Oyinkan Braithwaite
Author of My Sister, the Serial Killer
About the Author
Image credit: Sophia Evans/The Observer
Works by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1988
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Kingston University
- Occupations
- author
- Agent
- Clare Alexander
- Nationality
- Nigeria
- Birthplace
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Places of residence
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Map Location
- Nigeria
Members
Reviews
(aka Thicker than Water)
{stand-alone, crime} (2017)
So this is not a whodunnit; we know that it was Korede's sister Ayoola because the book opens with her calling Korede to help her clean up because yet another of her boyfriends has happened to be stabbed to death in her presence. Rather, it is Korede's worrying as to whether she has done enough to cover up for her sister especially when the police start asking awkward questions. Meanwhile, she follows the family of Femi, the boyfriend, on show more social media in the aftermath of his disappearance and reads some of his poetry - while having to restrain Ayoola from making frivolous posts because she doesn't seem to understand it would look bad.
Korede is a nurse at a hospital on the outskirts of Lagos (Nigeria) and has a compulsion for everything to be spotlessly clean. If she's troubled, cleaning helps her think and to regain some equilibrium.
As the older sister, she has always taken care of Ayoola. (And, as an older sister myself, I can empathise with Korede *sigh*, for example, folding up Ayoola’s untidy clothes.) Ayoola is beautiful and (Korede feels) anyone who looks at her wants to give her everything so she has had a long line of boyfriends while Korede hasn't had any.
She likes Tade, one of the doctors at her hospital who, as well as being easy on the eyes, sings so well that everyone stops to listen and children take their injections without noticing. But then Tade sees Ayoola and Korede watches as her sister walks away with him while resenting having to help cover up her crimes and knowing that Tade is just another in her long line of easy conquests. What is Korede to do - should she warn Tade that Ayoola has killed her last three boyfriends?
We live with Korede through the period that Ayoola and Tade date while she wonders which one of them she would choose - the man she loves or the sister she has looked out for all their lives. At the hospital she unburdens herself to a comatose man whose family visit him less and less often, even though he isn't her patient, as she wonders how to deal with Ayoola's string of dead boyfriends, how to warn Tade without giving her away and whether they've done enough to hide the bodies.
The sisters' father, who has been dead for ten years, is still a large presence in their lives. We see, in flashbacks, his behaviour towards them especially around the time that he died and understand that he was instrumental in making the sisters the personalities that they are now; why Korede looks after her sister or Ayoola's amoralness, for example.
There is a way out for Korede, to not have to keep covering up, to not keep wondering who will be the next victim - if she is willing to give up Ayoola. And finally, Korede is forced to make her choice.
I like the way day to day life, Nigerian food and accents are woven through the narrative without being forced and I enjoyed hearing the accent in my head while reading. Although the subject matter is dark, this is not, somehow, a dark book. It is, behind the story, about families; the sisters' relationship, the expectations from being the older sister, the widow (for example, the sisters and their mother are forced to hold a memorial celebration for their father in an expensive venue suggested by their rich aunt even though she only contributes a little money) or even the first twin.
4.5-5***** show less
{stand-alone, crime} (2017)
So this is not a whodunnit; we know that it was Korede's sister Ayoola because the book opens with her calling Korede to help her clean up because yet another of her boyfriends has happened to be stabbed to death in her presence. Rather, it is Korede's worrying as to whether she has done enough to cover up for her sister especially when the police start asking awkward questions. Meanwhile, she follows the family of Femi, the boyfriend, on show more social media in the aftermath of his disappearance and reads some of his poetry - while having to restrain Ayoola from making frivolous posts because she doesn't seem to understand it would look bad.
Korede is a nurse at a hospital on the outskirts of Lagos (Nigeria) and has a compulsion for everything to be spotlessly clean. If she's troubled, cleaning helps her think and to regain some equilibrium.
I slip on the gloves and take out the multi-surface cleaner. I need some time to think.
As the older sister, she has always taken care of Ayoola. (And, as an older sister myself, I can empathise with Korede *sigh*, for example, folding up Ayoola’s untidy clothes.) Ayoola is beautiful and (Korede feels) anyone who looks at her wants to give her everything so she has had a long line of boyfriends while Korede hasn't had any.
“Your sister just wants to be around you, you know. You are her best friend.” It is my mother. She comes to stand beside me. Mother still talks about Ayoola as if she were a child, rather than a woman who rarely hears the word “no.” “What harm will it do if she comes to your workplace now and again?”
“It’s a hospital, Mum, not a park.”
“Eh, we have heard.
