My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was not what I expected at all. Based on the title, I was expecting much more of a thriller/mystery novel. Yes, there is an element of mystery, but this is much more a general literary fiction novel, than anything else. Maybe this is why I wasn’t as invested in the book as I had expected. I did listen to it on audio and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the progresses and at the amazing job the narrator does.
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, the story centers around two sisters. Korede is a nurse and older sister to social media influencer, Ayoola. Korede’s character basically plays into the archetype of the responsible, but less pretty, older sister who feels she has to “raise” her younger sister. Ayoola is the archetypal pretty, irresponsible younger sister to whom no one says no and never faces the consequences of her actions. The plot revolves around Korede’s reflections on the many men who end up dead after being in a relationship with Ayoola. Korede is conflicted about whether she should stop enabling Ayoola or whether their fates are tied together.
I recognize that I may not be the target audience for this book. That played a little into my evaluation and connection with the book. I do not have a sister, nor have I been a sister. I wonder what women who are sisters would think of this book. To me, it seemed like the two sisters spent all their time jockeying for men, sometimes the same guys. And that this was the main conflict in their relationships. Korede touches on the fact that her sister is the family favorite, and to that I can relate (maybe all older siblings feel this way?), but that takes a back seat to all of the drama between Korede and Ayoola based on men. Because of these questions I think this would make a good book club pick, especially for a mixed-gender group. I would be curious to hear from women what they thought of the characters and how genuine the conflicts between Korede and Ayoola really are.
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