I’ve been in the house since 16th March WFH, that’s nearly a good month! Whilst in this lockdown state due to COVID-19 I have picked up more books and already finished the Newgate Bookworms April read. This is a major achievement for me, I’m usually scrambling to finish before the next meeting or not finished at all. This isn’t because the books we pick are rubbish or of no interest to me. I just lacked time to read, so if there are any positives to this lockdown situation, the time to pick up books is one of them.

I decided a while ago that I wanted to write book reviews once completing a book. After feeling so shame that I read through an entire series and forgot the main character dies at the end…I thought it wise I do a book review, real primary school style to make sure I have digested what I’ve read and then share my thoughts on it (if any). This won’t be in-depth, as I read other people’s reviews and think to myself “you’re just not that deep Mart”. Who knows? Maybe in time with a stretched vocabulary.

So here goes, my first review of 2020…

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

This story is set in Nigeria and follows two sisters Korede and Ayoola. Told from Korede’s point of view, we find her sister, who has committed her third murder (literally that’s how the book opens) shaken up and asking for Korede’s help. “Korede, I killed him.” This is a dark story with some LOL moments that takes Korede on a journey of questioning her morals and having to choose between the man she secretly loves and family.

I like how it was written, quite witty and as I said a few moments where I burst out laughing. I made sure I text my Nigerian friend Edith to get the pronunciation of names correct because I was unsure I was saying Tadey (Ta-dey) correctly and it was annoying me beyond belief! I also liked the short chapters, which kept everything moving along and to the point.

I felt the characters to be authentic and could relate a few of them to real-life people. Annoyingly Tadey (Korede’s love interest) is a typical man and cannot see what is in his face and is swayed by pretty looks with some backwards thinking to go with it…We also got an insight of Korede’s feelings and how she is perceived by others in comparison to her sister and the unfair burden of being a big sister has on her. I also hated their father, and quite rightly so. He couldn’t have been my husband, I would have gone down for murder on more than one occasion from the brief encounters I read in this story. 

I found it to be a real page-turner, often ignoring my family and staying up late whilst getting stuck in. I finished it within six days…but the end left me Triggered with a capital T! We can discuss elsewhere if you have already read it, I don’t want to give too much away.

My Goodreads rating is 4/5

POPSUGAR Reading Challenge: Prompt No.3 – A book wit a great first line

Next Read: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo