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My Sister the Serial Killer

"I can't pinpoint the exact moment I realized that Ayoola was beautiful and I was...not.  But what I do know is that I was aware of my own inadequacies long before."
Korede has spent a lifetime protecting her younger sister, Ayoola.  She'd do anything for her.  Even help her cover up a murder...or three.  While Korede has always been the sensible, hardworking sister, Ayoola has always been the one to draw attention from the boys.  And lately those relationships, however long or fleeting they may be, have not ended well for her partners.  When she has no one else to turn to for help Ayoola looks to Korede.  And even though she knows it's wrong, Korede can't help but remain at her sister's side and help her cover up her mistakes.
My Sister, the Serial Killer is a wonderful little novel by Oyinkan Braithwaite.  It's a fast-paced read that can easily be done in a day or two.  Perfect for a road trip.  I picked it up thinking it'd be a murder mystery, but was pleasantly surprised to find the book a lot more psychological than I had thought.  Yes, Ayoola has gotten into the habit of murdering her boyfriends.  But at the core of the story is the relationship between two sisters.  Sisters who care deeply about each other.  Sisters who put each other above all us.  Korede and Ayoola grew up living in fear of an abusive father and had no one to turn to but each other.  I love how as the story develops we really get a sense of the need that Korede has to protect her younger sister.  We also see how childhood drama has greatly affected both women.  
This was a really well written book.  My only complaint was that there wasn't more.  I would have loved to see the characters developed even more as well as the plot.  However, it definitely works as it is.  To me, it read more like a really long short story than a novel.  I wasn't ready for it to end! 


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