As a librarian, I was predisposed to liking this story about the book industry, and it definitely didn't disappoint. This is even BETTER on audio! Loved it.

Nella Rogers wants to be a book editor—and she’s on the right path after securing an editorial assistant job at the best publisher in New York City. But being a Black woman in an extremely white industry means getting there comes with a mountain of challenges—and that’s before a series of sinister notes begin appearing at work commanding her to LEAVE NOW.⁣
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Part modern suspense, part office drama, part thriller, #TheOtherBlackGirl pushes back against genre to bring us the story that balances action and social commentary as Nella struggles to keep her career and stand up for herself, all while trying to solve the mystery of the mysterious new Black girl at work—someone who she is desperate to befriend but who also seems just a little menacing.⁣
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We loved this book for its slow-burning but page-turning mystery, and its original story and voice—paired with its realistic and stark look at systematic racism in the publishing world -- heck, any office environment, really. The subtle underlying microaggressions that exist in so many offices for people of color should make anyone cringe -- and deeply reevaluate their own privilege. Zakiya Dalila Harris makes readers take a long, slow look at those dynamics.⁣
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It’s one of the most exciting debuts of the year.

This starts at a razor sharp and witty office novel and ends up, not entirely satisfactorily for me, somewhere else altogether.

Nella is the only Black girl at the Wagner publishing house and is assistant to Vera, one of the higher powered editors. As well as all the usual office irritations - the coffee machine that doesn’t work, the nepotistic appointment, the hidden and not so hidden jockeying for position - Nella has to shoulder the weight of being the only Black employee. Some diversity “meetings” had been set up but after the initial compulsory one, attendance dropped and they were viewed as “extracurricular” akin to the company basketball team. But she is largely content with her lot and even more so when Hazel, another Black girl is employed.

At first they are best buds, having lunch together, sharing eye rolls at microaggressions, exchanging hair and fashion tips. But things take a sharp turn after Nella reviews the latest submission from bestselling author Colin Franklin, Needles and Pins, about the opioid crisis. White Colin has decided that he needs to add diversity to his characters and has come up with Shartricia, who Nella sees as a “less than one-dimensional” Black character. However, Vera LOVES this book and Nella struggles to share her concerns over Shartricia but, encouraged by Hazel, eventually does to her boss and the author. This backfires horribly and then it appears Hazel is on Vera’s side.

Nella is everything Shartricia isn’t. She is a fully realized person with hopes, insecurities, righteous beliefs, and a thoroughly late 2010’s sensibility. But Hazel is confounding, to the reader but particularly to Nella. She is stylish and urbane and, despite being the new girl on the block, is soon successfully networking way above her paygrade, undermining Nella at every turn though always with a comradely smile on her face. The author brilliantly captures this office politicking, in particular for those in a minority. How much do you smile and keep your head down, how much do you raise valid objections? If we’d stopped right here, this would have been a 4.5 star novel.

But we didn’t and where things didn’t work so well for me was the revelation that Hazel is not who she seems to be and there’s a speculative sub-plot that goes back decades that has brought this about.

Without going into spoilers, this was just a big fat huh? for me that not only didn’t work very well, but also negated much of the power and precision of the realistic novel. I understood it as a metaphor but it would have worked better for me if the metaphor could have been worked out within the structure of a realistic novel.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Nella Rogers is excited when another Black employee, Hazel, is hired to work at Wagner, the most notable publishing house in New York City. But what she hopes is the beginning of a friendship and alliance very soon has Nella wondering who Hazel is, and what her motives are—and things turn sinister fast.

I loved the tone of this book, and how it slowly builds and becomes more complex and dark with each chapter. I also loved the plot and premises—it's original and thought-provoking, and just a little bit magical. It would have been easy to take an easier path than the one Harris chose for her story, and although people compare it to 'Get Out,' I think it does an even better job than the movie at exploring some of the same issues revolving around racism, generational trauma, and microaggressions.

