Oyinkan Braithwaite‘s debut novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer (2018) is a rollicking ride, the arc of which is described quite well by its title. Set in contemporary Lagos, the strength of the novel is the relationship between the two sisters in question.
One–the protagonist–is intelligent, practical, and professionally accomplished; the other is gorgeous, flighty, and, yes, a serial killer. Both sisters, but especially the protagonist, are well drawn and will remain with the reader well past the end of the book.
The success of the novel is in their relationship, and specifically in how it navigates the question of just how much thicker blood is than … well, blood. It’s not just the two sisters, though: their father looms over the book like a dark shadow, and there is a central love interest that–at least at first–is a sympathetic, compelling character. The way a reader responds to the choices made by that character will dictate a lot of how the book ultimately lands for the reader.
For me, the novel ends up being simultaneously heartfelt (how far would you go for a sibling?) and ridiculous (like any non-horror story involving serial killers), a mixture that keeps the pages turning to the very end.
#WhatIWishICouldDo
Braithwaite does a marvelous job of writing about family loyalty in an oblique way that provides a constant backdrop to the plot. It’s very technical and very subtle, and it makes the book far better that it otherwise could be.