THE PLOT: ‘The List’ by Yomi Adegoke is a contemporary novel about social media and cancel culture. Michael and Ola are the epitome of #BlackExcellence and #BlackLove. He’s a successful podcaster who’s just bagged a high-profile media job and she’s a feminist journalist who takes down sexist, homophobic and racist content online. But when a list of male abusers in media starts circulating on Twitter just a month before their wedding, both of them start to spiral. Michael claims he’s been falsely accused but can #BelieveWomen advocate Ola really trust him?

RATING: This book is fast-paced and intelligent in its critique of social media. Although I’ve seen mixed reviews calling this book everything from one-dimensional to damaging, I personally loved it. When you consider the circles this author runs in, it’s refreshingly honest and self-aware. Through each character it posits several different arguments and viewpoints on social media activism and – spoiler alert – there simply is no easy answer to the central question of the novel. OK it’s a little repetitive but with funny asides bordering on the satirical, this novel isn’t afraid to get into the grey area and that’s why I’m giving it 3.75 stars.

GOOD BITS: This book feels like an honest look at influencer culture and performative activism. Let’s be real, I’m a woke little snowflake but the themes are very nuanced and it made me think about my own beliefs (and the image/beliefs I project online). With strong plotting and pacing, this book initially felt unputdownable. The countdown to the wedding and explosion of events was so engaging. While this feeling stalled after the halfway mark, there were enough small twists to keep my attention. Finally, I really, really liked the ending. Very fitting IMO.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: After the mid-point, I felt like the main characters needed to grow up a little bit. Their reactions to some of the events annoyed me and I wanted them to just come clean and communicate with each other. It also became repetitive because they kept ruminating on the same issues. However, I do think their actions were (mostly) plausible because this novel truly feels like a domino effect of minor bad choices leading to major ones. Additionally, each of the side characters felt a little simplistic and it was clear they were there to serve a particular viewpoint, as opposed to being well-rounded people.

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to lovers of ‘Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?’, ‘Bad Influence’ by Oenone Forbat and ‘Asking for It’ by Louise O’Neil. I’m struggling a little with the comps but if you like the themes and the commercial writing style of these books, I think this will be a winner.

Thank you to @ReadWithSabs who lent me her proof!