I really wish that the book had been paced better at the end—I feel like the last 20% was rushed in a way that the first 80% was not. I wished very badly that it didn't wrap up so quickly and that the end of the story was given as much love as the beginning. I almost feel like the second half, after the reveal about what is actually going on happens, was as long and well-done as the first half. It felt like the story was in many ways just beginning. Still, this is a dazzling debut novel and I am super excited to read what Harris writes next (and after that and after that).

The Other Black Girl was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer and it pains me that it was a DNF for me. I struggled big time with Nella and her insecurities when it comes to White people. I know very well what it’s like to be the only Black woman in an all white work environment. Some days I left shaking my head, but I never felt inferior to them because of my skin color.

Nella also struggled with her blackness as she grew up in a predominantly white area and had mostly white friendships. I grew up with a diverse group of friends so that was another area that I struggled with as well. This book definitely shows that all Black experiences aren’t the same.

I felt the plot was extremely slow going. At 113 pages in and I’m bored and struggling to read which means it a sign for me to abort this mission. *sighs*

ETA: I heard that the audiobook was better so I gave it a shot as I really wanted to finish this book. The audiobook experience was better, but the story still did grab my attention until the last few chapters. That ending was different which I wasn’t expecting. Also I wouldn’t call this book a thriller it reads like a Black horror story.

I really loved this book. Not only does it shed light on the whiteness of the publishing industry and the experience of being a black woman in this space, but it was such an unexpected story with a mystery/thriller/sci-fi angle. The book is really sticking with me because of the ending too- quite unsettling. I recommend and hope everyone reads this!

What an interesting debut novel!
Nella, 26 years old, is the sole black employee at Wagner Books, a prestigious publishing company, until Hazel is hired. From there, the fun, or horror, begins. This book was certainly not what I expected.
The storytelling was so well done and the potential for future books by the author is assured. It's been compared to the movie "Get Out" and I can see why that is. The message of the book is clear and timely. I did find the shuttling back and forth between chapters a bit disjointed.

This is a hard one for me to review; I've been sitting with it for weeks after finishing it to try and organize my thoughts. It's buzzy, popular, and a lot of folks are saying this is an important work in the discussion of the black person's experience in white corporate America.

I finished the book and felt a sense of unease. While I am grateful for much of what the author had to teach me (a white woman in America) about the black experience - I feel more educated about microaggression, code-switching, the inequity of advancement, etc - something didn't sit right. I can't quite put my finger on what felt wrong about the story, and it's really bothered me. I have been thinking maybe it's just me; maybe I don't get it because I'm white?

Forgive me in advance if I am reading the room incorrectly, but I noticed a pattern as I scrolled through the reviews to try to figure out my missing piece - the majority of 4 and 5 star reviews of this book were written by white women, and the majority of the lower-scored reviews were written by people of color. I even went through and took down the data to make sure I wasn't seeing things that aren't there.

Something about this data confirms that I'm not the only one who didn't connect with this novel at the level that I think the author intended. If people who are supposed to identify with Nella are having difficulty with her and the story, then maybe there's a reason. Maybe it doesn't truly illuminate the difficulties that POC experience. Maybe it's watered down and cliche. Maybe it could have been so much more.

If I look at this like any other novel, it is a well-written, unsettling, slow burn narrative with plenty of good fodder for book club discussions. In my opinion it's a little too long and the multiple POVs were hard to keep straight. The plot doesn't really pick up until about 75% through, and while the twist is underwhelming the epilogue was shocking. It's worth a read, but with a grain of salt.

I'm giving this one 2 1/2 stars, rounded up to 3.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this novel.)

The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out is pretty much the perfect way to describe this thriller. I loved the time-hopping aspect and the slow reveal of details that makes you question what you thought you knew. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something they won't want to put down!

Fantastic. What a wild ride! I loved it from beginning to end. I'm so thankful Zakiya Dalila Harris wrote this novel! Her voice is powerful and much needed!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! It's definitely one of the best books of summer and I hope that everyone gets to read it!

