Ayoola calls Korede again. She’s killed again. And Korede has to wipe up the blood. 

It’s not much of a spoiler alert that Korede’s sister is a serial killer, and while the nature of her killing is predictable, I was not prepared for what I read.

My Sister, the Serial Killer was less of a murder mystery and more of an exploration into the bonds that conform sisters. 

Ayoola is selfish, conceited, and stunningly gorgeous. Men fall at her feet the moment she looks at them with her tempting eyes. The fact that they can’t have her tortures them, and they will do anything just to spend one evening with her. 

Korede is hardworking, kind, and talented. She forms deep connections with each of her patients, especially a comatose man named Muhtar. She has strong feelings for her dashingly handsome colleague Tade, who sees her as only a friend. 

Nonetheless, Ayoola and Korede are inseparable. Although their personalities could not be more different, they share a binding secret— Ayoola spills the blood and Korede cleans it up.

When Korede brings Ayoola into the hospital one day, she prays that Tade will not see her. But sees them, and the moment that he makes eye contact with Ayoola he instantly falls in love with her. 

As Ayoola and Tade become closer, Korede feels more and more distanced from everyone. The only comfort she finds anymore is ranting about her sister to Muhtar, who is the only person who will non-judgementally listen to her. 

Tade thinks about the world of Ayoola, and she sees him as a useful object. Korede can see right through this act, and even though Tade treats her like her sister’s sidecar, she still cares for him. 

This book emphasizes the struggle that is man’s validation. Although Korede’s personality is stunning and Ayoola’s is dull, men will always choose looks over personality. It’s no surprise that when Korede tries to warn Tade that her sister is dangerous, he calls her delusional and jealous. The real question is: Is it his fault or is Ayoola just manipulating him?

“Love is not a weed. It cannot grow where it please…” Tade’s love is like a weed, and as it grows, he becomes more and more entwined in her poison ivy. Korede’s love for him is also like a weed, and she finds herself attached to someone who doesn’t love her. 

“All he wants is a pretty face,” Ayoola said. “That’s all they ever want.” Despite Ayoola’s cold-hearted nature, she still protects her sister at all costs. Even the possible charge of murder accomplice. Ayoola’s lies are sharp and penetrate Korede’s soft heart, but her truth hurts even more. 

Ayoola and Tade are on a break after she ran away to Dubai with a married man. It’s no surprise he died of “food poisoning.” Despite Tade’s previous disdain, Korede still comforts him at work. That’s just who she is; the people she loves hurt her, and she is still there to sharpen the knife. 

Tade falls at Ayoola’s feet again, and she shows him mercy. That is until she tries to stab him with the knife she stole from her father before he died. 

Her father was a good liar, even better than Ayoola. Korede prides herself on being so much better than them. But in the end, they share the same blood. 

“‘You’re worse than she is.’” Tade sits with blood on his hands, and Ayoola’s blood pours from her side onto his bathroom tile. Although Ayoola has just attempted to murder her boyfriend, Korede is there to pick up the pieces and make sure Tade doesn’t lock her away. 

Those words sit with me. When I started the book, I thought that Ayoola and Korede could not be any more different. But they are the same person in different shades. It’s similar to Tyler Durden, almost as though Korede is deluding herself about who she is. 

Ayoola is not the main character in this book; Korede is. She always puts herself in the spotlight, but for once, we are on Korede’s side.

Korede and Ayoola will always have each other’s backs. They are a team. “Against ours, Korede. It’s his word against ours.” 

Korede’s hands are bloody as she leaves all of her guilt behind with the bodies floating in the sea. And Ayoola’s are clean as she smiles at her next victim. 

“Ayoola needs me; she needs me more than I need untainted hands.”