For me The List has been a classic clash of content vs form. I thoroughly appreciated the ideas covered in it: how social media can make you or brake you. How it can be a tool to enrich the world, but also a tool for destruction. Also a nice exploration of the complexity of human nature and ultimately life. How it is not a good idea to adhere to a black and white frame to conduct your life because good people have questionable sides and bad people can be redeemed too.
But dear me, if I would have read one more line of ridiculous tweeter/social media lingo I would have committed murder, lol! It is beyond me how some people can be slave to this ridiculousness!

"The List," which has got to be the book of the summer. It's a perfect distillation of living a very online life, when you can't be sure what's true or false, who is who, or what you can believe.

It’s zeitgeisty, it’s topical, it’s nuanced, it’ll make you think. I loved it. Go read it!

A tense thriller and exploration of a couple's relationship to #MeToo when one of them shows up on an anonymous 'list' of abusers within London's cultural elite, just weeks before their wedding. A very strong fiction debut even with the "first book" trappings (can you say self-insert character).

Journalist Ola has made her name by sharing her unfiltered takes on sex, relationships and toxic men. She's the first to believe women and call out bad male behaviour, until a post from an anonymous Twitter account names her fianće, Michael, on a list of abusive men working in media. Stricken by the allegations and torn between wanting to believe in Michael's innocence unquestioningly and her hard-won understanding of how many men treat women, Ola gives her husband-to-be an ultimatum: prove his innocence definitively or the wedding, set for a month's time, is off.

Yomi Adegoke's debut adult fiction work is a pacy, darkly funny and shrewdly observed novel about secrets, lies and the power of the internet.

It would have been easy for The List to be a lot less interesting, to be a straightforward story of deciding whether to trust the man you love or a faceless stranger, but it is so much more than that. On every page, Adegoke weaves layer upon layer of context to create a fascinating examination of a particular moment in time - post #metoo - from the perspective of a young Black women living in London and working in the media.

As the story unfolds, the narrative shared between Ola and Michael, Adegoke highlights the ways in which men and women experience the world differently and how this leads them to view the same interactions through contradictory lenses. From the moment she raises his inclusion on The List with Michael, Ola asks him if he could have done anything that might have been perceived as harassment, acknowledging, though not excusing, that men are socialised to blur boundaries and pursue women who 'play hard to get'. This is reinforced by the conflicting ways male and female characters discuss The List: the men are quick to make distinctions between those accused of rape and sexual assault with those named for the more ambiguous crime of harassment, while the women recognise that these acts are all sides of the same misogynistic coin. Key questions the novel asks include why men do not hold themselves - and each other - to a higher standard, and why women are continually expected to take responsibility for (and bear the brunt of) men's poor behaviour. The fact that Michael has to try to prove a negative - that he did not harass or assault anyone - also opens up a much broader question about women's experiences at the hands of men: if you can't prove that something happened, does that prove that it didn't?

The book also explores how rigid ideas about masculinity can harm both men and women, particularly within the Black community. Michael struggles with earning less than Ola and therefore not being the 'provider' he has been told he should be, and he has been taught to supress his emotions rather than acknowledge and deal with them, which accelerates his downward spiral once The List is published. There are clear signs of progress - Ola is generally lauded for being unashamedly ambitious and sexually empowered, and, at least in her circles, there has been a shift away from the expectation that a woman should unquestioningly 'stand by her man'. However, through its depiction of Michael's friends, as well as some of the other Black men on The List, the reader is reminded that Black men and women are still navigating deeply embedded gender norms and casual misogyny; persistent homophobia in the Black community is also touched upon. Indeed, at the core of Ola's desire to believe in Michael's innocence is the need to not replicate her parents' relationship, the failure of which she blames on her mother's submissiveness as much as her father's philandering; if she is able to prove that she has 'tamed' Michael, she will also be proving to herself that she has broken the cycle. Adegoke also alludes to the enduring limitations women face when making decisions about relationships; at one point Ola ruminates on the fact that - at thirty-one - she has limited time to start over if she wants a family.

