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A review by stellahadz
The List by Yomi Adegoke
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