The List by Yomi Adegoke Summary, Characters and Themes

The List by Yomi Adegoke, published in 2023, is a contemporary novel that dissects the influence of social media, cancel culture, and activism on personal lives. Set against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, the story follows Ola and Michael, a high-profile couple navigating the fallout from an anonymous online accusation that upends their relationship and public image. 

Adegoke, drawing on her expertise in digital culture and journalism, uses their journey to explore the often-blurred line between online justice and real-world consequences, offering a sharp and thought-provoking commentary on the way the internet shapes modern life.

Summary

Olaide “Ola” Olajide, a journalist for the feminist platform Womxxxn, and her fiancé Michael Koranteng, who works for CuRated, a men’s media site, are internet-famous for their public romance. 

With their wedding approaching, their hashtag, #TheKorantengs19, has been making waves, symbolizing “#BlackLove” alongside other celebrated couples like the Obamas and Beyoncé and Jay-Z. 

But their highly visible relationship takes a sudden hit when Michael’s name appears on an online document known as The List, an anonymous repository of accusations against men in media accused of abuse or misconduct.

Michael is accused of assaulting a woman at an office party and of other inappropriate behavior. 

While he vehemently denies the allegations, Ola is torn. Her career focuses on exposing men like the one Michael is being portrayed as, leaving her in a moral and emotional conflict. 

Ola’s friends are divided: Celie advises her to call off the wedding, but Ruth encourages her to consider that not every man accused is guilty. Ola’s uncertainty festers as public scrutiny intensifies.

Determined to uncover the truth, Ola hires a private investigator who is unable to find concrete evidence supporting the claims against Michael. However, he identifies the creator of The List as a woman named Rhian McIntosh. 

Rhian informs Ola that the accusations against Michael were submitted by an anonymous user called @mirrorissa92. Michael suspects that this user is Jackie Asare, a woman with whom he had a complicated past. 

While their relationship predated his commitment to Ola, Michael reconnected with Jackie online during a rough patch, which causes Ola to further question his integrity.

Despite the mounting pressure, Ola is hesitant to publicly address the situation. Her boss at Womxxxn, Frankie Webb, wants her to write about The List but she resists, fearing the unwanted attention it will bring to Michael. 

Ola persuades her colleague Kiran, who is assigned the story, to hold off on writing about it. As their wedding day nears, Ola struggles to balance her personal life with the growing tension from the scandal.

On their wedding day, things seem momentarily hopeful, but their joy is short-lived as online trolls hijack their hashtag, turning what should have been a celebration into a nightmare. 

Ola suffers a panic attack and Michael spirals into depression. He loses his job at CuRated, and Ola quits Womxxxn after her boss pushes her to exploit her personal trauma for a story. 

Michael, pushed to his breaking point, attempts suicide. In the aftermath, Michael learns that Lewis Hale, another man accused on The List, has tragically taken his own life.

Months later, Ola and Michael, now living more offline and with a cautious sense of calm, meet in a park. Their peace is disrupted when they spot Jackie nearby. Ola wants to confront her for the harm she caused, but the story takes an unexpected turn when it’s revealed that Jackie didn’t accuse Michael. 

It was her partner, Aaron, who out of jealousy and anger at Michael’s perceived mistreatment of Jackie, put his name on The List.

Characters

Olaide “Ola” Olajide

Ola is a complex and multidimensional character who embodies the struggles of navigating personal ethics and public responsibilities in the age of social media. As a journalist and activist, her work at Womxxxn focuses on exposing predatory behavior by men, positioning her as a vocal advocate for women’s rights.

Her public persona as part of the “#BlackLove” couple places her in a challenging position when her fiancé, Michael, is accused of misconduct. Ola’s internal conflict between her professional principles and her personal feelings toward Michael drives much of the narrative tension.

She is torn between upholding her feminist values, which demand that she support victims of abuse, and her loyalty to the man she loves. Ola’s anxiety, mistrust, and indecision mirror the broader cultural dilemmas around the #MeToo movement, where questions about due process and the veracity of accusations can complicate public discourse.

Her experience with online fame and public scrutiny takes a personal toll, leading her to moments of deep anxiety and emotional collapse. In the end, Ola’s decision to limit her online presence reflects her need to reclaim her own life from the invasive and judgmental nature of the internet.

Michael Koranteng

Michael represents the complexity of male vulnerability in the context of the #MeToo movement. As the co-host of a popular podcast and an employee of CuRated, Michael’s public persona is that of a modern, enlightened man.

