Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Meine Schwester, die Serienmörderin

I listened to the audio book and I liked it well enough. I related to Korede a lot. If you are only interested in the serial killer aspect to the story then this book may not be for you. But if you are interested in the relationship that sisters share with eachother or siblings share with each other then I would recommend it.

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islesbiyana's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.25

“Ayoola needs me; she needs me more than I need untainted hands.”

Rating — 2.5 stars ★★★☆☆
Representation — Nigerian main and side characters
TW/CWs — Murder, Stabbing, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Cheating, Pedophilia, Implied rape

In spite of the intrigue that the title, premise, and opening provide altogether, the overall consensus for Braithwaite's novella is that it's less of a tension-filled thriller, and more of a straightforward anecdote on sisterhood. The presumption that we could be following Korede's attempts in preventing Ayoola from killing each of her boyfriends under a Dark Comedy-esque tone was what made this one of my most anticipated reads. Unfortunately, we didn't get that, even the satirical humor flew over my head. We're left just as confused as Korede on her sister's motives with only vague implications; I was under the impression that those men were abusive pricks, however, whether on purpose or not, that was left undetailed. We really only focus on two particular guys, but I'm still left unsure on why one of them had such an impact on Korede's conscience. Meanwhile, the other's presence as an obstacle between the sisters felt a bit too… trivial. I feel like we didn't need too much of the love triangle's dramatics. Especially when the guy was quite dull and callous. I did enjoy this particular exchange, where Korede questions his love for her sister—not as a jealous admirer, but a concerned sister and colleague:

“Tade…what do you like about my sister?”

“Everything.”
“But if you had to be specific.”

“Well…she is…she is really special.”
“Okay…but what makes her special?”

“She is just so…I mean, she is beautiful and perfect. I’ve never wanted to be with someone this much.”

I rub my forehead with my fingers. He fails to point out the fact that she laughs at the silliest things and never holds a grudge. He hasn’t mentioned how quick she is to cheat at games or that she can hemstitch a skirt without even looking at her fingers. He doesn’t know her best features or her…darkest secrets. And he doesn’t seem to care.

I can still verify that My Sister, the Serial Killer is a worthwhile pick, especially if you're looking for a fast-paced and easily consumable read. While I had hoped for more complexities and development within the characters, I supposed their dynamic could have a much stronger impact on anyone with sisters, possibly with a similar relationship as Korede and Ayoola's. Just keep in mind that this is moreso a tale about protecting and prioritizing biological family above all than a crime thriller brimmed with chaos.

Overall, a story that holds so much promise, only for the final product to offer unsatisfactory and jejune results, and still, Braithwaite manages to keep you engaged with their accessible, candid writing and solid narrative. Looking forward to seeing their growth from their debut.

“Pain has a way of sharpening your senses. / I can still remember the smell of our fear—acidic, metallic, sharper even than the smell of vomit.”

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galexy_brain's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

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alexvb's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Men ain't shit. Men deserve shit.

This book infuriated me in the best way - in the entertaining way:
So many times I wanted to smash Korede against a wall because there were so many better options but she stuck to her side the entire way through. A lot of stuff could've been solved if she actually spoke up for herself. If she actually told Tade she liked him and told her sister to properly back tf off from the begnning.
But also, it was infuritating to watch a decent man be manipulated into believing someone he's known for LESS time than a friend he seemed to genuinely get along with, all because the other person is more beautiful.

I personally don't like the end -- it's not the ending I would've chosen, HOWEVER, I completely see and understand why this was the ending. I really wanted shit to hit the fan and for a certain someone to get their just desserts -- especially with that little note book with ALL the names in! I really thought it was going to be used at the end there.

At 34% through I was predicting for these things to happen:

Spoiler

I see the plot now, our MC tries to stop her sister from killing him, and hopefully the sister gets caught and gets sent to Jail.

Plot twist, is Tade IS a PoS right at the end and our MC doesn't like him anymore (OR extra plot twist, our MC kills him herself, and she hands her self in admitting to ALL the murders).

There were quite a few comments from our MC talking about her sister which seemed a little weird to me? I felt like certain comments weren't approaprite for how you talk about your sister? And maybe her being weird is what we're supposed to feel, but I wasn't completely sure.

I have one legit plot question for this book though: Are there no security cameras in apartment lots and hospitals in the country this book is set in? I feel like they would've been CAUGHT if there were. But we're never really told if they're there or not.

TLDR: I enjoyed reading this a lot and it boiled my blood in the best way (people suck and deserve to eat shit) even though the ending was a little unsatifactory for me.

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yarelhdi's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

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

4.5

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stfrancisjude's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

3.5

i had a lot of fun reading this and i flew through it!! it’s super fast paced and has a great plot. i just wish the characters were a little better developed, and i didn’t love the writing.

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nicole_schmid's review against another edition

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dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

This book has a very intriguing concept, written neither in the POV of the serial killer nor the detective trying to stop them, but the killer's sister. We follow her struggles as she is torn between helping her baby sister and giving justice to her victims, especially considering that her newest victim is someone she herself is interested in.
The ending was a bit predictable, I found, but enough doubt was shed onto the conclusion that I was not completely sure. Refreshingly, this is not a cheesy romance movie ending where everything ends well and everyone is happy.

Spoiler

The protective big sister remains as such, choosing her family and moral code over justice and the man she loves.

Overall, I do not think this book is especially outstanding (excepting the fact that it is set in an African country without being about racism, colonialism or the aftereffects thereof), but I quite enjoyed it and it was a quick and engaging read.

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