My Sister, the Serial Killer

By: Oyinkan Braithwaite

Narrated by: Weruche Opia

Nominated for the Booker Prize 2019.

Shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favourite 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.

A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realise they're perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it. Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite has written a deliciously deadly debut that's as fun as it is frightening.

©2018 Oyinkan Braithwaite (P)2018 W. F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"A literary sensation." (Guardian)

"A bombshell of a book.... Sharp, explosive, hilarious." (New York Times)

enjoyable

loved it, short so listened in one go. narration easy on the ear & fluid

A wonderful look into Nigerian life

Of course the most captivating part of this story is the relationship between sisters; one murderous, the other somewhat innocent but I really enjoyed the look into Nigerian life alongside all of this - the commentary on class, religion, cuisine, fashion, work etc. Wonderful book

A must listen

brilliant!! well written well dictated. weruche did justice to the book. The subtle differences in the Nigerian accents were again brilliant..

More than a favour

When the Dr said you’re worse than her (Ayoola), that was it for me. Understanding that by helping to clean up she got her hands dirty. I actually enjoyed this book it was easy to follow.

A bit o a stretch--but entertaining

Decently written. Interesting premise. Not especially believable. Well narrated. Very god for a 5 hour car ride. My main disappointment was that the socio-cultural background didn't figure more prominently.

Gripping

Once I started listening, I didn’t stop. It’s very entertaining and not so unrealistic that it couldn’t be real. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s also very well read.

Interesting

Good narrator i like her accent. Ok short story it was interesting to listen to.

Quicky and Enjoyable

My Sister, the Serial Killer is set in present day Lagos, painting a background of an ordinary hardworking woman, living an ordinary middle class life.

The plot however is not ordinary, and delivers everything the title promises (there is a sister and she is a serial killer). The writing is sharp and entertaining with interesting characters. The pacing is brisk, with exposition flowing naturally into the main tale. Together, all this makes for the kind of book that is easy to get lost in and finish in one sitting.

Weruche Opia's narration felt very natural and easy to listen to. However, there were moments where probably different takes were used, and there was a marked difference in vocal quality which would momentarily pull me out of the story. However, the story kept drawing me back in.

Would recommend for anyone who wants an African story that is not the usual "village girl/boy moves to city and learns a lesson" narrative.

Good, easy listening

Good narrative, and story line. Easy listening. Some local words, could have been described better.

A change from the usual

I really enjoyed how unique this book is. Set in Lagos, the protagonist is an African woman. I feel like African voices and stories are not as commonly heard as the standard Western ones. If you would like to try something different from the usual style that is so popular this book is a great start.