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A review by thebooksatchel
The List by Yomi Adegoke
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
A Black power couple who went Insta viral after their engagement are getting married in a month. The woman Ola is a journalist and supporter of the Me Too movement and her podcaster fiance Michael is starting a new job at a content firm. A crowdsourced document of sexual harassment allegations surfaces on the internet and Michael is on the list. This throws their relationship, wedding plans and career into muddled waters.
What I loved:
- A KILLER premise
- I loved what a page turning read this was. The first half really keeps the suspense and consequences going strong. The pace dips in the middle but it picks up soon enough.
- 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.
- The book explores the anonymity behind internet handles and also how the public quickly passes judgement, sometimes without verifying facts. The book shows a well rounded picture of how both men and women misuse this anonymity. It shows both sides—the trolls and also the regular person who believes the internet.
- 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?.
It makes you think about labels. For eg, can a name revealed on the internet to be a sexual harasser be considered a victim of social media outrage?
- I absolutely loved how Adegoke explored Ola's situation. Does she trust her fiance or an anonymous list? There's always a grain of doubt in one's mind after such an issue blows up. How to deal with being a feminist and being accused of being a pseudo feminist? How to balance her job and personal life?
- Also how does workplace address such an allegation on the internet? I don't think many books address this issue and I am glad The List does.
- 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.
What I didn't like:
- The characters felt underdeveloped. Sometimes the scenes read like parts which could be further developed into a TV show with more context. This was cumbersome to read. While we do get a good insight into what the lead characters face because of the allegation on the List, their overall character sketch was underdeveloped. For example I couldn't see how or why Ola-Michael were an Insta famous couple beyond what's told to us. How were they Internet relevant and not forgotten? I really wish more of this background was explored because that's one reason that there are so many eyes on this couple when the List blows up.
- The tone changes and I felt unsure where to place this book. In the beginning the novel felt like a probe into the private lives of Ola and Michael, but it quickly changes into a social commentary with weighty issues.<
- I see many new novels falling into this pit. Many themes are crammed into the read—#Metoo movement, anonymous sexual allegations, judgement passed on social media, relationships in the digital age, journalist life and scoops, rape, legal system, etc.
Comparisons:
The blurb compares The List to Such a Fun Age, Luster, and My Dark Vanessa which I don't think holds true at all. I found it more similar to Yellowface by RF Kuang in style and tone (not theme).
What I loved:
- A KILLER premise
- I loved what a page turning read this was. The first half really keeps the suspense and consequences going strong. The pace dips in the middle but it picks up soon enough.
- 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.
- The book explores the anonymity behind internet handles and also how the public quickly passes judgement, sometimes without verifying facts. The book shows a well rounded picture of how both men and women misuse this anonymity. It shows both sides—the trolls and also the regular person who believes the internet.
- 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?.
It makes you think about labels. For eg, can a name revealed on the internet to be a sexual harasser be considered a victim of social media outrage?
- I absolutely loved how Adegoke explored Ola's situation. Does she trust her fiance or an anonymous list? There's always a grain of doubt in one's mind after such an issue blows up. How to deal with being a feminist and being accused of being a pseudo feminist? How to balance her job and personal life?
- Also how does workplace address such an allegation on the internet? I don't think many books address this issue and I am glad The List does.
- 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.
What I didn't like:
- The characters felt underdeveloped. Sometimes the scenes read like parts which could be further developed into a TV show with more context. This was cumbersome to read. While we do get a good insight into what the lead characters face because of the allegation on the List, their overall character sketch was underdeveloped. For example I couldn't see how or why Ola-Michael were an Insta famous couple beyond what's told to us. How were they Internet relevant and not forgotten? I really wish more of this background was explored because that's one reason that there are so many eyes on this couple when the List blows up.
- The tone changes and I felt unsure where to place this book. In the beginning the novel felt like a probe into the private lives of Ola and Michael, but it quickly changes into a social commentary with weighty issues.<
- I see many new novels falling into this pit. Many themes are crammed into the read—#Metoo movement, anonymous sexual allegations, judgement passed on social media, relationships in the digital age, journalist life and scoops, rape, legal system, etc.
Comparisons:
The blurb compares The List to Such a Fun Age, Luster, and My Dark Vanessa which I don't think holds true at all. I found it more similar to Yellowface by RF Kuang in style and tone (not theme).