Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
167 reviews
asinglebird's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying
ka_ke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
3.0
It’s okay. I appreciate the complexity behind the need to protect ones sister, and protecting oneself by reporting the crime. It’s not easy to be in that position and I believe it was portrayed well.
Otherwise the book gets very repetitive and eventually you figure out where it’s going
Otherwise the book gets very repetitive and eventually you figure out where it’s going
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Gore, Bullying, Grief, Mental illness, and Death of parent
books_hay's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
yomireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.75
What I love most about this book are the evolving characters. From the beginning to the end of the book I wouldn't say there's a whole lot of growth for any character in particular; however, the non linear story-telling adds complexity to what could easy be written off as "she's good, she's bad, and its always been this way." Though through the haggard circumstances of murder, the fraught nature of sibling dynamics is well realized as they squabble with each other, harp about each other, and love each other.
Usually the overall lack of growth would be a very big disappointment to me, but the sense of dread and feeling of inevitability that surrounds the conclusion of this book feels very nuanced to me. And though it's a small change,
Stylistically, I also found the chapters to be just a smidgen too short. I don't mind quick chapters, but sometimes keeping the chapters so brief feels like it's cutting the plot and story momentum off at the knees. I know this isnt a largely popular opinion, so take that as you will.
Usually the overall lack of growth would be a very big disappointment to me, but the sense of dread and feeling of inevitability that surrounds the conclusion of this book feels very nuanced to me. And though it's a small change,
Spoiler
there is a sense of the sister's relationship become more resolute and settled.Stylistically, I also found the chapters to be just a smidgen too short. I don't mind quick chapters, but sometimes keeping the chapters so brief feels like it's cutting the plot and story momentum off at the knees. I know this isnt a largely popular opinion, so take that as you will.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Misogyny and Gaslighting
Minor: Physical abuse and Medical content
lutzstaacke's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-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
2.75
Der fesselnde Titel und das vielversprechende Cover waren es, die mich zu “Meine Schwester, die Serienmörderin” von Oyinkan Braithwaite gezogen haben. Zudem war ich neugierig auf ein Buch einer schwarzen Autorin, das in der Welt des Thrillers angesiedelt ist.
Die Hauptfigur Korede hat mein Herz erobert. Ihre Opferbereitschaft, alles für ihre mordende Schwester Ayoola zu tun, berührte mich zutiefst. Obwohl Ayoola am Anfang schwer zugänglich war, gewann sie im Verlauf der Geschichte an Sympathie.
Das Buch fällt in das Genre des Thrillers, jedoch ohne die erwartete Düsternis. Die Morde stehen eher im Hintergrund, was mich überraschte. Ich hatte mehr Leichen erwartet, aber die Autorin konzentriert sich stattdessen auf die Beziehung der beiden Schwestern zueinander.
Der Erzählstil des Buches war für mich eine Herausforderung. Die Erzählung sprang oft zwischen verschiedenen Zeiten und Orten hin und her, was es schwer machte, den Überblick zu behalten. Die einfach gehaltenen Kapitel trugen ebenfalls dazu bei, dass ich mich manchmal verloren fühlte.
Eine Botschaft, die ich aus diesem Buch ziehe, ist die Tiefe der Bindung zwischen Geschwistern, selbst in den widrigsten Umständen. Es war schön zu sehen, wie Korede und Ayoola füreinander da sind, obwohl sie in moralischen Dilemmata verstrickt sind.
Leider konnte mich die Handlung nicht immer fesseln. Die Nebenfiguren wurden zwar erwähnt, aber nicht ausreichend entwickelt, was es schwer machte, sie zu verfolgen.
Die Atmosphäre des Buches blieb oberflächlich, und ich wünschte, die Autorin hätte sich mehr auf die Handlung konzentriert. Ein tieferer Einblick in die Morde und mehr Handlung hätten dem Buch gutgetan.
Das Ende war solide, obwohl ich mir eine stärkere Auflösung gewünscht hätte. Die Vertiefung der Beziehung zwischen den Schwestern war positiv, aber eine gewisse Form der Bestrafung hätte das Buch möglicherweise stärker abgerundet.
Alles in allem würde ich “Meine Schwester, die Serienmörderin” jungen Erwachsenen und Fans von leichteren Krimis und Thrillern empfehlen. Es ist eine Geschichte über familiäre Bindungen und Moral in ungewöhnlichen Umständen, die trotz einiger Schwächen in der Handlung und im Erzählstil fesselt.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, and Domestic abuse
augustinedreams's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gore, Blood, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Police brutality
roseangel2's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Murder
hayleyvem's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction
heather_harrison's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
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
I could not get enough of the audio book of "My Sister, the Serial Killer" - after picking this up on a whim and hearing some mixed reviews, I really enjoyed this.
It walks the line between dark and funny. The writing is direct, and often sardonic.
It walks the line between dark and funny. The writing is direct, and often sardonic.
Korede is a plain no-nonsense woman, a nurse, and older sister.
Ayoola is her beautiful younger sister who can seemingly do no wrong. Except for the trail of dead men she seems to leave in her wake.
Ayoola is her beautiful younger sister who can seemingly do no wrong. Except for the trail of dead men she seems to leave in her wake.
Femi makes three, you know. Three, and they label you a serial killer.
I found both Korede and Ayoola absolutely fascinating, and their relationship is like a train wreck (you can't help but not look away). It is simultaneously disturbing and delicious.
"I am the older sister—I am responsible for Ayoola. That's how it has always been. Ayoola would break a glass, and I would receive the blame for giving her the drink. Ayoola would fail a class, and I would be blamed for not coaching her. Ayoola would take an apple and leave the store without paying for it, and I would be blamed for letting her get hungry."
For anyone who is an older sibling, this not an wholely accurate representation per se, but you will feel so seen in how this book handles the expectations and complexities!
“It’s because she is beautiful, you know. That’s all it is. They don’t really care about the rest of it. She gets a pass at life.”
For a piece of writing that is so dark, funny and light - this does a pretty solid job at reflecting on not just women in patriarchal society, but also the weaponisation of beauty.
For those that get it, get it - a fresh punchy piece of feminist satire.
For those that get it, get it - a fresh punchy piece of feminist satire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent
ahhhreadzombiez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book hmm… I got through it very fast (in two days, really) but does that mean I enjoyed it? Well, not exactly. I didn’t enjoy the characters; it’s very hard to read a book when you don’t like a single character in it. And I can’t help but feel I continued to read it because I wanted to just see it through to the end and hope, just really hope that the characters would have some type of development that would make them just a tad bit enjoyable. It was just a tragic story with what felt like no real point. I wish I liked this more, but it just… didn’t do it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Grief, and Child abuse
Moderate: Rape and Pedophilia