Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - The List

First of all: I absolutely don't understand the many negative reviews. Ironically, it reminds me a bit of the phenomenon that is discussed in the book: a topic goes viral and many people comment on similar things, criticising the smallest details.

Secondly, I found the story very entertaining and important for today, our generation and discussions around cancel culture, toxic masculinity and at the same time, the rise of MeToo and very important feminist movements. The story also brings in important intersectional perspectives that play an important role, especially for BIPOC (e.g. that Michael was most likely hired as a trope to make the team more diverse). The plot and actions are thought-provoking. What would I do if I were in Ola's situation?

I can very much identify with Ola's political stance, which has made me question myself. In this day and age, we are all very quick to jump on a bandwagon and love to criticise (especially in left-wing feminist circles). But what happens when your partner is on such a list?

Those who have written here that everything seems exaggerated, including the language and slang - I'm sorry, but then you've never been to South London. I particularly liked the book because it was so approachable. I found the characters very realistically written and they remind me of people I know. They speak, think and act like that.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading the book, despite the sometimes heavy subject matter, it was very fast paced and a page turner.

So, Vogue is definitely right: "The book of the summer!"

Content Warnings

anditsreal's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I almost dnf'ed this book multiple times. I kept going because I thought - like Michael - it'd redeemed itself. But it didn't.

I have no clue why someone like Ola would go out with Michael in the first place. I just didn't believe it. And by the end of it, I think she couldn't believe it too.
It was so hard to read through Michael's chapters. I really disliked his character. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to take away from it. Life is nuanced. Men almost always get away with it. Twitter is bad?

Content Warnings

lucymoosie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

daralexandria's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

baratheonbooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

selza_ar's review against another edition

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2.5

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stephdavis's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I understand what Adegoke was trying to achieve. At its core, this book is a fair (and likely realistic) portrayal of how violence and abuse against women is treated, particularly on social media.

However, it felt like watching a BBC 8 episode series where I was spoon fed the same theme every five minutes from pretty much the same perspective. If you’re a woman, the whole thing is quite obvious.

I also think the twist in the last chapter was entirely unnecessary and cheapened the book but Adegoke had to avoid having a women make the false allegation. I almost thinking keeping that layer of nuance and discussing it further would’ve made the book more interesting.

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