My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyin Braithwaite

FRIDAY FAVOURITE

I love it when a book surprises me and My Sister, The Serial Killer, did just that. I’d read a lot of great reviews but given that it was regularly described as funny — well, call me Scrooge, but comedy in books just isn’t my thing.

This novel though most definitely was. It is the story of two sisters — Korede, a sensible and well-respected nurse, and Ayoola, who is beautiful, kinda ditsy and oh, she also happens to be — you guessed it — a serial killer. 

When Ayoola’s interest is sparked by a doctor, Tade, who works at the hospital where Korede is a nurse, a doctor who also happens to be the man Korede is in love with, things get somewhat complicated. To say the very least.

I so enjoyed reading this novel. The plot felt completely fresh and original and I found myself utterly invested in these sisters and the challenges posed by the familial ties that bound them together — even in the most challenging of times. I didn’t necessarily like them all of the time but I was immersed in them. They were real to me.

And yes, it was funny —.very funny at moments — but darkly so, in a way which really, really worked. On one level, an easy read — I devoured it in an evening — but also one with a measure of complexity that I found so satisfying. A hugely impressive debut, I look forward to whatever Braithwaite brings to the table next.

~ Sophie