The List by Yomi Adegoke
Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist, is marrying the love of her life in one month's time. Young, beautiful, successful – she and her fiancé Michael seem to have it all.
That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message:
‘Oh my god, have you seen The List?’
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.
With their future on the line, Ola gives Michael an ultimatum to prove his innocence by their wedding day, but will the truth of what happened change everything for both of them?
Our bookseller Haro reviews The List:
There’s this tweet I read several years ago that I thought was hilarious. Written by user @marianbull: “when i finally get cancelled, i want it to be at home, in my bedroom, surrounded by friends”.
Yomi Adegoke’s debut novel The List is strikingly relevant in the zeitgeist of 2020s internet culture. The story follows Ola, about to marry the love of her life, Michael. These are two very successful and beautiful people, and together, they each make one half of Black Britain’s power couple. Then one morning comes The List. “The List” accuses powerful men in UK entertainment and media of horrific abuse, and Michael’s name is on it.
Adegoke is a devilishly clever story-teller. It’s clear she’s watched behind the scenes the years of social justice warriors and Notes app apologies. If that sounds foreign, don’t be alarmed. Adegoke has crafted a contemporary tale that questions all the complexities of “cancel culture”, meaning anyone who has acted or spoken for a cause deemed socially unacceptable is immediately ostracised. Written from Ola and Michael’s perspectives, the two watch as their families and friends distance themselves or simply drop out of their lives like flies. Strangers are a certain type of cruel; the comments are damning and expose the cracks in this picture perfect relationship. They say, whatever Michael did, he definitely did it. Cancelled.
It’s a fascinating, extremely topical read in the era of #MeToo, which is repeatedly alluded to throughout the book. Adegoke doesn’t hold back. She directly brings Harvey Weinstein into the conversation. She questions everything you can think of regarding what it means to be an active participant of social media, keeping the conversation relevant beyond fiction, and at the same time, claustrophobically insular in Ola and Michael’s worlds. Their crisis is ours. How will you respond to mass alienation when you can no longer simply turn off your screen?
The simple question to ask can be, Can we assume Michael is guilty? But if we give Michael the benefit of the doubt, does that silence the voice of victims? Is Ola guilty by association if she stands by her man? But why do we hold women accountable for the terrible things men (allegedly) do? Allegedly - the cursed word that keeps Ola holding onto the relationship by her fingertips. Adegoke reveals page by page that not everything is as it seems. As humans tend to be, Ola and Michael are two very flawed people, desperate for answers that others may be keeping to themselves.
No doubt about it, The List is the page turner you’ve been craving. If you’re after a book that will keep you up at night, wondering what the hell will happen next, this is it. HBO Max, BBC, and A24 (that’s right, A24, so you know it’ll be good) have already obtained the rights to a TV adaptation. Grab a copy now and be a part of the conversation to come.