However, the novel also unpacks the history of society being eager to assume the worst of Black men, imprisoning then and killing them on the slightest of pretexts. Emmett Till and the Central Park Five are referenced, along with other famous cases of miscarried justice. Adegoke isn't afraid to complicate the narrative by underlining Ola's difficulties reconciling her desire to believe women with her need to see the best in Black men, and the responsibility of hers and Michael's relationship being celebrated as a hopeful beacon of Black love.

Another key theme of the story is the role of the Internet in making or breaking someone's life for those of us who grew up as social media was exploding. The book acknowledges some of the many ways in which it can be useful - it affirmed Ola's identity and introduced her to feminism, as well as providing both her job and Michael's. However, the dark side of the online world is also explored through the way online trolls delight in trying to 'cancel' Michael, ignoring the potential harmful real-life implication of their words and actions, and how this culture of schadenfreude is at odds with viral slogans such as #bekind or #ThinkFirst.

While there are aspects of Ola and Michael's story that will be relatable for any millennial, as someone who is married to a man of Nigerian heritage, the cultural specificity is what makes the narrative really sing. From references to wedding favours emblazoned with the happy couple's faces to Michael's chief troll being named after Issa Rae's character in Insecure, every tiny detail is a knowing nod to readers from a similar background to Adegoke, though this should not be surprising from the co-author of Slay in Your Lane.

The ending felt a little contrived for me after how drawn-out the mystery of who put Michael on The List was, but otherwise this was an excellent read and I look forward to seeing what Adegoke does next.

Thank you to NetGalley, 4th Estate and William Collins for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

Wow!! Yomi Adegoke has crafted a very true to reality outlook on social media and the repercussion of cancel culture.

Soon-to-be wed couple, Ola and Michael, are revered on social media as the prime example for black love. But things take a turn when ‘The List’, consisting of abusers, drops with Michaels name on it. With their wedding around the corner, it’s up to Ola and Michael to find out the truth.

I thought this book would be more satirical but it was quite intense and thrilling. It also does pose many moral questions, as well as twists and turns, that I personally didn’t know what was going to occur next.

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The List - Yomi Adegoke

I've seen a lot of hype surrounding The List on bookstagram, so when I received an e-arc I was super excited to read it. Although I put it off for a couple of weeks I absolutely devoured this book and almost read it on one sitting whilst on the plane.

The List follows black power couple Ola and Michael on the count down to their wedding. After their engagement photo blew up both of their Instagrams they have become something of an iconic couple. All of that changes when The List is released. The List is an online list with names of allegations against men who work in media, and Michaels name is on it. Ola is a feminist journalist who has worked on exposas of abusive men, similar to the Me2 movement. Ola doesn't know whether to believe Michael or the person accusing him, whom is anonymous. We follow them in the lead up to the wedding and the aftermath of it as well.

As I said I absolutely devoured this book, I thought the premise was incredible. I also liked that we could observe the accusation from Michael's point of view, I feel this was also quite a brave POV for the author to explore. I enjoyed the lead up to the wedding however I would have quite liked the story to continue and have more of the aftermath. Especially after the shock ending, it kind of made me hope for a sequel so we can find out more about the why. Definitely pick this one up if you see it.

Enjoyed the book however some parts of
It didn’t seem to feel realistic to me. I think there were too many topics that were discussed which got a little overwhelming and the ending just wasn’t for me
All in all good book

I enjoyed the plot and discussion of the realities of the internet (the unchecked spread of information, etc) but found the characters 2-dimensional and under-developed.

