Ola and Michael are on the final countdown to their wedding. The insta famous couple are picture perfect. Michael has just landed his dream job and Ola is aspirational in her job at a feminist news site. But along comes The List. A compilation of names of men in the media and the abuses they have carried out against women. And Michael’s name is on there.

This is an uncomfortable read in places as the reader is forced to think about what they would do in the situation Michael and Ola find themselves in. There is no easy answer and I think that makes this book a great option for a book club as there are so many discussion points that come up as the book progresses. It did take me a little while to get into this one, the characters didn’t quite grab me for whatever reason but I was keen to see how it all panned out for them.

An interesting, timely and topical read.

‘The List’ by Yomi Adegoke follows Ola Olajide, an up and coming journalist at a feminist magazine, and her fiance Michael Koranteng, who are due to be married in less than a month. Ola and Michael are the picture of Black Excellence; a hashtag worthy couple, whose partially sponsored wedding will be the talk of the social media world.

However, a month before the wedding, The List is published on Twitter - an anonymous document naming and shaming abusers in the media industry. To Ola’s disbelief, Michael’s name appears sandwiched between other men who have been accused of violence against women to varying degrees. Following this, Ola embarks on a mission to find out who published the list and if she really knows the man she said yes to marrying.

Let’s get into the things I liked. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the book; I couldn’t put it down because I was DYING to find out if Michael was innocent or guilty. It certainly was addictive and had the pace of a thriller, which made it a super easy read. I also liked the commentary around social media, I think that was the most successful of the themes Adegoke tackled. I enjoyed how Adegoke explored the paradoxical nature of social media - how things can quickly spiral out of control, how social media can both make/break you as well as cancel culture and its effects.

Whilst this was an enjoyable read it wasn’t without its faults. I felt like the book could have been shorter and more concise. There’s a lot of what I would consider unnecessary description and there was often a bit of repetition. I also felt like the book was trying to tackle too many themes at once e.g. feminism, ‘wokeness’, social media, love, friendship etc. and I think it would have been stronger if the author chose to focus on a select few.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience reading The List! The plot and the fast-paced nature made for an easy read, despite some parts being less polished than others. I’m excited to see more from Yomi Adegoke!

In this timely debut novel, Yomi Adegoke poses tough questions about accountability and so-called cancel culture as Ola is torn between her positions as a feminist journalist and fiancée to an alleged abuser.

Considering the subject matter, this was a relatively easy read, although there are no easy answers to the questions raised. Whilst it is easy to empathise with Ola's predicament as it is clear that she loves Michael and is conflicted about the allegations against him, it is hard to say what the "correct" decision is in such a situation—do you believe the allegations and cut off ties or stand by the person you love? It makes for an interesting moral dilemma that carries the novel straight towards an ending that I didn't expect yet absolutely loved.

The premise of 'The List' by Yomi Adegoke is really intriguing. A list is published on social media, detailing the sexual violence and abuse carried out by a group of high profile men. Ola is a prominent feminist journalist who would ordinarily be the first one to write a story on the list, supporting the women behind the accusations. That is until her fiancé Michael is named amongst them. We count down the days until their imminent wedding as Ola decides whether marrying Michael makes her complicit whilst also digging into the origins of the list.

This novel is quite uneven in its execution. Adegoke highlights some interesting issues, including harassment and 'trial by social media', particularly poignant when it comes to the storyline of a retired footballer Michael meets who has been named on the list. However, the eventual resolution of the novel was a little bit too 'not all men' for my liking and does a good job at making women seem like the villain of the piece (with a slight twist to this at the very last minute... you will see what I mean).

A so so read. An important theme but not particularly satisfying in its execution. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard a lot of good things about The List this summer, so was excited to read it. The List tackles a difficult but really interesting and topical subject – men’s abuse of power, sexual misconduct and just how many ‘versions’ of the truth can actually be out there when allegations come to the forefront.

Apparently The List was inspired by something that really happened. There was a list of people in the media doing the rounds that accused them of abuse and sexual misconduct. In her novel, Yomi Adegoke imagines what it would do to your life if you saw your partner’s name on that list.

When Ola does see her fiancé, Michael, at number 42 on the list, her whole world falls apart. Through Ola, Yomi Adegoke sets up an even more high contrast situation as Ola has established a career as a journalist who writes for a feminist magazine, Womxxxn, and is part of the movement to call out rotten men in the industry.