She likes Tade, one of the doctors at her hospital who, as well as being easy on the eyes, sings so well that everyone stops to listen and children take their injections without noticing. But then Tade sees Ayoola and Korede watches as her sister walks away with him while resenting having to help cover up her crimes and knowing that Tade is just another in her long line of easy conquests. What is Korede to do - should she warn Tade that Ayoola has killed her last three boyfriends?
We live with Korede through the period that Ayoola and Tade date while she wonders which one of them she would choose - the man she loves or the sister she has looked out for all their lives. At the hospital she unburdens herself to a comatose man whose family visit him less and less often, even though he isn't her patient, as she wonders how to deal with Ayoola's string of dead boyfriends, how to warn Tade without giving her away and whether they've done enough to hide the bodies.
The sisters' father, who has been dead for ten years, is still a large presence in their lives. We see, in flashbacks, his behaviour towards them especially around the time that he died and understand that he was instrumental in making the sisters the personalities that they are now; why Korede looks after her sister or Ayoola's amoralness, for example.
There is a way out for Korede, to not have to keep covering up, to not keep wondering who will be the next victim - if she is willing to give up Ayoola. And finally, Korede is forced to make her choice.
I like the way day to day life, Nigerian food and accents are woven through the narrative without being forced and I enjoyed hearing the accent in my head while reading. Although the subject matter is dark, this is not, somehow, a dark book. It is, behind the story, about families; the sisters' relationship, the expectations from being the older sister, the widow (for example, the sisters and their mother are forced to hold a memorial celebration for their father in an expensive venue suggested by their rich aunt even though she only contributes a little money) or even the first twin.
Yoruba people have a custom of naming twins Taiwo and Kehinde. Taiwo is the older twin, the one who comes out first. Kehinde, therefore, is the second-born twin. But Kehinde is also the older twin, because he says to Taiwo, “Go out first and test the world for me.”
This is certainly how Father considered his position as the second twin. And Aunty Taiwo agreed—she did everything he told her to and held an unquestioning trust in everything he did.
4.5-5***** show less
Stunningly good social satire that reveals a good deal about life in Lagos and about the depth and repercussions of sibling bonds. The narrative touches on lousy parents, the cage of gender roles, the ravages of class distinctions and assumptions, the fruits of abuse, duty, the nature of love, the obsession with female beauty, the futility of trying to live a life of honor in a corrupt world, and the vital importance of good cleaning products. There is no murder mystery, the revelation is in show more the title and the killer's motivation is never really revealed. The murders are not the point of the book, they are just events, no more or less dramatic than Korede making a cake and having it attributed to her sister. There is a lot of pretty heartbreaking stuff here but I laughed a lot while simultaneously thinking about where duty to self, duty to loved ones, and duty to community collide and conflict, and what we do when that happens. Also worth mentioning, though quite short, this book was uniquely structured in a way that absolutely worked for this story. For a new writer, this is pretty darn masterful. show less
Korende is a nurse in a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, and she has a deepening romantic interest in one of the doctors she works with. She also has a sister who has a habit of killing her boyfriends, and sometimes calling Korende to help dispose of the bodies. And now her sister and the doctor have their eyes on each other...
This novel has gotten a lot of positive attention, so I'm very pleased to report that it lived up to my somewhat high expectations. It's a fast, engaging, breezily written, show more highly enjoyable read, and there's something that's just weirdly fun about it, despite the very dark subject matter (which includes not just murder, but also dysfunctional families and various kinds of domestic abuse). show less
This novel has gotten a lot of positive attention, so I'm very pleased to report that it lived up to my somewhat high expectations. It's a fast, engaging, breezily written, show more highly enjoyable read, and there's something that's just weirdly fun about it, despite the very dark subject matter (which includes not just murder, but also dysfunctional families and various kinds of domestic abuse). show less
In the middle of the night? Korede receives a phone call from her sister Ayoola. In self-defense, she claims, Ayoola has stabbed her boyfriend and desperately needs her help in disposing of his body and in cleaning up the scene of the crime. The thing is...this is the third time one of Ayoola's boyfriends has died under similar circumstances. How far should family loyalty extend?
This slender book is delightfully weird, and Braithwaite's spare but inventive writing was strangely satisfying. show more She almost had me convinced there could be a mind-blowing surprise ending, which didn't actually materialize but would also have been cool. A quick but memorable read. Recommended. show less
This slender book is delightfully weird, and Braithwaite's spare but inventive writing was strangely satisfying. show more She almost had me convinced there could be a mind-blowing surprise ending, which didn't actually materialize but would also have been cool. A quick but memorable read. Recommended. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 7
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 5,087
- Popularity
- #4,916
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 318
- ISBNs
- 75
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 1