Nella Rogers has toiled away as the only black girl at Wagner books for what seems like forever so she is super excited when Hazel is hired and now she isn't the only one. Things seem great at first but then it seems Hazel tries to one up her at every chance and she starts receiving mysterious notes telling her to leave the publisher before it's too late. The description of Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out is apt in some respects. Other Black Girl shows the the world of publishing as high pressure and there are people willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top. This is what warrants the DWP comparison. I would say the first 75% of the book is in this vein. Where it really shines is in the last quarter of the book when more speculative elements are introduced and then it barrels towards an ending that I for one did NOT see coming. A little slow going at first but definitely entertaining. It is hard to pigeon hole Other Black Girl into one category. Its not quite horror or thriller or speculative fiction but a little bit of all three rolled into a really good read. Will be recommending to patrons.

The marketing for this book has you going in expecting a thriller/horror story which is going to leave many readers disappointed and therefore not liking the book. I'm one of them as I was expecting a faster moving plot, but rolled with it and ended up enjoying the story. I especially loved the symbolism of women's hair as a reflection of their personalities, and that a hair cream could help them "relax" their personality and make them more docile and fit better into the workplace model set up by white employers.

Interesting book, just one that will require extra thought to match to a patron through reader advisory.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This New York City setting combined with the publishing world and office politics seemed like a wonderful backdrop for a story. I enjoyed getting to know Hazel and Nella and was invested in their fraught relationship and looked forward to turning each page to see where it would lead me. For three-fourths of the book I was engaged with the mysterious plot, wondering who Hazel is and does she have something sinister in mind for Nella.

However, as the book dragged on with many peripheral characters, it was hard to follow. There was a plot line related to the 80s that never seemed resolved. The main plot line, too, left many unanswered questions in the end. There were many characters, and it was hard to keep up with them and their motives/desires. Overall, it was a good story and very engaging. In the end, I felt there were many loose ends and more questions than answers.

The Other Black Girl has received a great deal of attention and praise. This is a first novel about publishing, being Black, ties, connections and more. It is written by an author who worked in publishing and she most successfully creates her fictional house. There is jockeying for position from the lowly assistants through the editors…and, of course, the authors. All of this is very successfully portrayed.

Nella has been working as the only person of color in her position as an editorial assistant at Wagner. Mostly, early in the book, it feels as if everyone gets along with Nella, although there are microaggressions and the firm is certainly not forward looking. One day, another Black young woman is hired. Hazel exudes a confidence that Nella does not always feel. The two develop their relationship but it is complicated.

Layered into the plot are an author who mysteriously disappeared and thet troubling notes that Nella begins to receive. These notes clearly state that Nella should leave Wagner. Why? Who is behind this? Pages turn in this novel as readers await the denouement.

All credit to new author, Ms. Harris for writing a novel that is entertaining, even if some plot elements strain credulity, It is also one that may make the reader think.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This debut was a slow burn, full of twists and turns and mounting tension. Nella, an editorial assistant in a publishing company, has been navigating microagressions and trying to get ahead in the workplace where she is the only black girl. When Hazel is hired as a new editorial assistant, Nella is looking forward to support and camaraderie and no longer being the only black girl. But camaraderie turns into gaslighting and competition as Nella finds herself slowly pushed out of favor and disturbing things begin to happen.
This was a chilling and unsettling examination of the black experience in the predominantly white publishing industry. A workplace drama meets social commentary exploring racism, microagressions and stereotyping. The slow pacing and shifting perspectives back and forth in time between different characters was at times hard to follow and an ambiguous ending left unresolved issues and lots of questions. A dark, thought provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good read. I think this book will be. Very popular and quite often discussed. I really enjoyed it, yet have to admit that the twist at the end left me somewhat confused. Can’t wait to discuss it with others - so I can better appreciate all the messages it was trying to convey.

When a book is this good, there are no words! If you want a chiller that takes current events and immerses you in the story, pick up THE OTHER BLACK GIRL, open the book and prepare to taken in. This book will captivate you from the beginning and when you are finished, you will want to take the ride all over again.

Editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. She's thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. Things spiral out of control from there!

There was a weird sense of dread throughout this book. A creeping feeling, even in the seemingly innocent scenes.

This book was very Stepford Wives in a great way. I liked the shifting perspectives and the sci fi elements. I was a little confused by some of the plot points and Kenny's plan for the end. I wish the Resistance had been fleshed out a little more, but maybe that's part of the point