My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Doubleday, 2018, 192 pp
Do you follow the annual Tournament of Books, hosted by The Morning News? I have participated in it to varying degrees since 2010. I don't always read all the books in play (16+) but I enjoy following the results. Best of all, I have discovered some pretty great undersung authors.
When the list of books came out for the 2019 Tournament I had only read five of them. I am planning to read several more by March when the fun begins. That is how I came to read this one.
My Sister, the Serial Killer is set in Nigeria, written in English by its Nigerian author. It has been called a satire. I can see that it is somewhat tongue-in-cheek as far as society in Lagos goes. The story is over the top improbable but its underlying angst was not what I would call funny.
Two sisters still live at home, daughters of an abusive, now deceased father, and a delusional mother who spoils the younger sister and has charged the older one with protecting her. The big secret between these sisters is that the younger, when she tires of a boyfriend, just kills him. No remorse, no sense of having done anything wrong. The older helps her get rid of the bodies and the evidence. After the third murder, that younger sister qualifies as a serial killer.
The chapters are short and cinematic, but each packs plenty of action and emotion while filling in the back story and creating convincing characters. I read it because it was short and readily available on my library's eBook service.
Surprise! It was a super fun read even though the story is serious.
(My Sister, the Serial Killer is available in hardcover by order from Once Upon A Time Bookstore.)
What a coincidence! This one is coming up next in my reading queue.
ReplyDeleteHow amazing! Await your review.
DeleteThis one impressed a few bloggers last year. It does sound like (dark) fun. I would love to read it. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou could! It is short and fast.
DeleteI'm in the midst of this one now and I'm enjoying it. Just the way it's told is fresh and lively. I will see what happens ...
ReplyDeleteIt definitely has a unique voice.
DeleteGlad to read your review of this book... It's on my reading wishlist and look forward to reading it at some point.
ReplyDeleteGreat!
DeleteWOW, weird and different. The cover seems a bit frightening by the font and expression on her face as well.
ReplyDeleteWeird and different are appropriate adjectives for the book along with a few others but it is not exactly frightening.
DeleteI had heard some good things about this book. It is an odd thing that certain books that depict very bad things can be very amusing and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI need to read more books written by African authors so I might give this a try.
Lots of good fiction comes out of Nigeria and this is one example.
DeleteThe title alone just grabs your attention. This needs to go on my TBR!
ReplyDeleteI think you would like it!
DeleteWow, makes my family seem normal! cheers
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha, I know what you mean!
DeleteI was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Almost skipped it, but decided to give it a try after it won ToB. Being readily available from the library and short helped, too. Glad I made time for it. Thanks for the link to your review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by here to comment JoAnn. It is for sure a surprising book.
Delete