I've Read My Sister, the Serial Killer, Now What?
I saw Oyinkan Braithwaite at Crossing Border and she was so fun there, that I was really looking forward to reading her novel. The premise was also great, two sisters of which one is a serial killer and the other helps clean up the murders. What's not to love? Unfortunately, the book itself turned out to be merely ok. It was a really short read and besides the first murders, not a lot happens. I did enjoy the sibling rivalry in the book and the way the sisters acted towards each other, but it wasn't enough to really carry an entire novel.
It's been a while since our book club, but I remember that most of us agreed on this. It definitely was an easy read, one that was pretty fun, but ultimately not satisfying enough as either a crime novel or as a literary one. It fell a little short of both, leaving us with an unfinished feeling.
But we will recommend more novels about sisters, about female rivalry, and about Nigeria. So if you liked some of the aspects of My Sister, the Serial Killer, these recommendations are for you! We also have discussion questions at the end of the post, just in case you're reading the book with your own book club. Feel free to leave any other recommendations for this book in the comments!
Reading recommendations for My Sister, the Serial Killer
My Sister, the Serial Killer is Oyinkan Braithwaite's first novel. She has published some short stories, however. One is in a collection called Icatha: The Soul Eater, which is a collection of 5 short stories about Nigerian Folklore. Braithwaite has the title story about a soul-eating demon. This way you'll read more by Braithwaite and learn about Nigerian folklore!.
At the heart of the novel is the relationship between the two sisters. The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls does something similar but adds a third sister. The novel is about three sisters. The oldest one, Althea, has always acted like a substitute mother, but when she gets arrested, the other two sisters suddenly need to pick up the slack and take care of Althea's teenage daughters. Gray explores sisterly bonds, how they can be strengthened and broken.
Our last book is a recommendation by Braithwaite herself. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives is about a woman marrying into a polygamous family. No one understands why she makes this decision. The woman is educated, but then it turns out she has trouble conceiving a child. According to Braithwaite, the book has a hilarious twist, so be prepared for that!
Discussion Questions for My Sister, the Serial Killer
Why does Korede keep covering for Ayoola? How would you act if you were in her shoes?
How does Ayoola feel about the murders? Does she think she's at fault?
I had a hard time finding other books to recommend that were about female serial killers. Why do we have so few books about this, but so many about male serial killers?
Did you find the relationship between the two sisters believable?