For all ebook purchases, you will be prompted to create an account or login with your existing HarperCollins username and password. The book tried to cover entirely TEW much- feminism, being woke, modern day influencing, love, culture, friendship etc. 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.

Nigerian-British Ola is a journalist on the trendy, consciously feminist Womxxxn magazine (white editor Frankie admits she saw 'womxn' on Twitter and thought it sounded cool; she isn't quite sure how to say it, but has leant in by 'declaring it was pronounced 'Wo-minx' in a bid to encourage women to embrace their "inner minx". Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is marrying the love of her life in one month's time. 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.

Compulsively readable, wildly entertaining, and filled with sharp social insight, The List is a piercing and dazzlingly clear-sighted debut about secrets, lies, and the internet. I think that with more considered editorial work, and some discussion with real victims, this could have been a better book. Though this sounds minor, it is something that bothered me all the way through the novel, unfortunately. Anonymously crowdsourced, The List reveals the names of well-known men accused of various things, from homophobia to abuse. Does she proceed to marry Michael, does she confront him with the same condemnation the rest of twiterrati has and end things swiftly with him?

Less than a month away from their wedding, Ola discovers that Michael’s name has been put on the list as an alleged abuser.

I understand why she felt she had to include so many subplots, wanting to show different sides of this story; but it makes the book feel like it ultimately isn't saying anything new about cancel culture, where it could have been much bolder and sharper. The book neatly sidesteps the problem of having a woman lying about Michael by making the culprit her jealous boyfriend - ha! The blurb compares The List to Such a Fun Age, Luster, and My Dark Vanessa which I don't think holds true at all. The author clearly lays out that less than 1% of men accused are impacted while all victims are harmed 100% of the time. I got so annoyed at the wedding scene where the couple expected everything to be okay and fade away and Ola acting as if she had no choice but to marry Michael.

Similarly, Ola has no friends at her workplace, refuses to go for team drinks, doesn't talk to anyone. Ola’s feelings of betrayal and the dichotomy between how Ola-the-feminist would react to the allegations vs. Working as a journalist for feminist publication Womxxxn, such a scoop would usually have Ola with her laptop in one hand and a pitchfork in the other. Fans of No One Is Talking About This or So You've Been Publicly Shamed will definitely appreciate the fictional takes in “The List”.The reader gets to see how these allegations spectacularly blow up this happy couple’s relationship and the trust between them is shattered. Is fiction alright, but for a book that can arguably be based on real stories (examples) of women speaking up about sexual abuse/assaults, to be told false accusations to be vengeful, is just harmful. 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. Challenging the discourse of victim blaming and online witch hunts, The List doesn’t promise any answers – and it needn’t. A crowdsourced document of sexual harassment allegations surfaces on the internet and Michael is on the list.