DNF! An unknown source on Twitter produces The List accusing a list of men as a variety of rapists, predators and harassers that then disappears after a few hours. It comes as a shock for Ola and Michael, who are days off getting married when Michaels name appears on The List. Immediately and without verification, most of Michaels friends, family, his fiancé Ola and her friends all question/accuse him and create distance. This book is creating a voice for women in abusive relationships, which I was interested to read about from that angle but what happened to innocent until proven guilty? Not only that, Michael’s life descends into disarray from a Twitter post- not the most reliable source to trust.
I was interested to read a well written book on this topic as we’ve seen in the news that some men, particularly in the public eye, can be accused of horrific allegations and if proven innocent, can have lasting and damaging effects. This book felt man hating and was unbalanced for me to the point I couldn’t read anymore.

Ola and Michael are heading towards their wedding date when his name is published on a list that details the alleged crimes of many men in the media towards women. This obviously throws up a lot of questions for Ola, and the book focuses on Ola's mission to find out the truth as the wedding looms.

There were lots of interesting points regarding social media, race, white guilt, feminism. But then sometimes it felt like the book was trying to make too many points?

The characters were well developed, and I was keen to know how this would all turn out, however it took a while to feel like I was into it, and at times was a bit of a slog.

A countdown to a wedding with an insta famous couple. A perfect couple. Michael has just landed his dream job, and Ola has a successful job at a feminist news site. But then a list is published which names and shames abusers in the media industry. Michael is given an ultimatum to prove he is innocent, or there will be no wedding.

The book was okay, I found it a bit frustrating and annoying in places. I think it was trying to pull out different themes which got lost within the plot. What I always like is a twist at the end, and this has one.

Overall I wouldn’t rush out to buy it, it was okay and I did find myself wanting to find out the ending because of the countdown.

Sorry but I just couldn't get into this book. I think the characters in it were just too cool and hip for me and I didn't understand the language. I understand what the author was getting at,that everyone believes what they read on the Internet and people are quick to judge. Sorry not entertaining for me.

Ola and Michael are on the final countdown to their wedding. The insta famous couple are picture perfect. Michael has just landed his dream job and Ola is aspirational in her job at a feminist news site. But along comes The List. A compilation of names of men in the media and the abuses they have carried out against women. And Michael’s name is on there.

This is an uncomfortable read in places as the reader is forced to think about what they would do in the situation Michael and Ola find themselves in. There is no easy answer and I think that makes this book a great option for a book club as there are so many discussion points that come up as the book progresses. It did take me a little while to get into this one, the characters didn’t quite grab me for whatever reason but I was keen to see how it all panned out for them.

An interesting, timely and topical read.

‘The List’ by Yomi Adegoke follows Ola Olajide, an up and coming journalist at a feminist magazine, and her fiance Michael Koranteng, who are due to be married in less than a month. Ola and Michael are the picture of Black Excellence; a hashtag worthy couple, whose partially sponsored wedding will be the talk of the social media world.

However, a month before the wedding, The List is published on Twitter - an anonymous document naming and shaming abusers in the media industry. To Ola’s disbelief, Michael’s name appears sandwiched between other men who have been accused of violence against women to varying degrees. Following this, Ola embarks on a mission to find out who published the list and if she really knows the man she said yes to marrying.

Let’s get into the things I liked. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the book; I couldn’t put it down because I was DYING to find out if Michael was innocent or guilty. It certainly was addictive and had the pace of a thriller, which made it a super easy read. I also liked the commentary around social media, I think that was the most successful of the themes Adegoke tackled. I enjoyed how Adegoke explored the paradoxical nature of social media - how things can quickly spiral out of control, how social media can both make/break you as well as cancel culture and its effects.

Whilst this was an enjoyable read it wasn’t without its faults. I felt like the book could have been shorter and more concise. There’s a lot of what I would consider unnecessary description and there was often a bit of repetition. I also felt like the book was trying to tackle too many themes at once e.g. feminism, ‘wokeness’, social media, love, friendship etc. and I think it would have been stronger if the author chose to focus on a select few.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience reading The List! The plot and the fast-paced nature made for an easy read, despite some parts being less polished than others. I’m excited to see more from Yomi Adegoke!

