My Sister, the Serial Killer: A Review

 RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…

 

My brother got me this book for Christmas, and it has been on my to be read list since I joined bookstagram last June. Having saw lots of positive reviews of the book, I was desperate to read it. I thought I knew what the book would be about or at least the road it would go down, but I was wrong.

 

The book is set in Lagos, Nigeria and follows the story of nurse Korede and her younger sister Ayoola. Of the two sisters, Ayoola is the more beautiful sister and possibly sociopathic while Korede is more dependable and reliable. For the third time in a row, supposedly in self-defence, Ayoola has stabbed her boyfriend to death. If it wasn’t in self-defence then she is officially a serial killer. As with the previous two times, Korede helps her sister to dispose of the body and clean up any evidence in the apartment, doing most of the work while her sister watches. Korede’s concern over her sister and her practicality when it comes to the crime keep her impulsive sister from acting suspiciously about her “missing” boyfriend, especially as Ayoola wants to post on social media and have fun when she should be mourning. 

            After everything that she has done for her sister, Korede feels unappreciated and is constantly afraid that they will be caught or that her sister will kill again. To get this off her chest, she confides in a comatose patient in the hospital that she works at. Korede is also in love with one of the doctors at the hospital who does not notice her affection. However, he begins dating Ayoola and Korede fears that he could be her sister’s next victim. Korede must reckon with what she is willing to do for her sister and make a decision as to where she draws the line. 

 

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and it was a quick read for me. I thought that the book would go down the route of Korede discovering that her sister is a serial killer after realising that her sister’s boyfriends keep disappearing but instead Korede is actually enabling her sister, becoming a knowing accomplice to her crimes. The book takes the sisterly bond between the pair to the extreme, showing that while Korede is angry with her sister, she makes no effort to stop her or report her to the police. The story isn’t as black and white as other stories about serial killers and looks into how far the connection and bond between sisters will go. 

 

This book is a fast-paced book that builds two completely different characters that are forever tied by blood in more ways than one. I think this is a book that many people will enjoy and love, and I highly recommend it. 

Until next time, I'll continue reading with wanderlust.

📚🧳✈️🗺