Book Review: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Thank you Atria books for my advance review copy

My thoughts:

The Other Black Girl was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer and it pains me that this story didn’t work 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.

I felt the plot was extremely slow going. Painfully slow. At 113 pages I decided to throw in the towel.

Take 2:

I heard that the audio book 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 didn’t grab my attention until the last few chapters. That ending was not what I expected or hoped for at all. I wouldn’t call this book a thriller as it reads like a Black horror story. This book definitely showcases that all Black experiences are not the same. We are not monolithic indeed.

About the Book:

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.

It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.