This is definitely the type of book that will get people talking, much like The List in the book provokes conversation. Every choice the main characters make throughout the story has reverberating consequences, and whether or not they consistently make good ones has room for debate. There are really infuriating moments in this story, and perhaps that's because of how plausible and heartbreaking these incidents are.

The List, a debut novel by Yomi Adegoke, is about a man whose name is included in an anonymous posting of abusers. This has an immediate impact on both him and his fiancée. I felt that the topic was a timely issue, and I enjoyed reading the story about Michael and Ola. I could hardly wait to see if they would continue with their plan of marriage after the list caused fissure after fissure in their relationship. Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for the advance copy of this book.

QUICK TAKE: I dug this book. It's part WAHALA, part SHE SAID, and I thought it posed some really interesting and complex questions about social media and the #metoo movement. Provocative and really well-done. Worth flagging both characters are EXTREMELY unlikable and tough to root for (though i had no issues with that).

the list follows ola, a high profile journalist and influencer (along with her fiancé michael), as she grapples with a list that challenges her relationship and her trust—a crowdsourced list of abusers in the uk media industry that contains michael's name on it.

the premise and writing style is gripping and compelling (although a lot of times the cliffhangers felt like it was written more for a show instead of a book). it was a pretty easy read and very fast paced while also delving into social commentary and issues that are prevalent in today's society. however, the execution of the book fell short and it strayed into a storyline i couldn't really get behind in the end.

I struggled with the choice for this book to be dual-perspective. I wasn't particularly interested in the perspective of the accused man, and his perspective subjected us to reading the incel vitriol he was looped into upon being added to The List. There's enough of that in real life, I didn't like reading it here.

It's timely subject matter, and it tried to do something interesting with the #metoo moment, but it ultimately felt too true-to-life and without enough editorial to make its point. If it was trying to render Michael sympathetic, it didn't succeed. Maybe I just wasn't bought in enough to their relationship to understand why she would endure all of this. There was a fair amount of telling us they loved each other without adequate showing of that love. For me, this fell short and was neither enjoyable nor eye-opening.

When a list of men and various allegations comes out, a woman is shocked to find her fiancé as one of the named men. The story and characters are wonderful in this book. I did, however, wish that the pace was upped a little bit. Thank you NetGalley,

Ola Olajide is preparing for her wedding to Michael Koranteng when his name suddenly appears on The List, an anonymous document naming abusers in the media industry. As a feminist journalist, Ola is torn between believing women and believing the man she loves, and is frustrated that her friends and coworkers can't see the nuance in her situation. Meanwhile, Michael's brand-new job is in jeopardy as The List sets off a series of events that quickly spiral out of their control.

The premise for this book sounded so interesting, so I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The plot is definitely topical and relevant, but the way the author handled some of the situations was disappointing, and ultimately I didn't feel like this added anything new to the discussion on "Cancel Culture."

Unfortunately, the also writing felt like it could have used some editing and paring down. There was a lot of slang and pop culture references used in the dialogue (which may have been realistic but I found distracting) and the characters themselves felt a bit like afterthoughts--the focus was definitely on the plot, not the characterization. Parts of the book dragged on and felt a bit repetitive. I think the topic of this book alone will sell copies and spark discussion, but I was disappointed the execution wasn't better.

In The List, Ola Olajide, a respected journalist, and her fiancé, Michael, are the envy of their social circle, hailed as the ideal couple. However, their idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when they discover a mysterious message about "The List," which started as a crowd-sourced compilation but has now become a platform for anonymous allegations on social media.

Ola, known for championing such causes, faces a moral dilemma when she realizes that Michael's name has been implicated. As they grapple with the consequences, the novel explores the intricate dynamics of love, trust, and the impact of online accusations on their seemingly perfect relationship.

When it comes to female characters in this book, you have your quiet martyr (Celie), your brave soul (Nour), and even one who spent years rallying against patriarchy, rape culture, and toxic masculinity, but when the accused is
the love of her life, she finds herself confused and questioning everything (Ola).

This book raises thought-provoking questions about justice and the power of social media in the modern world. It makes you second guess the validity of accusations and how easily such accusations can have monumental effects on everyone involved.

I got to a certain point in this book and thought I knew exactly where it was headed, but I was wrong (thankfully!) I appreciated that the trajectory of Ola's and Michael's relationship wasn't predicable - it was messy and confusing.

This book is definitely one that will give you all the feels. You'll be massively frustrated and annoyed one minute and tearing up, if not gut punched the next. I'd say this one is worth the read, but don't skip the content warnings with this one.

Ola and Michael, both of African origin but living and working in UK are all set to get married. About one month before the wedding, Michael's name features on a Twitter post in a crowd-sourced list naming abusive men in the media. This throws their relationship into a tailspin. The novel is based on a very interesting concept of the "Me too" movement and the powerful and disruptive nature of social media. It also highlights the fact that everything posted online may not necessarily be true and can lead to disastrous consequences. I found bits of the story extremely bizarre though - especially the fact that they decide to go ahead with the wedding when their relationship so obviously seems not on a firm footing. An easy read dealing with lots of contemporary issues of interest like racism, feminism, social media, fake news, being woke and the like.

Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow and BookClub Girl for the ARC

This novel is sure to spark debates about the dangers of social media. If you can getaway with saying almost anything online, who’s going to check if you’re posting lies? What if your posts intended to get revenge on someone ended up ruining reputations of innocent people? How damaging could a revenge post be? Read this novel and find out. Have fun debating.

The premise had real potential but the execution didn’t work. The authors tried to tackle a lot of important topics but there were plot holes and too many issues/characters. Almost felt like it was written to be adapted into a series v a fleshed out novel.

Very timely story on the dangers and pitfalls of social media. Ola and Michael are the latest power couple but when his name appears on list alleging very bad behavior, it rocks their world.

This was quite a buzzy book, and the subject matter (a woman's fiance is on a "list" of abusers that makes its rounds on Twitter) sounded interesting. As a person who is very online, I find the discussion of what it means to be a person on the internet an important one, so I was really looking forward to reading this. However, not too far in I started wondering if this was going to be as good as I'd hoped, and sadly it wasn't. There were all sorts of holes in the story and the writing that took me out of what was happening. The couple themselves just didn't feel believable enough which made it hard to care what happened. And there was little to no set up, which I would have liked a lot more of in order to feel invested. I wish this had worked but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

What would you do if your partner was publicly accused of abuse and harassment?
Ola and Michael seem to have it all. Ola is an up-and-coming journalist for a feminist magazine, Michael just landed his dream job, both have a significant social media following and their wedding is a highly anticipated event. They are #couplegoals. That is, until one month before their wedding when “The List” comes out. “The List” is a crowdsourced spreadsheet of men accused of abuse and sexual misconduct that immediately goes viral on Twitter, and Michael’s name is on it.
Ola and Michael are shaken by the accusation, albeit in different ways. Watching as they each deal with the fallout was like watching a car crash- it was so hard to read but I couldn’t look away. Ultimately, the author raises some provocative questions and I think this book will foster interesting discussions.

I found this book to be incredibly thought-provoking and it kept me guessing throughout. While The List definitely isn’t a book for everyone, it is highly readable and I would recommend it to anyone interested in social justice issues and is ok with a pretty uncomfortable reading experience, similar to Such a Fun Age and Yellowface.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Yomi Adegoke had me TUNED IN
I couldn’t do anything till I finished this book. I just had to know how it ended.

I absolutely loved this book! It touched on a lot of REAL issues and conflicts today. Conversations I’ve had with my friends about the internet and cancel culture. The book's plot is somewhat familiar to me. I think it’s so easy to judge from the outside looking in, but things can be different when the roles are reversed.

Holy Moly! This book was utterly absorbing and I didn't get up from my reading chair until I had finished, once I started it. It is absolutely worthy of the hype it is sure to receive. I was entertained throughout and blown away with the most incredible plot twist that literally hit me out of nowhere. The tension in this book had my heart racing and I just could not stop reading! I could go on and on but this is best read with fresh perspectives so you can have those out loud gasping moments that I did! I cannot wait to get this into the hands of my patrons. They are going to be THRILLED!

Wow, this book. I think it's going to have a lot of people talking. It takes some very hot-button, complicated issues and puts its characters into some very difficult predicaments where there are no easy answers. I loved the premise and thought it was well-executed but that didn't mean it wasn't a challenging read at times.

I'd definitely recommend it to readers who are up for a thought-provoking read. I will say that this felt like a really long book at times while it really isn't.

I'll also not that there was a lot of slag and cultural references that I was unfamiliar with as I'm not the race, age, or nationality of the characters, but I felt that grounded the book in a very authentic way and added to the writing-style's success.

I almost put this down at many different points because it was so stressful to read! I wanted to find out what happened but yikes, this book is TENSE.

This was honestly very nearly unreadable. It redeemed itself a little bit by having a point that is probably worth making, but, make no mistake, that point was just as garbled and difficult to parse meaning from as the rest of the text.

The List is a brilliant debut which examines the impact of the internet and our online lives and how it affects and distorts everyone’s reality. We meet Ola and Michael, a hot black couple that are seen as the ‘poster child for black love’. It’s a month before they are due to be married which they are both excited about until an anonymous tweet publishes a list of names of men who are accused of committing sexual violence and harassment towards women. Michael is on this list.

This is a fascinating and gripping expose into life post the # metoo movement and the toxicity and damaging effects of social media. Adegoke demonstrates through Michael, Ola and their friends, family and work colleagues that this news is not a binary issue and there are many shades of grey and nuance to whether choosing to believe Michael’s innocence vs choosing to believe the woman that put Michael’s name on the list.

Everyone has an opinion and the social media pile on by total strangers forces you to pick a side and disregard the complexity of the issue. As I was reading, my loyalties swung from Ola to Michael and back as we see the flaws and ugliness of behaviour but also vulnerability from their perspectives. I felt a lot of empathy to them both as they are embroiled in a much bigger and topical public debate than they can ever imagine, with their relationship becoming collateral damage.