Rating: ★★★★★

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault and Suicide

Yomi Adegoke’s debut novel, ‘The List’, has been labelled “hotly anticipated” since Fourth Estate announced its publication last year.

Famous for her bestselling book “Slay in your lane: The Black Girls Bible”, co-authored with Elizabeth Uviebinené, and numerous thought-provoking reads and interviews, fans of her work (like us) have been holding space in their TBR lists for this book.

And it truly is a space well-earned.

This is the best book I’ve read this year (and I’ve read a lot).

It’s tells the story of a journalist, Ola Olajide, and an upcoming presenter, Michael Koranteng, who together are known as the Instagram-Influencer “King and Queen of #BlackLove”. One month before their lavish wedding, a viral tweet names Michael on “The List” as one of the many men called out as sexual abusers and predators in the media.

What follows is an erosion of relationships, trust and reputation. Ola, known for breaking similar stories of abusers in power, heartbreakingly battles between her moral compass and her love for Michael. Michael, who strongly denies the allegations, struggles to cope as his world falls apart around him.

Revelations throughout the book guide the reader through a moral and thought-provoking journey of their own. One inevitably to be discussed at book clubs across the country. “Would you marry him?” and “How far would you got to find out the truth?” are two questions that I’m in no doubt will cause much debate when we’re discussing this book in ours.

What I love most about this book is its ability to provoke the topical cultural issues of today. By the end of the book, your thoughts have been challenged by cancel culture, toxic masculinity, the complicated morality of digital anonymity (its vitriolic application by trolls versus an advocacy, justice and support tools for survivors), parasocial relationships and the impact that a filtered social media life has on life offline.

It’s truly no surprise that it’s being adapted for TV with Adegoke as Executive Producer. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how the TV adaptation develops the characters of Fola, Ruth, Celie and Kwabs.

Though, much like the book’s characters asking each other if they’ve seen the list, I’m even more excited for the conversations with those who have read it.

Reviewed by Pippa Moyle

‘The List’ by Yomi Adegoke is out tomorrow (Thursday 20th July 2023), published by Fourth Estate and sold at numerous bookstores including Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

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