However, his appearance on The List casts doubt on his character, positioning him as a possible predator. Michael maintains his innocence, but his past behavior—particularly his emotionally confusing relationship with Jackie Asare—introduces ambiguity.

His claim that he was unaware of the boundaries in his relationship with Ola during his interactions with Jackie introduces a gray area in the discourse surrounding consent and emotional responsibility. Michael’s downward spiral following the accusations shows the fragility of a man who is unable to reconcile his public and private selves.

The pressure of public scrutiny, coupled with the collapse of his career and social standing, leads him to attempt suicide. By the end of the novel, Michael steps away from his online identity, symbolizing his rejection of the internet’s toxic influence and his desire for a simpler, more authentic life.

Celie

Celie is Ola’s best friend and a staunch advocate for holding men accountable for their behavior. She is quick to urge Ola to break up with Michael, seeing his inclusion on The List as enough reason to believe the accusations against him.

Celie’s character is important because she embodies a perspective that prioritizes the voices of women. Her unwavering belief in The List contrasts with Ola’s more hesitant, conflicted approach, highlighting the varied reactions women can have toward accusations of abuse.

Ruth

Ruth offers a more balanced perspective on the situation than Celie. While she understands the importance of believing women, she is also cautious about immediately condemning Michael without concrete evidence.

Ruth serves as a reminder that both women and men can be capable of problematic behavior. Her character introduces nuance to the discussion around justice and fairness, helping Ola navigate her own feelings about the accusations.

Frankie Webb

Frankie is Ola’s eccentric and opportunistic boss at Womxxxn. She represents the commercialization and sensationalism of feminist media, showing how activist platforms can sometimes prioritize clicks and viral content over personal ethics.

Frankie pressures Ola to write about The List, despite knowing that Michael is one of the accused. This callousness reflects her broader lack of sensitivity toward the real emotional impact these stories can have on individuals.

Her insistence on covering the story of Ola’s wedding disaster shows her willingness to exploit even her own employee’s trauma for content. Frankie’s character underscores the predatory nature of the online media world.

Lewis Hale

Lewis is a former soccer star who, like Michael, finds himself accused of misconduct through The List. His storyline introduces issues of homophobia and toxic masculinity, as he struggles with the fact that he is secretly gay while living in a family and community that are strongly anti-gay.

Lewis’s inability to come out publicly and his eventual suicide point to the emotional toll of societal pressures. His tragic death contrasts with Michael’s own suicide attempt, highlighting the devastating impact of online accusations and personal struggles.

Jackie Asare

Jackie is central to the mystery surrounding Michael’s inclusion on The List. Her relationship with Michael adds layers of complexity to his character, blurring the lines between consent and emotional manipulation.

Initially framed as the woman who accused Michael, it is later revealed that her partner, Aaron, is responsible for submitting Michael’s name. Jackie’s character illustrates how women can be caught in the crossfire of men’s toxic behavior and how men can weaponize women’s vulnerability for their own purposes.

Aaron

Aaron is the person responsible for putting Michael’s name on The List. He does so because he believes that Michael treated Jackie with “cruel indifference.”

Aaron’s actions introduce the concept of vigilante justice in the context of the #MeToo movement, showing how individuals can take matters into their own hands. His misguided attempt to defend Jackie ultimately causes more harm than good, contributing to Michael’s downfall.

Themes

The Complexities of #MeToo and Online Vigilantism

Yomi Adegoke’s The List delves deeply into the complexities of the #MeToo movement, specifically examining the tension between justice and online vigilantism. The novel portrays how a powerful social movement, born from a real need to expose systemic abuse and give voice to silenced victims, can sometimes spiral into a tool of unchecked power.

Through the anonymous accusations on The List, Adegoke highlights how the internet democratizes access to justice but simultaneously opens the door to potential misuse. The narrative explores the fine line between advocating for survivors and recklessly condemning individuals without sufficient evidence, illustrating the dangerous implications of public accusations in a society increasingly driven by social media outrage.

Michael’s ordeal exemplifies how even baseless allegations can devastate lives, creating an almost Kafkaesque scenario. The court of public opinion becomes the ultimate arbitrator, making defense or redemption near impossible.

This theme underscores the dangers of binary thinking—where people are categorized simply as “good” or “bad”—and reveals the chilling consequences when such assessments are based on unverifiable claims. The List operates as a digital court of law, without accountability or a process for exoneration, mirroring the broader dangers of cancel culture in an internet era that is swift to vilify and slow to reconsider.

The Disintegration of Identity in the Age of Digital Surveillance

Adegoke’s novel incisively portrays how the internet has fundamentally altered personal identity and relationships, showing how individuals are increasingly consumed by their online personas. For both Ola and Michael, the internet is not just a backdrop but a dominating force in their lives.