Ola’s editor asks her to write a story about the list and this puts her in an awful position – professionally and personally. Her gut is is to trust her fiancé but she starts to have doubts and combined with the pressure of their wedding being less than a month away, and planning in full swing, she feels trapped, unsure and desperate to find out the truth about the man she is about to marry.

The structure of The List kept things really enticing as we have POV chapters from both Ola and Michael, so we get to intimately see how this situation is affecting them both. As some secrets do spill out, it’s so interesting to see the different takes by the characters to either justify their actions or share what they believe to be true.

I whizzed through The List, I just had to know what was going to happen to Ola and Michael! Perfectly paced, it did indeed throw up a few curveballs but I think that really added to the story and heightened the sense of unrest and truth shifting.

The List blended a conversational, engaging tone with a serious topic. It raised questions on the influence of money and power and both the level of abuse in the media that’s not called out and the way lives can be destroyed if, for example, a name is unjustifiably included on a list of abusers. Definitely gives you some things to think about.

One that really makes you think! Kept me guessing until the end. I really loved the characters too. Just popping down 4 stars as sometimes the descriptions all got a bit much and there were too many adjectives thrown in, a little over-written - but that’s it!

There's so much I liked about this one. The setting was very modern and the issues are so relevant. I found the dialogue a bit awkward in places. At times it felt a bit forced. But will definitely be recommending this book!

I had really high hopes for this book and was a little disappointed when I started reading and it wasn’t what I had been expecting; I was a bit put off by some of the early descriptions and the way it read more like a romance novel, however it picked up and got really interesting when the characters started dealing with the fall out of the premise and certainly by the end I was pleased with where the journey had taken me.

Twisty, gripping, extremely entertaining. I was really excited to read this and Yomi didn’t disappoint. Almost terrifyingly prescient tbqh!

For a debut novel, the written craft on display in this book is amazing and I'd be so keen to read more from this author moving forward (which is mirrored in my rating). Unfortunately, I struggled with this book, despite it discussing a hugely essential topic. There will be those who adore it, but not one for me.

Sassy, clever, funny and shocking. This is a clever, well written moral for modern times. It is definitely immersed in todays online culture, but the well plotted novel has depth. This is a highly superior beach read for people who want a bit of intelligent story telling while being entertained.

We start in the presence of the instaglam couple Michael and Ola, who are a month away from celebrating their wedding day! Both have good jobs thanks to their online presence, but when a list of men is released on Twitter accusing them (anonymously) of committing sexual acts, violence and abuse, Michael and Ola’s worlds crumble as Michael is named as an abuser on the list.

This book gave so much insight into people, their character, their rationale for explicable acts, the #metoo movement, cancel culture and the court of social media where it’s guilty until proven innocent.

I enjoyed the story, and the characters. I genuinely felt for both Michael and Ola throughout this book - more so for Ola and the decisions she needs to take. I felt things were a bit repetitive at times where the same point was made over and over.

Quite a quick read for me on this one. I was genuinely interested in how the characters would develop and end up as a result of the allegation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 star read! Thank you to NetGalley and publishers 4th estate books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

My thanks to 4th Estate and William Collins for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The List’ by Yomi Adegoke.

I accompanied by reading of the eARC with its unabridged audiobook edition and also took part in an online group read organised by the publishers and hosted by The Pigeonhole. This allowed for group discussion as we read the daily chapters.

‘The List’ is a highly anticipated debut novel; one that I would class as a comedy-drama with satirical elements.

The plot examines issues such as the MeToo movement, celebrity culture, social media toxicity, internet trolls, and cancel culture. While primarily focusing on a young couple, it’s the kind of novel that could be described as ‘ripped from the headlines’ and there are definite echoes of real world cases within.

London, May 2019. Ola Olajide is a successful journalist working for Womxxxn, a high profile feminist magazine. She is young, beautiful, and in less than four week’s time she will be marrying the love of her life, Michael Koranteng. They had met three years ago at a media networking event for Black Brits. Their wedding is going to be huge with relatives flying in from Nigeria and Ghana. They are lauded on Instagram as a celebrity Black power couple.

