‘That didn’t stop her from telling herself over and over again that her brown skin meant she needed to be twice as good as the girl with white skin…’
Spoiler free review!
Title: The Other Black Girl
Author: Zakiya Dalila Harris
Genre: Contemporary and Thriller
Rating: 3/5
It’s very rare that within the first 15 seconds of encountering a book, I’m sold on wanting to read it.
However, The Other Black Girl synopsis seemed to resonate with my own work experience, so how could I resist giving it a read?
Nella is an editorial assistant in a publishing world filled with way too many microaggressions and not enough people she can relate to. However, she’s thrilled when Hazel joins the company, happy to relinquish her title as the only Black employee at Wagner.
She anticipates a great friendship blossoming but is taken back by the quick rate at which the office becomes infatuated with Hazel. Nella becomes more isolated than ever, with the added stress of mysterious notes starting to appear on her desk. Someone is demanding she leaves Wagner. Is Hazel behind the hostile notes? Soon enough, Nella finds out more than just her career is at stake.
An Unexpected Story – But I’m Not Mad About It
The Other Black Girl was not what I anticipated it would be, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. While the twists did blindsight me, they were also refreshing because of how unique they were.
There is also a lot of flittering between characters and past and present perspective. Initially, I found this somewhat jarring to keep up with, particularly because I couldn’t understand the correlation between the past and present perspective. However, upon approaching the halfway mark of the book, things began to fall into place, overlap and make sense.
Something Felt Slightly Amiss
The author spends a lot of time building dynamics, exploring the workspace and letting readers understand Nella through her experience. Admittedly, this may not satisfy readers who enjoy the rush of fast-paced action. Nevertheless, I found the social commentary worth sticking around for, until the action picks up. There are also a lot of interesting dynamics to focus on – some that made me want to pull my hair out and some that made me feel warm inside.
This is a contemporary read, with relatable references peppered throughout the novel. At some points, I would laugh out loud, which was welcomed momentary comic relief from some heavy themes that run throughout The Other Black Girl.
It’s only around the 75% point that mysteries start to unravel. On one hand, because of how late the twists in the story occur, the suspense that is built is immense. On the other hand, I don’t believe there was enough time for the developments to be fleshed out and thoroughly explored. A lot of unanswered questions are left hanging in the air and anticipated confrontations between certain characters never come.
The Other Black Girl concludes vaguely with the purpose of allowing for reader interpretation. Although an interesting way to draw the novel to a close, I was left slightly unfulfilled. It is definitely a hit or miss sort of ending.
Final Thoughts:
Overall I’d rate The Other Black Girl a 3/5.
Perhaps my expectations were a little too high and that’s why this book felt as though it fell a bit short. Nevertheless, the storyline was unique and one I will continue to think about for a while. The Other Black Girl is a must-read for the honest, witty social consciousness that it possesses.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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