Cursed Daughters | Oyinkan Braithwaite

After the outstanding brilliance of Braithwaite's debut novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer, it's hard not to go into Cursed Daughters with high expectations. Sadly, this book just doesn't live up to the last one.

Braithwaite's trademark wit is still evident, and her writing is as fast and easy to read as ever. She has a talent for sharp dialogue and morally complex characters, and the central themes – sisterhood, resentment, inheritance, and fate – are compelling. However, the execution lacked its predecessor's vibrancy.

The story's biggest issue is predictability. The plot unfolds largely as expected, and it does so without much tension. Moments that should feel dangerous or unsettling often come across as flat, as if the story is following a pre-set path rather than surprising the reader. The novel is lacking in momentum because many of the twists are visible well in advance.

Cursed Daughters is in no way as good as My Sister, The Serial Killer. The latter was full of dark humour and psychological depth, whereas the former feels restrained and almost cautious. The characters are not as complex as they could be, and their relationships lack the sharp emotional friction that made Braithwaite's earlier work so memorable.

This novel is very readable, occasionally clever, and thematically interesting. It simply refuses to take the risks necessary to land with the desired impact. For fans of Braithwaite, it's still worth reading — but it's unlikely to linger long after the final page. This is a decent novel, but it's definitely overshadowed by her much stronger earlier work.