by Yomi Adegoke

A Mystery/Thriller, 2023 by Wlliam Morrow, 336 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

Content warning: sexual assault accusations and actions, suicidal thoughts and actions, homophobia
We’re expected to believe there’s exactly ONE person named Michael working in this field? No last name is given but everyone just knows it’s him? That seems a little far-fetched, even in a niche field.
Michael. Oh, I’m not a fan. He seems to harbor a lot of resentment for a woman he claims to love. It pops up at weird times. Did he deserve what happened? No, obviously. But he also didn’t deserve Ola.
Messy and clumsy in the message. This is an important topic, in my opinion. With a story like this I think you need a clear message. This one was too muddled and too messy. Are we saying men who are accused have their lives ruined? That people make things up? That social media is a negative tool? Number one, if those are your points I’m not sure I agree with you fully. Number two, if those are your points they were muddled and unclear.
This one is billed as a thriller. It doesn’t read that way at all. As someone who regularly reads thrillers, this fell short of that by a longshot. There’s nothing mysterious about this book, you know everything up front. This reads like a contemporary fiction.

The banter and the voice of the two characters are good right from the start. You get a clear sense of who they both are and immediately feel immersed in their world.
The concept is great and these were exactly the two characters for this concept. This story doesn’t get off the ground without Ola writing for a feminism publication or without Michael harboring some secrets. The tension this book can build is all wrapped up in who they are individually, which is a brilliant way to explore the idea.
The inclusion of alternative prose (texts) works to remind the reader that much of this one is playing out because of something online.

That’s tough for this one because it takes a topic we should be talking about and thrusts it into gray areas without really taking a clear stance. I suppose the ideal reader for this one is someone who likes stories about important social topics and their exploration.

For me, choosing to delve into a topic like this and not make a point clear is problematic. I wanted more from this ending than we got. Also, promoting it as a thriller is problematic because that sets an expectation that was not met.