The List: The instant Sunday Times bestselling debut novel – ‘The perfect summer read’ Paula Hawkins

Product Information

I loved the premise for this but was a bit nervous about its execution. It's a compulsive read, first and foremost, and makes many very valid points about social media.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they said. But what do they say about the fury of a man who discovers his woman is cheating on him but doesn't quite want to let her go, nor let the other man get away with the affair?The premise of this felt really interesting to me, so I was disappointed when it personally just did not live up to the hype. It makes us question where do we draw the boundaries. To what extent is it morally right to reveal things on social media. What happens when intent and results do not match?. 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”. Mapping the seemingly perfect relationship between a “feminist writer” and her man - a podcaster & newly hired content creator at a well known media firm after they wake up to his name on a public document accusing him of harassment alongside other notorious men in the creative space, this novel focused heavily on the real life implications of cancel culture and the dark side of social media; exploring other themes such as suicide, grief, sexual abuse, misogyny, and love.

All of this is important material but I found the writing foggy and messy at times with extraneous exposition and descriptions that could have been cut or better integrated. There are also holes in the characterisation as people do things for the convenience of the plot: jarring instances are the opening scene where Ola and Michael are club-hopping, drinking champagne to celebrate their upcoming wedding, don't get home till 3 am... and then he doesn't stay the night as he's starting a new job the next day? All this just to separate the two protagonists when The List drops on social media. The List was phenomenal. Brilliantly written, intricately plotted and incredibly clever. Once I started, I could not put it down, and I am sure I'llbe thinking about this book for a very long time. Five solid stars from me. Thank you to Yomi for sharing her talent with the world.”— Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice Topical, heartfelt, provocative…The entire cast of this ultimate millennial novel springs vividly to life.” Compulsively written, Yomi Adegoke’s debut has all the tension and build of a thriller, but swaps its typical tropes and themes and instead delves into the depths of race, infidelity, cancel culture in the wake of the Me Too movement, and virtue signalling. Adegoke delivers a thought-provoking account of the power of social media to amplify and to silence, as well as the devastating effects of online pileups that catch innocent bystanders in their wake. This timely novel demands to be discussed.”— Booklist (starred review)Topical, heartfelt, provocative and wise, Yomi Adegoke’s characters are tenderly realized, and she has an exceptional ear for capturing different vernaculars so that the entire cast of this ultimate millennial novel springs vividly to life.”— Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other It began as a list of anonymous allegations about abusive men. Now it has been published online. Ola made her name breaking exactly this type of story. She would usually be the first to cover it, calling for the men to be fired. Except today, Michael’s name is on there. Throughout this book I truly couldn’t figure out if any of these characters were meant to be likeable which I must admit kept taking me out of the flow of the book; the pacing was also off with the story lagging at some points. But most importantly, I found that the book at times teetered on feeding into very harmful rhetorics about women making false accusations for vengeance purposes and that last chapter didn’t help my feelings about this at all!

I also loved how this novel explores that an act on the internet can affect real lives, friendships, careers and mental health of not just those who are directly involved, but also people close to them. I was drawn in by the synopsis and expected an interesting story but this was so messy and I get why people tag this book as apologist.Ola and Michael's wedding is approaching, but when 'The List' drops online, will its revelations change everything they think they know about each other and will their perfect lives become a nightmare? 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. It's a very readable and engaging book. Also I love that novels are exploring our digital lives and how the internet is intertwined in our relationships and bias because of what we consume. Topical, heartfelt, provocative and wise, Yomi Adegoke's characters are tenderly realized . . . the entire cast of this ultimate millennial novel springs vividly to life.” - Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other The List is topical, thought-provoking and vital, diving into the grey areas of difficult conversations that both writers and readers tend to avoid. And in the process, opening much needed debates about cancel culture, anonymity and the terrifying power of the internet.”— Marie Claire (UK)