Cursed Daughters - Oyinkan Braithwaite - ★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Oyinkan Braithwaite

NARRATORS: Diana Yekinni, Nnei Opia Clark, and Weruche Opia.

GENRE: African Contemporary Fantasy

PUBLICATION DATE: November 4, 2025

RATING: 3.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A multi-timeline multi-perspective family saga. Impressive yet flawed female characters, somewhat flat male characters. Decent plot, good writing, good ending. Character-oriented. Unlike what the blurb says, this is not “wickedly funny”. (In fact, it’s not funny at all.) Don’t expect a clever satire like the author’s first novel; this one is more typical in its storyline. Recommended, though not as strongly as I had hoped to.

Plot Preview:

2024. Lagos, Nigeria. Twenty-three-year-old Eniiyi has lived her entire life being told that she resembles Monife, her aunt who killed herself just before Eniiyi was born. She even tried moving out from her hometown, but the shadow of Monife was always there. Now she's back after eleven years, returning to the home where she grew up, and to the women who raised her: her mother Ebun who has always been a single mother refusing to provide details of Eniiyi's father, Grandma East (Ebun’s Mom) who is always on the lookout for her next husband despite already having had four, and Grandma West (Monife’s mum) who still hopes that her husband will return to her and believes that Eniiyi is Monife reincarnated. The older women believe in the Falodun family curse, according to which none of its daughters can find a fulfilling relationship. Is Eniiyi the next target of the curse?

The story comes to us from the third-person perspective of Eniiyi, Ebun, and Monife from multiple timelines.

Sophomore novels by successful debut authors are often read not just with high expectations but also with a comparison of the two works. This isn't fair to authors who can (or want to) write in more than a single genre. It’s obviously better if we read every book for what it is than for how it stands compared to the author’s earlier book(s). This, of course, is easier said than done.

‘Cursed Daughters’ is a fairly strong novel on its own. But unlike the author’s debut (‘My Sister, the Serial Killer’ – a clever and creative satire delivering offbeat humour with aplomb), this sophomore novel has no humour or novelty, being an intergenerational family saga that’s more traditional in its plotting. If you compare it with MSTSK, it feels like a pale second effort. But if read on its own merit without the burden of comparisons or expectations, it delivers somewhat better.

Bookish Yays:

😍 The cover (of the US edition). So brilliant in its visual appeal, but its deeper significance, revealed after you read a few chapters, is even more striking. The cover artist deserves applause for capturing the plot so well.

😍 The three main women whose point of view tells us the story: Ebun, Monife, and Eniiyi. Not characters I could easily root for, but definitely good characters for such a plot. They are different in their personality as well as in their approach to life. Just because they are “cursed” doesn't mean they are portrayed as innocent and sweet victims. In fact, they are often lacking in common sense. I like that the plot highlights their flaws as well.

😍 A special shoutout to all the character names – so poetic and authentic to the culture!

😍 The choice of having Monife’s POV, even though the prologue reveals that she killed herself. It makes her POV bittersweet as we are already aware of what awaits her.

😍 The use of the resemblance between Monife and Eniiyi to create tension and drama and even mild paranormal vibes – cleverly done.

😍 The depiction of contemporary Nigeria which is still rooted in traditional values while embracing modernity. The contrast is intriguing. I am always reminded of India when I read stories set in Nigeria because we have the same duality in our metropolises.

😍 The ending. Perfect for the story.

Bookish Okays:

😐 The decision of writing the story from three characters’ perspectives, but with each POV coming in a chunky section containing multiple chapters instead of shifting perspectives after every chapter. This makes it easier to stay invested in each narrative. However, the changing timelines might be somewhat tricky. Better keep track of the dates.

😐 The interlude chapters, narrating the impact of the supposed curse on the Falodon women of earlier generations. Interesting in many cases, but has no direct role to play in the plot. It’s just a dramatic addition.

😐 The older Falodon grandmas and the other female characters. They suit their roles, but their dominant trait is of being bitter and toxic. I wish their characters had been more well-rounded.

😐 Good to see that the women have a loyal and loveable family dog. But confusing to learn that he’s almost thirty. How???

Bookish Nays:

😒 The main theme of “cursed daughters” is clear from the title and the story stays true to this without deviating a lot. It is a typical curse narrative in that sense. Even the themes of intergenerational trauma and patriarchal subjugation are fairly common in their execution. It’s not all bad, just that it offers no surprises. Perhaps this is on me for having read too many books with cursed daughters. Just for once, I’d like to read a book where the sons are also cursed. Books with family curses about daughters not being happy and/or fulfilled in love across generations are so done to death!

😒 The curse itself. Barely explored. The curse angle promised a mildly supernatural fantasy, but it ends up more like a long-running streak of bad luck + superstition + poor decision-making.

😒 Almost all the male characters. Boring and flat. Hardly any notable exceptions to this.

😒 A majority of the love stories in this novel seem based on physical attraction with not much further depth.

😒 The prose is surprisingly lacklustre.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 9 hrs 24 min, is narrated by Diana Yekinni, Nnei Opia Clark, and Weruche Opia. I appreciate the choice of having three narrators, one for each POV. Their performances are on point, capturing the personality of their characters effectively. If you want to try this novel, the audio version is a solid option, except to those who might be confused by the frequent perspective and timeline shifts.

Overall, this book handles its topic well enough. But as MSTSK had such an unusual plotline with excellent dark humour, this one feels more straightforward and dull in comparison. I like the debut novel better as it is more my type of story than this mostly typical plot.

It has taken seven years since her debut for the author’s second novel to come out. So I am a little disappointed that this trod the line so closely instead of veering into an unexplored path. The author sure has creativity, so I hope her next offering is much more in keeping with her potential.

Recommended, though not with as much gusto as I had anticipated. This is better suited to readers of family dramas who don’t mind reading unlikeable characters.