A review by naddie_reads
The List by Yomi Adegoke
3.75
"The List" by Yomi Adegoke is a contemporary novel that focuses on one of the most insidious aspects of most social media platforms: cancel culture and its dangerous consequences.
Ola is a journalist for a feminist magazine and is set to marry her longtime boyfriend Michael who has just landed a PR job at a coveted company. Together, they have amassed plenty of followers on their social media and became known as the Black "It" couple throughout London's social circles, but they are about to learn how this fame would backfire when ‘The List’ is published on Twitter. Anonymously crowdsourced, The List reveals the names of well-known men accused of various things, from homophobia to abuse. Less than a month away from their wedding, Ola discovers that Michael’s name has been put on the list as an alleged abuser. When her boss insists that she covers the story of The List for their magazine, Ola has to find out if the allegations are true while people on social media are out for blood to crucify the people on The List.
My thoughts on this book is as cluttered as the novel itself. “The List” tries to juggle so many themes, and though the author manages to pull it off, there’s still room for improvement. The dual narrative from Ola’s POV to Michael’s can be a bit jarring, especially when one POV acts as a recap to give us a glimpse into what both characters felt of the entire situation. However, I appreciate how Adegoke represents both viewpoints. Ola’s feelings of betrayal and the dichotomy between how Ola-the-feminist would react to the allegations vs. how Ola-the-alleged-abuser’s-fiancée actually behaved are believably portrayed, while Michael’s slow descend into depression as he grapples with the accusations from an anonymous woman who seemed to be spreading lies about him as well as the anonymous keyboard warriors behind Twitter et al is so hard to read about. Michael’s POV was especially valuable to see how the toxicity of the cancel culture can have devastating consequences for the people who are targeted by it (and well do I know of twtr’s toxicity & how its mentality sucks you into an echo chamber, so much so that I’ve deleted the app).
I’m also not enamored with the ‘mystery’ aspect behind the investigation into The List & Michael’s accuser, mostly because the reveals and flashbacks felt a bit forced. It’s almost as if the novel is geared for a Netflix production (and I believe it’s been picked up for screen adaptation), hence why it was written the way it was. Still, FWIW I still gasped at the revelation towards the end & almost threw the book in disgust because the conclusion was so effective at making me mad lmao.
Despite my minor complaints, “The List” is nevertheless a gripping novel that highlights the fact that for every good social media & wide internet access has given us, there is always the darker side where a person can be unjustly persecuted and their life upended (or ended) by a cancel culture that is so dependent on the tendency of groupthink that doesn’t allow for nuanced discussions. Fans of No One Is Talking About This or So You've Been Publicly Shamed will definitely appreciate the fictional takes in “The List”.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK & 4th Estate for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available in bookstores in July 2023!
Ola is a journalist for a feminist magazine and is set to marry her longtime boyfriend Michael who has just landed a PR job at a coveted company. Together, they have amassed plenty of followers on their social media and became known as the Black "It" couple throughout London's social circles, but they are about to learn how this fame would backfire when ‘The List’ is published on Twitter. Anonymously crowdsourced, The List reveals the names of well-known men accused of various things, from homophobia to abuse. Less than a month away from their wedding, Ola discovers that Michael’s name has been put on the list as an alleged abuser. When her boss insists that she covers the story of The List for their magazine, Ola has to find out if the allegations are true while people on social media are out for blood to crucify the people on The List.
My thoughts on this book is as cluttered as the novel itself. “The List” tries to juggle so many themes, and though the author manages to pull it off, there’s still room for improvement. The dual narrative from Ola’s POV to Michael’s can be a bit jarring, especially when one POV acts as a recap to give us a glimpse into what both characters felt of the entire situation. However, I appreciate how Adegoke represents both viewpoints. Ola’s feelings of betrayal and the dichotomy between how Ola-the-feminist would react to the allegations vs. how Ola-the-alleged-abuser’s-fiancée actually behaved are believably portrayed, while Michael’s slow descend into depression as he grapples with the accusations from an anonymous woman who seemed to be spreading lies about him as well as the anonymous keyboard warriors behind Twitter et al is so hard to read about. Michael’s POV was especially valuable to see how the toxicity of the cancel culture can have devastating consequences for the people who are targeted by it (and well do I know of twtr’s toxicity & how its mentality sucks you into an echo chamber, so much so that I’ve deleted the app).
I’m also not enamored with the ‘mystery’ aspect behind the investigation into The List & Michael’s accuser, mostly because the reveals and flashbacks felt a bit forced. It’s almost as if the novel is geared for a Netflix production (and I believe it’s been picked up for screen adaptation), hence why it was written the way it was. Still, FWIW I still gasped at the revelation towards the end & almost threw the book in disgust because the conclusion was so effective at making me mad lmao.
Despite my minor complaints, “The List” is nevertheless a gripping novel that highlights the fact that for every good social media & wide internet access has given us, there is always the darker side where a person can be unjustly persecuted and their life upended (or ended) by a cancel culture that is so dependent on the tendency of groupthink that doesn’t allow for nuanced discussions. Fans of No One Is Talking About This or So You've Been Publicly Shamed will definitely appreciate the fictional takes in “The List”.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK & 4th Estate for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available in bookstores in July 2023!
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt