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

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

381 reviews

pacifickat's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Enjoyable shorter read that pulled me in from start to finish. I like that it was told largely through little vingetes from the sister Korede's first-person point of view. I liked the sprinkling of reveals throughout that flip your assumptions at every turn. The ending moved it from a decent 4 to solid 4.5 stars for me.

The audio narration by Adepero Oduye was brilliant and helped me better connect with the setting and culture of the characters.

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jenlengland's review

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dark medium-paced

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

4.5

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liv_ldn's review

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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chris_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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stellahadz's review

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dark 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

Despite its dark themes, this was a fast-paced, entertaining read. The prose is simple yet effective in capturing the essence of each character within a relatively short number of pages. I actually wish the book had been a bit longer so the ending could have tied up some loose ends, but I still really enjoyed it. It subverts expectations of its genre - it's less about the serial killer herself, and more about the narrator, her sister Korede, who feels a sense of duty and protection towards her. Ultimately, it's less a story about crime and more a story about sibling dynamics and the question of how far you would go to protect someone you love.

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padi390's review

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

Firstly, I haven't read a Nigerian book I felt as connected to as this one. As a Nigerian, born and bred, the setting took me back home. I could almost smell the food as It was described and the Yoruba took me back to the markets with my mum. As much as I liked the setting the only critique I have about it is that didn't feel like Lagos at times. The hustle and bustle of Lagos is something else, where it feels like no matter where you go there are just too many people and it didn't always feel like that when reading. But I suppose that was because things always happened either in their house or at the hospital.
As an older sister myself, this was a very apt (but exaggerated) way of describing what it is like being the eldest. Your siblings can do no wrong. Their messes are your fault. If they do something bad why didn't you teach them better, why weren't you there for them? You are supposed to be the confidant, the teacher, the help. You are supposed to be extraordinary so they can be ordinary.
I would have loved it if the author had gone into more detail with some of the relationships. Such as that between Korede and her mum. I honestly wouldn't have minded if the book was longer so we could further explore some of the relationships.

The man smiles. I smile back

I don't really believe this is a spoiler, but if it is I'm sorry. This line I had to sit with for a bit because it showcased what I feel a lot of the time. It is a never-ending cycle being the oldest sibling and it gets to the point where you just have to smile and bear it because what can you do but be there for them? Even if at times it is to our detriment.
The ending wasn't as punchy as I hoped and I think fell flat. For a book that was fast-paced and packed with big emotions I just wish there had been something more. Don't ask me what but that was what I got from it.
A very solid 3.5, maybe 3.75⭐. I would like to read other works from this author.

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lyall_reads's review

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dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Engagingly written and poking at some interesting ideas re: gendered violence and familial duty, but ends so anticlimactically that I felt more frustrated than anything else. If there’s 3 plot threads we’re following and all 3 end without major change from status quo, it makes the story feel a bit pointless if nevertheless a quick/enjoyable read. I liked how grounded in place the story felt re: Lagos and how well sketched out the family dynamics were despite the short length. It’s just that it doesn’t end up going anywhere- even internally for our MC.

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