This impressive debut novel is short yet jam-packed with interesting observations that are written in a style that is concise yet detailed. Braithwaite uses short chapters that make for fast pacing throughout. The novel is deceptive because of its perceived simplicity. On the surface, the novel appears to be simply a story about two sisters: Ayoola, the younger and very beautiful sister who has a habit of killing her boyfriends in ‘self-defence’, and Korede, the older, more responsible sister who works as a nurse and cleans up Ayoola’s messes which includes that of her little sister’s murders. There’s more to the novel than that initial layer though. Braithwaite’s novel is also layered with insights into many other things that include family, relationships, the societal expectations of men and women, and much more. The characters of this novel are incredibly well constructed especially the sisters who are showcased throughout the text as strong and complex. All of the characters are incredibly distinct and detailed which allows for them all to really hold their own well within the complexity of this original plot.

One of my only slight criticisms is that since it’s a relatively short novel I did find that there were some moments that I found myself wishing were expanded on a little bit more. That’s only because I was enjoying it so much that I just wanted to keep reading. That being said, I do understand why that’s not the case as it helps with keeping the pacing fast and adds another layer of mystery. The other thing I should mention is that while I myself enjoyed how this book ended, I’ve seen quite a few readers with the opposite opinion. I won’t go into the details as to why the ending is such a point of contention as it’s quite a big spoiler but it may be something worth keeping in mind if you are interested in picking this one up.
 
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