Reviews tagging Physical abuse
Meine Schwester, die Serienmörderin, by Oyinkan Braithwaite
130 reviews
imanithecowboy's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
this is a fantastic book written by an awesome nigerian novelist. her use of flashbacks and humor is really well done. this book is about the lengths we go to to protect our loved ones. the main character, Korede, starts the novel by cleaning up after her sister, Ayoola, who has just killed her third boyfriend. however, when Ayoola starts dating Korede's love interest, things get even messier.
this book had me laughing out loud and on the edge of my seat. however, i think Braithwaite tries to pack in some storylines without ever going anywhere with them. i really enjoyed this book, but wanted more follow-through. the characters are awesome, but i think the book could have been longer and more fleshed-out (surprisingly). still highly recommend!
this book had me laughing out loud and on the edge of my seat. however, i think Braithwaite tries to pack in some storylines without ever going anywhere with them. i really enjoyed this book, but wanted more follow-through. the characters are awesome, but i think the book could have been longer and more fleshed-out (surprisingly). still highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Death, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse
iheartm4m's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, and Violence
cmrosens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this. It's a fast-paced read and the tension between the characters keeps pulling you through the story! I started it for book club and then ADHD happened and I forgot all about it for a few months, very glad I picked it up again and this time just devoured it. I love the exploration of family and sibling rivalry and loyalty, but also the different motivations for remaining loyal to someone with whom you have a difficult and complex relationship. There was enough backstory to fill in the blanks, and to infer a lot of the motives that the narrator had and didn't explicitly talk about, and I loved the way it left things open and didn't sacrifice the pacing for info dumps or introspection.
Not that it lacked any of that - the whole book is quiet, contained, and the action in it is mostly off-page, since the narrator is the one with the routine and quiet personal life. That just makes the gap between the sisters more intense and adds to the sense of difference between them.
Read this if:
- you like fast, light-toned reads about darker subject matter
- you're ok to read books that deal with domestic abuse (physical) towards wife and children, the punishment for which is hinted at
- you like unreliable narrators, and stories told in a mix of longer and shorter sections that feed smoothly into the whole picture like a jigsaw puzzle, so you can see the whole shape if you read between the lines as well as the lines themselves
- you want a reflective, tense story about siblings and the nature of twisted sibling relationships, disappointed/thwarted/unrequited love, and the complex adulthood pain of being eclipsed and disbelieved simply by not being the 'pretty sister', rather than an action-packed gorefest or police procedural (it's neither of these)
Not that it lacked any of that - the whole book is quiet, contained, and the action in it is mostly off-page, since the narrator is the one with the routine and quiet personal life. That just makes the gap between the sisters more intense and adds to the sense of difference between them.
Read this if:
- you like fast, light-toned reads about darker subject matter
- you're ok to read books that deal with domestic abuse (physical) towards wife and children, the punishment for which is hinted at
- you like unreliable narrators, and stories told in a mix of longer and shorter sections that feed smoothly into the whole picture like a jigsaw puzzle, so you can see the whole shape if you read between the lines as well as the lines themselves
- you want a reflective, tense story about siblings and the nature of twisted sibling relationships, disappointed/thwarted/unrequited love, and the complex adulthood pain of being eclipsed and disbelieved simply by not being the 'pretty sister', rather than an action-packed gorefest or police procedural (it's neither of these)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Murder, Death, Injury/injury detail, and Blood
fnreb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Murder
junefish's review against another edition
dark
funny
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Minor: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Infidelity
mooshake's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
caroberk's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Physical abuse
yaoipaddle's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Drug use
kace's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Grief, and Gore
sealreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
I understand why this book doesn't work for some, but it hit deeply for me that bond that forms between siblings suffering abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse