A review by jazful
The List by Yomi Adegoke

adventurous informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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!"
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