Rating: 8/10
When I found this book at a thrift store for $3 I had to grab it. I had seen this one all over bookstagram and I was intrigued. I was surprised at how small the book was: just 223 pages in a book the size of a mass market paperback (and I'm talking about the hardcover edition). I read 90% of it in one night. To be fair, the drama is really what kept me going. Clearly, I really enjoyed this book. Though, I may be a little biased because I picked it up after struggling part of the way through a book that I despised. After that other book, pretty much anything was a good read. However, I thought It was a really strong debut from Braithwaite. To be fair, I have seen quite a few mixed reviews. I get it, the layout is kind of awkward and I still don't know what genre I would place this book in. I really enjoyed what I read and I'll tell you why, let's get on to the review.
Summary from Amazon:
"Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead.
Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her “missing” boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.
Korede has long been in love with a kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where she works. She dreams of the day when he will realize that she’s exactly what he needs. But when he asks Korede for Ayoola’s phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and how far she’s willing to go to protect her.
Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s deliciously deadly debut is as fun as it is frightening."
Let me start by telling you, this book is really about the dynamic between Korede and her murderous sister Ayoola. It isn't really about the murders so if you head into this expecting a lot of action and anxiety, you'll be disappointed. The book certainly mentions the murders, but they really aren't the focal point. This is the story about Korede struggling to accept what her sister is, even while enabling her behavior just like everyone always has. It has everything to do with their dynamic as sisters, and the struggle of whether to do the right thing or to protect your family. I think it certainly could've benefitted from more focus on the crimes, but it just didn't.
I liked the way that Braithwaite described the main characters. The reader was truly able to impart the lack of empathy from Ayoola. She was the epitome of a serial killer, but only in actions. Her beauty and charm really distracted everyone, to all those except Korede, she was just beautiful, sweet Ayoola. But we all know who she is inside, there really wasn't anything left emotionally. She was selfish and impulsive, just utterly unconcerned with anyone around her. Braithwaite did an amazing job with Ayoola, and she also did a great job with Korede. Korede was the perfect foil for Ayoola, she was everything that Ayoola wasn't. She was caring, responsible, and sensible. Emotionally though, I didn't think they were too far off from one another. Even though Korede did feel empathy towards others. Things that have happened to her throughout her life have made her jaded and sharp to the point of hardness. She has a chip on her shoulder and she's afraid of vulnerability. They're both very interesting characters (though obviously Korede>Ayoola).
Braithwaite also has a very simple, but descriptive way of writing. I thought it was very well-done. She has a way of describing places and events that just really allow you to feel immersed in the story. Sights and smells were just impeccably described to the reader. It wasn't overdone either. It was clear that she made careful use of her descriptions, she didn't just throw in ill-fitting adjectives. In terms of descriptions, the way she wrote the dialogue between the characters was also very well done. It felt incredibly realistic and it just flowed. It certainly took some getting used to at first. The book is based in Nigeria so the characters have a different tone of English at times. The main characters don't, but some of the minor characters do, especially the characters who aren't as educated. Reading a story based in Nigeria was really interesting though. The culture and the pressures that the main characters faced was really fascinating. Just, the story being based in Nigeria was really refreshing.
I started with the good, so obviously I also have to go into the bad. This book could have been much longer than it was. I know that I mentioned the length at the beginning, but it really ended up taking away from the story. There was so much more that could have been explored but just wasn't. Only one of the murders was ever really in focus. I think it would have been enlightening to learn about the first murder. I would have liked to have known more of the impact of that. Many of the minor characters were also pretty one-dimensional. Plus, the ending was really frustrating. It just should have been longer, it really needed it. The problems I had could have been solved if the book was longer. The way the chapters were laid out was also kind of strange. I don't even think I should call them chapters, sections maybe? They were literally like a couple pages long. I doubt there was a section/chapter that was longer than five pages. It really didn't sit right with me. It felt like it broke up the story a lot more than it needed to.
The problems that I had were relatively minor. I think it was an interesting book with an interesting dynamic. I didn't mind that the murders weren't really the focus of the book. The familial drama and Korede's struggle to understand her sister was compelling enough for me. It really touched on things like gender and how willing people are to just kind of brush off women. Because she was a woman, Ayoola wasn't seen as a threat. Tade straight up brushed off Korede's serious claim just because he thought she was being silly and jealous. There are certainly some big gender aspects of the book that should not be taken for granted. It is just one of the things that makes this book an awesome read. Once again, this isn't much of a thriller and there isn't much in terms of actual action. But if you like a lot of good family drama and characters dealing with the aftermath of murder, then this book is it.
#bookreview #review #books #mysistertheserialkiller #oyinkanbraithwaite #thriller #comedy #drama #bookrecommendation #recommendation