This was ok - I'm not sure if it was because of all the hype on the book, but it didn't really deliver how I thought it would. Still, there's merit to the thriller-esque feel to the book and I loved the subject matter - publishing is way too white, and I like anything that disrupts those stories.

This was an excellent debut and thriller by Zakiya Dalila Harris. I couldn't put this book down and loved to see the insidious nature of publishing portrayed here. I kept thinking of this book months after I finished it. Can't wait to read the author's next book!

Zakiya Dalila Harris' The Other Black Girl is a sharp and captivating thriller that brilliantly tackles race, identity, and workplace dynamics. With its suspenseful plot and thought-provoking commentary, the novel keeps readers hooked while addressing deeper societal issues. Harris masterfully blends satire and tension, making this a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction with a twist of mystery.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris take the warped rules of our own society and flips them around into something chaotic and increasingly dangerous. This book examines the concept of doppelgangers and stolen identity in a way I've never seen before, and a way that Black women have to consider daily. There is only room for one: one woman, one Black woman. What happens when someone who is supposed to be your ally reveals themselves to be a dangerous enemy? I thought The Other Black Girl was funny, thrilling, and thought provoking. It reminded me of Dietland by Sarai Walker and certainly confronts societal taboos and weaknesses in a similar fashion.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris is a gripping and thought-provoking thriller that is a perfect fit for readers who enjoy socially conscious fiction, are fascinated by the dark underbelly of corporate culture, and are eager to dive into a story that explores the complexities of racism, identity, and the struggles of being a Black woman in a predominantly white industry.

I can’t believe I never posted a review for this book! I absolutely loved it, and the Hulu show that followed. So many aspects of Nella’s life resonated with my own, from her career in book publishing to her dating life, and all the struggles and never feeling enough-ness that she faced. I didn’t love the supernatural type turn the book took towards the end, but overall thought the book was interesting, thrilling, and a brilliant take on both publishing and society as a whole, and the struggles women of color face both in the work force and in the world.

The Other Black Girl provides a glimpse into the underworkings of the publishing industry and the micro aggressions seen in the workplace by our colleagues of color. This is a suspenseful read with so many twists and turns I never saw coming. I look forward to more from this author.

I was excited about this book when I requested it and then it turned out to be DNF for me, but obviously we have it in the library and I was just reminded while going through and cleaning up my NetGalley shelf that the TV show is available now, so maybe I'll give that a try instead!

It is now over 2 years since this book was released and I am still thinking about it! There are a million things you can say about this book, there are a million discussions you can have about this book, but at the end of the day what I take away most strongly is that being black in America is at best exhausting and at its worst utterly and completely terrifying. I also feel that unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the audience for this book was not as receptive as it could have and should have been. I do think that there is a continued interest in this title and I am ready and willing and eager to bring it up to anyone who seems even remotely interested in it at the library and in the bookstore as well. One of the best books I've ever read can't recommend it highly enough 27 million stars if I could

As you’ll hear many others say, Zakiya Dalila Harris’ The Other Black Girl is a book that had a lot of potential, could it have been tightened up and shortened down to a more manageable number of pages. As it is, this novel about a black girl working among a sea of white faces at a publishing house who has her world shook when another black girl is hired, is long-winded and confusing. While I was really into the book at the beginning, it started to lose me after the first POV change. I held on, but by the end when the twists and turns start to happen, I felt lost, perhaps because I hadn’t been paying attention as closely as I needed to due to my waning interest. I am not sure I truly understand what happened here - yes, I will admit, I just don’t get it.

Pheww that epilogue!!

I flew through this book, did not see so many of the twists coming.

I did at some times get confused by the different perspectives and characters - cutting one or two of them may have helped the book be more cohesive.

Overall I enjoyed and gave it 4 stars.

As a person of color who works in publishing, I totally get why there's a subgenre of books about editors in publishing. It's such a weird, hostile corporate environment that poses as a creative space. Harris does an excellent job of depicting the sinister underlying nature of being a person of color in publishing.

The narrative started off promising for this title, but it falls apart by the middle. It was hard to keep up with the concept

A publishing house workplace drama between two Black women that winds up something bigger and more nefarious by the end.

This book just didn't hit with me. I didn't too much care for the writing style. It was wild and the synopsis seemed like it was going to be good but I just didn't jive with it.

This intriguing book is not easy to pin down. Part office intrigue, part social commentary, with some serious genre bending thrown in. Nella looks forward to having another "black girl" in her office but soon finds Hazel is not the friend and confidante she is looking for. The ending is a surprise and I am still not sure how I feel about it. Worth a read and a think.

A fantastic glimpse into the micro aggressions that haunt a workplace, but more so for people of color and varying identities. It is well written and starts off like a small spit of fire, taking the whole forest down with it.

This book was not exactly what I expected, but it was still enjoyable none the less, and the twist will really make you think! I really enjoyed the elements of this book between these two Black woman and this glimpse inside the publishing world.

Zakiya Dalila Harris has written a thriller set in the publishing industry. I know, words you never expect to hear in the same sentence. But her novel, The Other Black Girl, is just that. The idea came to Harris when she was working as an editorial assistant, and then as assistant editor, at one of publishing’s largest houses. She realized that she was one of only two Black women working there. Combine that realization with a love for the movie, Get Out, and you have a thriller set in the publishing industry on your hands.

I recently spoke with Zakiya Dalila Harris about The Other Black Girl and, believe it or not, the movie The Blob.

Here's our conversation:

I really really enjoyed this book and felt like it gave us a brilliant look into some very prominent issues that can definitely use a light being shined upon them, it was a very eye opening book. However, at the end I was very thrown off, the idea that something so fantastical would fit in and be the reasoning behind the behaviors in an otherwise realistic world made no sense to me. It really threw me off and I felt like it took away from the more important aspects of the story.