The Other Black Girl is a compelling debut that challenges readers to reflect on the complexities of race and identity within professional settings. It stands out for its bold narrative choices and insightful commentary, making it a significant addition to contemporary literature

The sci-fi element was so strange and the messaging at the end was a little disappointing. Could have been more.

This one was hard to rate... I enjoyed reading it but it didn't read like a thriller at all to me until near the end of the book. I found some parts a little slow but it was interesting enough that I kept reading and I enjoyed it more as the twists started to come into play.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC of this book.

I tried, I really did. Maybe it was trying to read it before bed that was the problem but I don’t think so by some of the reviews on here. It sounds like it reads like a character-driven novel with all of the action at the end. I’m not invested enough to plug through to get to the end. Maybe I should just read the last few chapters?
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book can be described as Get Out meets The Stepford Wives in this eerie thriller about two young women in the workplace. Nella Rogers finds herself as the only black girl at Wagner Books, and although she's grown comfortable being the only black woman - she also isn't comfortable with the lack of diversity. Everything changes when Hazel starts working alongside her in publishing. The two of them form a solid bond immediately over hair products, but what starts as an office friendship turns sinister as Hazel starts to work her way up in the office leaving Nella in the dust.

Things start to turn creepy for Nella when she receives anonymous letters at her desk to leave Wagner while she can urgently. I enjoyed how real the book felt, although not based on a true story I can only imagine how competitive workplaces can get especially when you'd imagined your career playing out a certain way and then suddenly having all your hard work being pulled out from under your feet.

I will say that perhaps this book isn't for everyone, it drags on a tad and felt like about 1/4 of the book could have been edited out without it putting any impact on the entire plot or themes. Also the ending, I feel like it's one of those "either you'll get it or you won't". I did enjoy it, but I also listened to it on audio and was able to focus on other things at the same time. I don't think I would have had the same experience had I read this one!
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I would like to thank NetGalley, Atria Books, and Zakiya Dalila Harris for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was published on June 1st 2021.

I really loved the twists and turns that took place in this book - it was definitely not what I expected to read - but in all of the best ways. It was a lot slower than I would have liked, but the story kept me from getting too frustrated with that fact. The buildup in this story was oddly compelling for me (who usually hates super drawn out buildup) and I really enjoyed anticipating what would happen next.

This book was not what I expected at all; however, I really enjoyed it. The author created a wonderful metaphor for Black women's experience.

This was definitely an interesting storyline and was not expecting that ending. A must read for all as it’s a good representation of the way black women have to code switch when we are in an office setting.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book and the message it was trying to talk about it. However it lost something as the story went on. It left me with more questions then answers and not in a good way.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started and stopped reading this novel so many times. Needless to say, it was a struggle. I wasn’t sure what was going on and who specific characters were for the majority of the book outside of Nella’s storyline. It was incredibly confusing trying to keep track of who was who, or who actually wasn’t themselves.
In the end I just wanted to finish it and even then when things started to make sense, I found I just didn’t care anymore. I felt the ending was a bit of a cop out and it made me like Nella’s character even less.
I was disappointed because I thought I’d really like it but it just wasn't for me.

Nella Rogers is an editorial assistant and the only Black employee at Wagner Books. She's excited when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working there too. They've just started comparing natural hair regimens when Hazel quickly becomes the office darling and Nella is left in the dust. Notes start to show up at Nella's desk: LEAVE WAGNER NOW. Nella is left wondering who is sending these messages and realizes there's more at stake than just her career.

This book started off engaging and I was curious to learn who was leaving those messages. Harris did a great job portraying how a black woman might feel in a corporate workplace. I also loved the details on Black hair care throughout the book. Though I started off engaged, I lost interest and got a bit confused when things started to turn a bit fantastical and outlandish. In general, I struggle to read anything in that realm so I'm sure others might still like this book.

Thank you to Atria & NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

The utter urgency this book begins with had me on edge!
And then it lost it all!

This book's microaggression and slight on black women boiled my blood; it showed that well. But how this book was written with SO MANY POVs disrupted my hold on the story and confused me.
This book was marketed and compared to Get Out, and Devil wears Prada, and I didn't feel that; this was more sci-fi in the end. Like how did this start in the PUBLISHING profession????!!

Too long to get there, and I was done.

Really loved the twists and turns! This book was described as "the devil wears prada meets get out" and it definitely met that expectation.

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

This was a twisty, interesting read! I was nervous about it being a novel about women bringing each other down in the workplace but was interested to read about the micro aggressions that the character was experiencing.

I have read reviews where people wanted this to be a more basic office drama but I enjoyed the crazy path it went on! I feel like it gave me a bit more 'Stepford Wives' 70s vibe and I enjoyed it very much!

I also listened to the audiobook version and would highly recommend that, I felt that it flowed better and really was well produced and narrated.

The Other Black Girl was a solid debut. Luckily, I went into this book without any expectations and so I wasn't misled by some of the advertising. I'm surprised by the overly low rating, which I don't think is deserved.

The Other Black Girl was an interesting read, but it was a bit of a slow burn overall, with a bit of horror tossed in. It focuses on Nella Rogers, a mid-20s black woman who is slogging through her job in the overly white publishing industry. We learn about her daily experiences at work, which is filled with microaggressions and other mistreatment. She is initially thrilled when Hazel is hired, but then Nella begins to receive threatening notes. Instead of an ally, is Hazel a threat? Again, the twists only come up near the end, so if you go in expecting a comedic and twisty-turny story, then this is not it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Simon & Schuster Canada for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This book isn’t like Devil Wears Prada, so let’s just get that out of the way first of all. I think this is a tough book to review, because there’s no clean cut genre that it fits into, and perhaps that’s why is hasn’t worked for everyone.

Still, it’s an incredible story that takes unexpected twists and turns, without giving too much away. I would just recommend you give this book a try and see if it’s right for you! I’m glad that I did

Really enjoyed this book. It was a very quiet thriller, but I was definitely feeling a little creeped out by the whole situation so I appreciated that. I was so intrigued by what was happening to Nella. I thought the ending wrapped up really quick and got a little confusing, but other than that I really enjoyed it!

📚Book Review📚

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

This book was not what I expected. I’m not sure exactly what I expected, but this wasn’t it.

The book starts like a drama, but turns into a mysterious thriller.

Nella is the only black girl working at Wagner Books… until Hazel show up. Nella’s excited to have Hazel there, but things start to go sideways. Then notes show up telling Nella to leave.

Although I found this story interesting, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Maybe because the genre wasn’t quite what I expected. Overall, it was still an engaging story though and I gave it 3⭐️

Just finished this audiobook. I really enjoyed the story and although I loved the narrators I got a bit confused as to who was talking and what their relation was in terms of the story. I would still read something by this author in the future.