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A review by bookishevy
The List by Yomi Adegoke
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
3.75
💬 BOOK REVIEW 💬
Goodreads reviewers ravaged this read. Naturally, I had to see what all the hate was about.
Ola Olajide, a celebrated journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is preparing to marry the love of her life in one month. On social media, Ola and her fiancé Michael are considered Black love goals. They seem to have it all until their world comes crashing down when Michael's name appears on a list of alleged abusers.
This is interesting because Ola is a staunch feminist who rallies around the women making these claims. Usually, she'd write articles and call for these men to be fired. Now that her fiancé is named, Ola suddenly wants to hear the man's side of the story.
She's tens of thousands of pounds deep into wedding preparations. Their families are flying into London from Ghana and Nigeria. There's a lot at stake, but peace of mind is important, and Michael's past behavior has not brought Ola peace. This is more of an examination of their relationship than it is about him allegedly abusing someone. Michael messed up a few times. Ola forgave him, and he still has secrets. This relationship isn't the #couplesgoals it is portrayed as on the gram. How well does she know this man?
How Ola handles the situation doesn't only affect her relationship with Michael, who I didn't GAF about. He's trash. But Ola gets so wrapped up in the potential destruction of that relationship that she neglects how it's affecting her best friend, Celie.
This story could also be a study on people's short attention spans and how quickly we can go from wanting alleged abusers' heads on sticks to grieving their losses or celebrating their latest endeavors. It also examines the danger of not believing women because your fave or a loved one is on the list.
Despite there being inconsistencies around Ola and Michael being instafamous - Michael isn't known like that, and the proof is in how this affects his life - it's not a terrible read. But I dont think I can recommend it. I'll just say proceed with caution. Toxic masculinity ahead.
Goodreads reviewers ravaged this read. Naturally, I had to see what all the hate was about.
Ola Olajide, a celebrated journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is preparing to marry the love of her life in one month. On social media, Ola and her fiancé Michael are considered Black love goals. They seem to have it all until their world comes crashing down when Michael's name appears on a list of alleged abusers.
This is interesting because Ola is a staunch feminist who rallies around the women making these claims. Usually, she'd write articles and call for these men to be fired. Now that her fiancé is named, Ola suddenly wants to hear the man's side of the story.
She's tens of thousands of pounds deep into wedding preparations. Their families are flying into London from Ghana and Nigeria. There's a lot at stake, but peace of mind is important, and Michael's past behavior has not brought Ola peace. This is more of an examination of their relationship than it is about him allegedly abusing someone. Michael messed up a few times. Ola forgave him, and he still has secrets. This relationship isn't the #couplesgoals it is portrayed as on the gram. How well does she know this man?
How Ola handles the situation doesn't only affect her relationship with Michael, who I didn't GAF about. He's trash. But Ola gets so wrapped up in the potential destruction of that relationship that she neglects how it's affecting her best friend, Celie.
This story could also be a study on people's short attention spans and how quickly we can go from wanting alleged abusers' heads on sticks to grieving their losses or celebrating their latest endeavors. It also examines the danger of not believing women because your fave or a loved one is on the list.
Despite there being inconsistencies around Ola and Michael being instafamous - Michael isn't known like that, and the proof is in how this affects his life - it's not a terrible read. But I dont think I can recommend it. I'll just say proceed with caution. Toxic masculinity ahead.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship