I have a feeling I’ve said this before but let me say it again: I love short reads. Books that I can finish in a single sitting. There’s something about finishing a book in a day that makes me feel extremely accomplished. There’s pretty much nothing that can go wrong that day and even if something does, I feel I can deal with it. It helps to have an entire story bouncing around in my head and characters to love and hate that I don’t actually have to deal with in real life. It’s the best kind of feeling.

I picked up Nigerian writer Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel ‘My Sister, The Serial Killer’ as I wanted to read more works by authors of color. This past year, I’ve read works that have same sex romance or are written by those belonging to the LGBTIQA+ community. They have been refreshing and enlightening. For 2022, my agenda is to read more diversely, meaning I want to read across genres and include Asian and African authors and others of mixed ethnicities on my TBR.

My Sister, The Serial Killer is the story of two sisters—Korede and Ayoola—one of whom is a nurse and the other a murderer. This isn’t, however, a thriller. Braithwaite explores the relationship between two siblings who have had a difficult childhood and are shaped by it. Korede, the older of the two, thinks it’s her duty to protect her little sister. It was what her mother told her when Ayoola was a baby and it has stayed with her since then. That is why she helps Ayoola dispose of the bodies of boyfriends that she kills in ‘self-defense’. The opening scene has Korede scrubbing the bathroom to remove every trace of blood but finding it difficult to thoroughly clean the area between the shower and the caulking. It’s an engrossing start.

Also read: ‘We Are Okay’ book review: A simple, touching read 

Korede wants to believe her sister kills to protect herself when her boyfriends become abusive and attack her. But she increasingly becomes suspicious that something is wrong with Ayoola. When Ayoola starts dating the cute doctor at the hospital where Korede works, Korede knows she must do something to save him. It doesn’t help that Korede has a crush on him. Though Dr Tade Otumu has a lot of admiration and affection for Korede, he quickly casts her aside for Ayoola. So smitten is he with her, he is willing to do anything she wants. He doesn’t believe Korede when she tells him Ayoola has killed before and that he might be in danger. Rather, he thinks Korede is the evil one—jealous of her sister and wanting to sabotage her relationship.

Braithwaite’s writing is simple and sharp and coupled with the story’s concept, My Sister, The Serial Killer is scary, funny, and insightful at the same time. It’s unlike anything I have ever read and though the ending leaves you wanting more, it’s precisely why the story stays with you long after you finish the book.

My Sister, The Serial Killer

Four stars
Fiction
Oyinkan Braithwaite
Published: 2018
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 226, Paperback