Following an opening party where we are introduced to a number of main and supporting characters, the next morning Michael is starting his new job at the media group, CuRated. Meanwhile Ola is juggling frantic wedding planning with her busy job and extremely demanding boss. Both Ola and Michael receive text messages asking if they have seen ‘The List’ on Twitter? This turns out to be a list of anonymous allegations exposing ‘the UK media’s most prolific abusers’.

This is exactly the kind of story that Ola would usually cover. Except today as her world is shattered when she sees Michael’s name on it. Elsewhere, Michael is shocked and confused; certain that it must be a mistake. When they meet up Ola gives Michael an ultimatum to prove his innocence by their wedding day or else. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Yomi Adegoke structures the novel by alternating chapters between the perspectives of Ola and Michael, slowly building up a picture of their lives and relationship. It is a thought provoking satire that raises important questions about social media and the very real potential for Trial-by-Twitter to ruin people’s lives.

Adegoke’s use of language is bold - having her characters use slang, make references, and speak in dialects that would likely be unfamiliar to some of her readers. However, I appreciated this authenticity even if I had to look up a few meanings. I was pleased that I combined reading with its audiobook edition as hearing the characters speak assisted me with the language.

Overall, I found ‘The List’ highly engaging. I can imagine it being popular with reading groups as it certainly provides plenty of topics for discussion. I understand that the author is adapting it as a television series.

On a side note I liked the bold colours of its cover art and the use of the cheeky emoji.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

A very "of the moment" read.
Michael and Ola are days away from their high profile wedding when Michaels name appears on "The list" online - a list of men who are exposed anonymously for their behaviour... as homophobes, racists, abusers, assaulters etc.
As a proud feminist journalists Ola struggles to juggle this online rumour with the man she loves and wants to marry. Can he really be the man that has been exposed online? A great insight into cancel culture, the damage that online / social media can do. this very much captures the world we are all living in right now.

The book is about many different topics such as complex love, friendships, cyber bullying, social media, abuse, etc.

A well written book by a clearly talented writer. I read it pretty quickly so it was quite gripping

But I have to say that I couldn’t shake off this feeling that this narrative of false allegations towards men is adding to the biggest issue that women aren’t listened to, heard properly or believed in most cases. I did find quite a few things problematic in fact. I am not sure what was attended from this novel if I’m honest and none of the characters were very likeable.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the writer for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ola and Michael are the ideal social media couple. Ola has a high profile job profiling people, naming and shaming those who have overstepped the mark. Michael is due to start a new job with a blogging company. It’s 28 days before their luxurious wedding, The List is published on social media - this list includes the names of men allegedly who have preyed on women and girls, sexual exploitation and treating women badly. Michael's name is on the list, what should Ola do?
Trial by social media.
We read Ola’s side and Michael's side of the story.
Great twist at the end.

The List by Yomi Adegoke.

There has been a lot of buzz in the lead up to the publication of The List , eye catching cover and a fascinating premise but does it live up to its hype? I am not sure.

Ola and Michael are " couple goals", instagram swoon worthy and all is going well in their lives, four weeks out from their dream and part sponsored wedding. Ola is a journalist at a feminist magazine , successful and respected.. Michael is starting a new job in content creation, their online presence possibly helped him secure his new role. Then they wake up one Monday morning to numerous messages each asking have they seen " The List".

Published anonymously on Twitter via a crowdsourced google doc, the list shares a list of men all in the public sphere who are being accused of harassment /sexual misconduct/ ill treatment of women. Michael is named on the list and their world implodes.

There is a lot that is good in here - the exploration of trial by social media, cancel culture, race, infidelity and I was invested in the story of this couple, I wanted to know what happened and so this held my interest all the way through. However, there was a lot that didn't work for me. From the opening chapter, things didn't ring true ( the couple are on a big night out the night before Michael starts a new job ) and this reliance on unrealistic circumstances continued throughout the book. It was also a little unevenly paced. In trying to examine so many current and relevant themes, the story didn't allow for too much else.
Overall it was just a bit off kilter for me. Uneven and a little frustrating because it had the potential to be excellent.

3 stars.

A powerful read on the dangers of trial by social media and the often toxic behaviour of those who use it. How polarised our opinions can be and so loosely informed,

Really solid book with some very interesting thematic work and character development. I enjoyed following the main character.

An exceptional premise - the moral dilemma stuff of nightmares! You can't help but turn the pages wondering what you'd do in Ola's position... loved this. A thinker and a page turner.