The List by Yomi Adegoke

This book was hyped, which I always have mixed feelings about. It can be hard to drop the “what’s the hype” lens.

Here’s the premise: what if your fiancé ends up on an anonymous whistleblower list accused of abuse? Who do you believe? Who gets to decide who is wrong or right in the court of public opinion? I think this premise is really smart and interesting.

I wouldn’t call it super suspenseful, but there’s enough of a suspense element to keep you hooked. What has he done to end up on the list? What will they do now?

I’m familiar with the tech world so I could relate to some of it, but ultimately, it didn’t really pull me in emotionally. I found the career/boss stuff very satirical and funny though!

I liked the Nigerian and Ghanaian cultural references and the relationships the protagonists develop with others over the course of their crisis.

Some of the mental health and misogyny references felt real… but also ultimately were not fully explored or explained. There’s just a lot going on to be honest.

There are some insightful moments, but I’m not sure if I fully understand the “message”, but sometimes it’s also OK just to come along for the ride.