This review is written with thanks to Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read and review The List.

Blurb:

ONLINE RUMOURS. REAL LIFE TROUBLE.

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?

Review:

I’ve been seeing The List all over social media in the run up to its publication, which is very fitting, as the novel is all about how our society reacts to social media and how the things that are posted on social media can spread like wildfire and create a force for both good and bad. There are many questions raised by The List, including a very strong nod to the #MeToo movement and this does make for some lively discussions that really made me think about the issues in more detail.

The couple at the centre of The List are Ola and Michael, and the chapters alternate between the viewpoints of each one. Yomi Adegoke has written the story in a very clever way, showing the reader both sides of the story without ever taking sides. It was interesting for me to try and work out what had happened and get to the truth and I was engaged the whole way through. However, I did find it difficult to like both Ola and Michael, as they both seemed to be quite reactive, taking an immature approach to their relationship, particularly in the early stages of the novel. I also feel that perhaps this novel is not aimed at people in my age group, as their language and behaviour seemed much more reminiscent of younger people, and most of it did not resonate with me.

I must admit to have been slightly disappointed by the ending, but I will be thinking about The List for some time to come.

The List is available from Amazon.