sister, the Serial Killer
A Novel
eBook - 2018
"Pulpy, peppery and sinister, served up in a comic deadpan...This scorpion-tailed little thriller leaves a response, and a sting, you will remember."—NEW YORK TIMES
"The wittiest and most fun murder party you've ever been invited to."—MARIE CLAIRE
WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR MYSTERY/THRILLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 WOMEN'S PRIZE
A short, darkly funny, hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends
"Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer."
Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row is dead.
Korede's practicality is the sisters' saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her "missing" boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.
Korede has long been in love with a kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where she works. She dreams of the day when he will realize that she's exactly what he needs. But when he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and how far she's willing to go to protect her.
Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite's deliciously deadly debut is as fun as it is frightening.
"The wittiest and most fun murder party you've ever been invited to."—MARIE CLAIRE
WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR MYSTERY/THRILLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 WOMEN'S PRIZE
A short, darkly funny, hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends
"Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer."
Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row is dead.
Korede's practicality is the sisters' saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her "missing" boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.
Korede has long been in love with a kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where she works. She dreams of the day when he will realize that she's exactly what he needs. But when he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and how far she's willing to go to protect her.
Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite's deliciously deadly debut is as fun as it is frightening.
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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
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Add a SummaryThis is a story about 2 sisters that have a typical sister relationship with ups and downs. They are there for each other when their abusive father gets angry. Korede is the older sister, is the one that tries to take care of everyone and works as a nurse at the hospital in Nigeria. Ayoola is beautiful and everyone loves her and wants to be with her, but she cares mostly about herself. Ayoola calls her sister whenever she gets into trouble and Korede always comes and cleans everything up. She has learned a few tricks working at the hospital. Things change when Ayoola starts dating the man that Korede has her eye on. This book was fast paced and contains dark humor. It was a fun and interesting read.
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WhiteKnuckleKnitter
Oct 14, 2020
The bonds of sisterhood are strained in this darkly humorous crime novel. Korede is the complete opposite of her younger sister Ayoola. Ayoola is beautiful, charismatic and charming where Korede is plain and methodical. Korede is a nurse, a key factor is what Ayoola uses her for - cleaning up after she murders the men she is dating. Korede knows Ayoola is out of control, but quietly aids her sister until Ayoola sets her sights on the man Korede is secretly in love with.
Korede was just settling in for the night when she get's a call from her sister; dinner was coming out of the oven, the movie was paused, the night was set. A call from Ayoola means her dinner will get cold, the movie will be removed, bleach and gloves will need to be packed, and a plan to dispose of the body will need to be thought of quick.
Korede, next the her sister, homely and tedious. Ayoola, since birth, attractiveness and "Innocent." Korede and Ayoola are eachother's best friends; the serial killer and the protector. Ayoola kills without remorse, and Korede cleans away the proof and sins.
When Ayoola attracts Korede's crush, Korede begins to question her role as protector, and debates whether or not to let her sister go to jail.
How long can Korede keep up these charades when the police are getting suspicious of all the missing men Ayoola is involved with?
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ReadingAdviser_Sally
Apr 26, 2019
He once told me you had to feed the cow before you slaughter it; it was the way of life.
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Add a CommentI was a bit disappointed by this story, as I felt like it had a lot of potential and did not live up to my expectations. I felt like Korede was a great character, but completely misrepresented herself and gave up on everything to help her sister. Ayoola as a character annoyed me and I found her to be very one note. Quick read, great concept but missed the mark for me.
This book was a very quick read but an enjoyable one. Took me a few hours to burn through it and I personally enjoyed the ending. A very satisfying book to go through. The characters are imperfect, well thought out and unique. I found myself growing frustrated with Korede but also sympathizing with her and her dilemma of protecting either her sister or the man she loves. I am really looking forward to other books this author may come out with in the future. Great read.
Despite the slasher title, this is a fine read. I could hear Korede speaking in every sentence. Helping her sister cover up murders is her calling. Just as she has always protected her. But now, Korede wants this man but he is in love with her sister. Will family win?
Korede, a no-nonsense nurse in Nigeria, has always taken care of her beautiful younger sister Ayoola. This familial loyalty is stretched to the limit when Ayoola turns to Korede for help after her boyfriend turns up dead ... again. Dark, funny and very entertaining.
A terrifying and absolutely chilling story that will make you ask yourself just how well you know those close to you. An exceptionally enjoyable book if you are looking for a short, exciting read. Oyinkan Braithwaite creates a tale with a twist in every chapter and I finished it in one day! This book isn’t so much of a mystery but it is definitely scary and worth the read. The author does a fantastic job of communicating the morals of the story, and I loved the way the book was narrated and how it ended up playing out. If you like psychological thrillers than this book is definite must-read. Wouldn’t recommend it if you are looking to start a series or a long book as this is only about 230 pages, give or take a few. Rating: 5 stars!
@QuizzicalKiwi1806 of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board
This book hits so many notes for me: an apathetic female lead, dark humor, sisterly bonds, murder. Did I just say I like to read books about murder? Yes, yes I did. Don’t @ me. Unlike other suspenseful novels with unreliable narrators, Korede is a straight-forward, honest narrator which allows the reader to inhabit her world to a greater degree. Her sister is a straight-up killer (who always cries self-defense) and Korede cleans up after her time and again. This delightfully dark novel is short and compelling. A great novel for people looking to wade into the darker side of fiction but don’t know where to start. Highly recommend.
Had to check this book out after reading Nikita-Kiran Singh's review of it in The Wandered. Was not disappointed.
What a fun, maddening read!
I actually really loved this story. My hatred of Ayoola is real and my frustration with Korede is overpowering. I just wanted to shake her the entire novel. Well written and definitely leaves you with a sense of unease and dissatisfaction, but in the best way.
It was a decent book, pretty fast-paced. The ending surprised me however.