In this timely debut novel, Yomi Adegoke poses tough questions about accountability and so-called cancel culture as Ola is torn between her positions as a feminist journalist and fiancée to an alleged abuser.

Considering the subject matter, this was a relatively easy read, although there are no easy answers to the questions raised. Whilst it is easy to empathise with Ola's predicament as it is clear that she loves Michael and is conflicted about the allegations against him, it is hard to say what the "correct" decision is in such a situation—do you believe the allegations and cut off ties or stand by the person you love? It makes for an interesting moral dilemma that carries the novel straight towards an ending that I didn't expect yet absolutely loved.

The premise of 'The List' by Yomi Adegoke is really intriguing. A list is published on social media, detailing the sexual violence and abuse carried out by a group of high profile men. Ola is a prominent feminist journalist who would ordinarily be the first one to write a story on the list, supporting the women behind the accusations. That is until her fiancé Michael is named amongst them. We count down the days until their imminent wedding as Ola decides whether marrying Michael makes her complicit whilst also digging into the origins of the list.

This novel is quite uneven in its execution. Adegoke highlights some interesting issues, including harassment and 'trial by social media', particularly poignant when it comes to the storyline of a retired footballer Michael meets who has been named on the list. However, the eventual resolution of the novel was a little bit too 'not all men' for my liking and does a good job at making women seem like the villain of the piece (with a slight twist to this at the very last minute... you will see what I mean).

A so so read. An important theme but not particularly satisfying in its execution. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard a lot of good things about The List this summer, so was excited to read it. The List tackles a difficult but really interesting and topical subject – men’s abuse of power, sexual misconduct and just how many ‘versions’ of the truth can actually be out there when allegations come to the forefront.

Apparently The List was inspired by something that really happened. There was a list of people in the media doing the rounds that accused them of abuse and sexual misconduct. In her novel, Yomi Adegoke imagines what it would do to your life if you saw your partner’s name on that list.

When Ola does see her fiancé, Michael, at number 42 on the list, her whole world falls apart. Through Ola, Yomi Adegoke sets up an even more high contrast situation as Ola has established a career as a journalist who writes for a feminist magazine, Womxxxn, and is part of the movement to call out rotten men in the industry.

Ola’s editor asks her to write a story about the list and this puts her in an awful position – professionally and personally. Her gut is is to trust her fiancé but she starts to have doubts and combined with the pressure of their wedding being less than a month away, and planning in full swing, she feels trapped, unsure and desperate to find out the truth about the man she is about to marry.

The structure of The List kept things really enticing as we have POV chapters from both Ola and Michael, so we get to intimately see how this situation is affecting them both. As some secrets do spill out, it’s so interesting to see the different takes by the characters to either justify their actions or share what they believe to be true.

I whizzed through The List, I just had to know what was going to happen to Ola and Michael! Perfectly paced, it did indeed throw up a few curveballs but I think that really added to the story and heightened the sense of unrest and truth shifting.

The List blended a conversational, engaging tone with a serious topic. It raised questions on the influence of money and power and both the level of abuse in the media that’s not called out and the way lives can be destroyed if, for example, a name is unjustifiably included on a list of abusers. Definitely gives you some things to think about.

One that really makes you think! Kept me guessing until the end. I really loved the characters too. Just popping down 4 stars as sometimes the descriptions all got a bit much and there were too many adjectives thrown in, a little over-written - but that’s it!

There's so much I liked about this one. The setting was very modern and the issues are so relevant. I found the dialogue a bit awkward in places. At times it felt a bit forced. But will definitely be recommending this book!

I had really high hopes for this book and was a little disappointed when I started reading and it wasn’t what I had been expecting; I was a bit put off by some of the early descriptions and the way it read more like a romance novel, however it picked up and got really interesting when the characters started dealing with the fall out of the premise and certainly by the end I was pleased with where the journey had taken me.