Their relationship exists not only as a private bond but as a public spectacle, commodified and scrutinized by their followers. They are reduced to symbols of #BlackLove, expected to perform the idealized version of themselves online.

This pressure erodes their sense of self, making their lives feel performative, even to themselves. Adegoke shows how the internet, through the constant gaze of its audience, strips individuals of their autonomy, turning them into content to be consumed, liked, or judged.

The relentless visibility that both Ola and Michael experience speaks to a broader societal theme: the commodification of identity in the digital age. The novel critiques the way individuals have become brands, forced to carefully curate their lives and project perfection.

This performative existence exacerbates feelings of isolation and disconnection, as Ola and Michael’s true selves are lost amid the noise of their digital avatars. Adegoke’s narrative becomes a meditation on the dangers of living in a state of perpetual visibility, where the private and public selves are indistinguishable, and where the gaze of others not only shapes but distorts one’s identity.

The Fragility of Modern Relationships and the Burden of Societal Expectations

The internet is not only shaping personal identities but also reconfiguring relationships in ways that make them more fragile and performative. Ola and Michael’s relationship, which is played out under the intense scrutiny of social media, is emblematic of the strain that online visibility places on romantic bonds.

Their wedding hashtag, #TheKorantengs19, turns their relationship into a public affair, and they are constantly expected to live up to the idealized version of Black love celebrated online. Their relationship becomes transactional—an influencer couple, commodified by their followers.

Adegoke portrays this constant surveillance as toxic, as it turns an intimate relationship into something that must be validated by the public. The burden of expectations placed on them by society, to be role models and perfect representations of love, ultimately undermines the authenticity of their bond.

The novel examines how the internet amplifies the pressure to conform to societal standards of success, love, and happiness. Michael and Ola’s relationship falters under the weight of these expectations, as they are unable to separate their private lives from their public personas.

The tragic unraveling of their relationship is less about personal incompatibility and more about the impossible expectations imposed on them by their online followers. This theme speaks to the broader issue of how relationships in the digital age are increasingly shaped by external forces, eroding the organic growth and intimacy necessary for their survival.

The Interplay Between Gender, Power, and Public Accountability

One of the novel’s most compelling explorations is the intersection of gender, power, and the internet’s role in public accountability. Ola’s career as a journalist on an online feminist platform is juxtaposed with her personal struggle when her fiancé is accused of abuse.

The irony of this situation is glaring—Ola has built her career exposing the wrongdoings of men, yet she is now forced to grapple with the possibility that her partner might be guilty of the very behaviors she condemns. Adegoke uses Ola’s internal conflict to explore the complexities of gender politics in the #MeToo era, specifically highlighting how difficult it can be for women to navigate the often conflicting roles of victim, advocate, and partner.

The novel also interrogates the ways in which gender dynamics are influenced by social media platforms. Women’s voices have been amplified through these channels, giving them newfound power to call out injustice, but this power is double-edged.

While platforms like The List are created to provide women with a space to safely share their stories, they also contribute to a public environment where justice can feel arbitrary, and allegations can be weaponized. Adegoke does not present easy answers but instead raises crucial questions about the limits of justice in an era where social media has the power to ruin lives without due process.

The novel’s nuanced portrayal of these issues invites readers to reflect on the broader societal implications of gendered power and accountability in an internet-dominated world.

The Mental Health Consequences of Hyper-Connectivity and Online Scrutiny

Adegoke’s The List offers a profound commentary on the mental health toll exacted by living in a hyper-connected, constantly surveilled world. Both Ola and Michael experience profound psychological distress as a result of the internet’s invasion into their personal lives.

Ola’s panic attack at her wedding, triggered by the hijacking of their hashtag by online critics, and Michael’s downward spiral into alcoholism and attempted suicide illustrate the extreme mental strain caused by online scrutiny. The constant barrage of opinions, judgments, and attacks from anonymous internet users creates an environment in which privacy is a luxury and peace of mind an impossibility.

The novel suggests that the very architecture of the internet, which promotes instant feedback and viral outrage, is incompatible with mental wellness. The pressure to constantly engage with an online audience and to respond to every criticism fosters a toxic environment where anxiety and depression are inevitable.

In the end, the only escape for Michael is to retreat from the internet entirely, while Ola limits her online presence to a private Instagram account. 

Adegoke uses their journeys to highlight the importance of boundaries and the need for individuals to reclaim control over their mental health in a world that often feels like it is spinning out of control due to the internet’s relentless demands for attention and participation.