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me_alley's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I understand why reviews are scattered of this book. On one hand, it centers the male experience in being accused of sexual assault, physical assault, etc. On the other hand, it also clearly has an open attitude towards feminism, inclusivity, and the black African-American experience.
People (mostly men) are accused every single day of assault and impropriety, some of these accusations are valid, or not. There are examples in the story of both valid accusations and false accusations. Some valid accusations that created accountability and some that didn’t. The story has other examples of accusations that — while false — are rooted in another harm that has been done to a person. It examines how technology and the Internet have the power to create trauma and accountability.
We kind of want it to be one of the other, don’t we?
We either want to bemoan cancel culture and immediately assume the accusations are false… Or we want to “believe women” and immediately assume the accusations are true.
This is why the reviews of this book are mixed. It’s hard to come to terms with.
Then again, that’s what makes a great story. That’s what makes us all more empathetic. To allow us to step into the shoes of someone with a different life experience than we have. That’s why readers of fiction become more empathetic people. Because they step into the shoes of someone with different life experiences. Allows us to examine the window through which we see the world, and consider that others are looking out of a different window.
People (mostly men) are accused every single day of assault and impropriety, some of these accusations are valid, or not. There are examples in the story of both valid accusations and false accusations. Some valid accusations that created accountability and some that didn’t. The story has other examples of accusations that — while false — are rooted in another harm that has been done to a person. It examines how technology and the Internet have the power to create trauma and accountability.
We kind of want it to be one of the other, don’t we?
We either want to bemoan cancel culture and immediately assume the accusations are false… Or we want to “believe women” and immediately assume the accusations are true.
This is why the reviews of this book are mixed. It’s hard to come to terms with.
Then again, that’s what makes a great story. That’s what makes us all more empathetic. To allow us to step into the shoes of someone with a different life experience than we have. That’s why readers of fiction become more empathetic people. Because they step into the shoes of someone with different life experiences. Allows us to examine the window through which we see the world, and consider that others are looking out of a different window.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, and Suicide
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Outing, and Gaslighting
nanirump's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was an intriguing premise for a book and it wasn't difficult to read but did I like any of the characters? No. Did I sympathise with them? Mostly no. Michael was still an asshole, it's hard to know why Ola liked him but Ola was quite vapid herself. Sadly, nothing really landed with me or packed a punch. I don't even really see the point the author was trying to make. Are we defending men for the small percentage where allegations are false? Are we excusing another man's actions because his girlfriend cheated on him? I kind of liked the twist at the end and liked that it resolved but it could have also not given us a definitive answer and for once, I would have been ok with it. Like, why are we focusing on the very few falsely accused? This book just made me dislike men even more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
stellahadz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first half of the book had me really concerned - I found that it dealt with incredibly heavy subject matter in a shallow way, and I wasn't optimistic about the second half. It felt a bit "devil's advocate" ish, which was uncomfortable to read, and I suspect that was the point. I wish the author had taken more time to explore the relationship between Michael and Ola; it felt like I was told over and over how much they loved each other but I wasn't seeing it at all in their interactions.
The second half did seem to start taking the topics of sexual harassment and abuse of power much more seriously, and from that point on, I tore through the book to learn how everything would play out. I loved the writing style - it reminded me a lot of Zadie Smith (which is a huge compliment; White Teeth is one of my all-time favorite books). Each character in The List had a distinct voice, which really made them come alive. As much as the devil's advocate narrative was uncomfortable to read, and I think the author could perhaps have written it better, the theme of how easily social media can change lives, for better or for worse (and regardless of whether the people in question "deserve it") is an important one. A side character is described as "more than ready to sharpen her pixelated pitchfork until it pointed back at her," which I thought was brilliant. I've seen some criticism of the plot twist, but I actually quite liked it - it reinforces one of the larger points of the book, which is that sometimes things are really, really not what they seem. Jumping to conclusions is exactly how we sometimes miss bigger, more dangerous problems. Spoiler alert:
sometimes it's not the "instahoes," it's their vengeful boyfriends.
This book loses some points with me just because of how shallow I found the beginning, but I'm still happy to give it 4 stars based on the writing style and the improvement of the story in the second half.
The second half did seem to start taking the topics of sexual harassment and abuse of power much more seriously, and from that point on, I tore through the book to learn how everything would play out. I loved the writing style - it reminded me a lot of Zadie Smith (which is a huge compliment; White Teeth is one of my all-time favorite books). Each character in The List had a distinct voice, which really made them come alive. As much as the devil's advocate narrative was uncomfortable to read, and I think the author could perhaps have written it better, the theme of how easily social media can change lives, for better or for worse (and regardless of whether the people in question "deserve it") is an important one. A side character is described as "more than ready to sharpen her pixelated pitchfork until it pointed back at her," which I thought was brilliant. I've seen some criticism of the plot twist, but I actually quite liked it - it reinforces one of the larger points of the book, which is that sometimes things are really, really not what they seem. Jumping to conclusions is exactly how we sometimes miss bigger, more dangerous problems. Spoiler alert:
This book loses some points with me just because of how shallow I found the beginning, but I'm still happy to give it 4 stars based on the writing style and the improvement of the story in the second half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
harleyqueen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A much heavier reason than I thought. Definitely a book you need to read the themes and scenario are very real and true to represented the dark side of media. Please be mindful of reading if you have been effected by the triggers of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
erinjarvis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
virgcole398's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Self harm and Suicide attempt
wrenl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ever since Me Too, there’s been a lot of books and media that analyze what I’ll call the aftermath. What happens after someone is called out, put through the wringer of cancel culture? How does it impact their family and friends? This book takes that idea a step further with Ola’s background in feminist writing. The added step further enhances this book a lot. You really get down into Ola’s mindset, and I think her side of the story is the most interesting because it deals with the warring feelings of wanting to believe the people you love but also wanting to believe victims. That part is written so well; you really feel for Ola. I like how this book doesn’t shy away from the hard decisions and complex feelings.
I wish Michael was as compelling as Ola, though. I didn’t get as attached to him, perhaps because I’m not a Black man, but I also felt like he was cagey even in his own perspective.
Also, there‘s something about British books that just makes me giggle. British slang is so much fun. Which is 100% not the point of this book, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
gerlinen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
this was the first time I've ever listened to an audiobook so I'm still assessing if this was to the story's determent or betterment (leaning more towards the latter than former) but it's a relevatively 'safe' storyline; in the sense that I could easily foresee the ending quite early on. Nevertheless, the book is carried by important discussions around 'cancel culture', social media, sexism, romantic and platonic relationships etc — most of which was not that profound to me, but hopefully, spurred some readers to contemplate more about these topical issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
amanda_marie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Incredibly nuanced and intersectional, I loved the author’s ability to show each side of this interaction and the way people justify their actions to themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Sexism