Rating: ⭐⭐⭐. 75/5

There is lots to unpack with this debut novel and it discusses some heavy content: navigating white privilege, microagression in the workplace and the culture of the publishing industry.

Nella, the protagonist, is a formidable heroine. She is smart, observant, and passionate. Even though I am not an Own Voices reader, it was easy to empathize with her. This book was eye opening on multiple fronts!

This book is marketed as a thriller, however, I feel this was more a suspense and contemporary fiction. It mixes lots of social commentary with multiple POVs, some twists and even conspiracy theory. It was a very slow burn for me and took nearly 75% to hit me with the page turning. I was left with unanswered questions about some of the supporting characters and their involvement in the twisty part of the story. I would have loved more back story on them. I really enjoyed the ending though and flew through the last few chapters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the advance e-copy of this book.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (4 stars) Nella, the sole POC employee at Wagner Books, is elated when the office hires another Black assistant, Hazel-May. There's someone else that can understand the microaggressions and blatant racism that Nella feels in the office.

Then Nella starts receiving anonymous threats including to "LEAVE WAGNER. NOW." and doesn't know who to trust anymore. Harris also weaves in a 1983 storyline to add more depth to the story. There is so much more to the plot, but I want to keep my review spoiler- free and keep y'all guessing like I was!

The Other Black Girl's plot description it compares the story to The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out. This book does feature a cast of women in a cutthroat work environment but the feel- good comedy of The Devil Wears Prada is absent from this story. In some ways it reminded me of When No One is Watching, which I read in January; both are genre- bending books with good commentary on issues faced by black women.

Thanks for much for the @NetGalley advanced reader copy goes out to @atriabooks and @simonandschuster Canada. If my review catches your eye, look for The Other Black Girl hitting booksellers this June!

PS: The ending left me in a jaw-dropped, wtf just happened haze for a solid five minutes!

A psychological thriller like no other. I enjoyed every minute of it. Nella starts her dream job at a predominantly white company. Years later, another black girl gets hired to work alongside her. Nella believes she has a new friend, an ally, someone who understands her. Boy, is she ever wrong. The ending was unexpected in its entirety.

While I understand the comparison to "The Devil Wears Prada" this is a much more compelling read. In a time when racism and diversity is a concern in most workplaces "The Other Black Girl" discusses a topic of interest and concern. To take the path of least resistance, the easier way, or to remain true to yourself and your beliefs is a main theme. How well do you know yourself? Do you know what you truly believe in? Is standing up for your beliefs more important than the rise to the top of your field. These are the questions faced by Nella. Do the people who seem to support you really do so or is it a pretense? Well developed and relatable characters take you through the publishing world while a feeling of impending doom for Nella drives you on. A compelling, slightly dark read but very pertinent for our time.
#TheOtherBlackGirl#NetGalley

I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that!

I found the story took a while to unfold. There was a lot of setting up the characters and explaining the work culture. I can see why the comparison was made to The Devil Wears Prada in that sense.

Overall, I liked the story and the characters. I think Zakiya Dalila Harris is a great writer and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

3.5 stars

This book has been getting early buzz since 2020 and when I read the synopsis I knew I had to get my hands on it. The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out? I'm in.

Nella works at Wagner Books and she is the only black employee there. Enter Hazel, the other black girl. Everyone loves her and Nella and Hazel become friends, discussing race and swapping hair regiments. Then, Nella gets a note that says: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. She is unsure who sent it, but it leads her down a path of paranoia and what she finds is nothing close to what she expected.

I think this book deals with a lot of important issues in society today such as racism, discrimination, white privilege and micro-aggression in the workplace. I can definitely see why there is a lot of early buzz around it, and for that reason, it is well deserved. It's both original and through-provoking, Harris does a wonderful job crafting this narrative and making and making it feeling realistic. In terms of being classified as a thriller novel, I think the novel felt short for me in that area. I would say it's more of a literary fiction novel, with the elements of a slow burn thriller.

That being said, the enjoyment factory was still present. I wanted to know what was going on as much as Nella did. I guessed a little bit of the twist near the end of the novel, but it's crazy for sure. It's bonkers, wild, sinister, one of those big twists that will shock you. So I say to all the thriller fans out there: yes, this is a slow burn, but I would say it's worth reading. But it's also very entertaining. I'm shocked that this is a debut novel because Harris' narrative is spectacular. The book is funny, it's dark and overall raises very important conversations.

I love an ending that leaves things open for interpretation for readers, but I will say that this one left a little too much for the imagination. There were a lot of unanswered questions and issues I felt that could have been resolved a little more, but not everyone might feel this way. it all depends on how you much you like an open-ended conclusion.

Overall, I think this is an amazing debut novel from newcomer Zakiya Dalila Harris and I cannot wait for this book to hit the bookshelves. It's one for the book clubs and will be sure to spark interesting conversations. I cannot wait to watch this as a show!

Thank you Netgalley, Simon & Schuster and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Clearly the unpopular opinion, but I thought this book was trash. Four hours or so of my life that I'll never get back. I get that there are some important discussions about race here, and it did make me realize how rampant racism still is (even the passive kind), but the storyline is just so unbelievable and bizarre. It did make me more aware of the "microaggressions" that POC face multiple times a day; maybe that alone makes this a story worth reading.

Maybe the bones of the story were there, but the execution just fell really flat for me. The pace of the story is so slow. It takes 250+ pages before you start to realize what's going on, and then it's just not explained. If you're going to have a concept so bizarre, you'd better explain it so that it's at least a little plausible.

The ending was terrible. No resolution at all. And what about Kendra Rae?

This would have been an easier read had I actually liked any of the characters, but they were all just forgettable. Too much office politics, too much time spent on dialogue at work, too little resolution after all that build.

Almost a DNF except I rarely ever do that. Once I start a book, I'm committed. Maybe I should start making exceptions; I hated this one from the first couple of chapters onward.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an unusual book. It's billed as The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out. I haven't seen Get Out so can't really comment on that. I can see The Devil Wears Prada reference a bit - just in the backstabbing of coworkers to get ahead. I had difficulty following the multiple characters/timelines going back and forth. I did appreciate the perspective of a black woman in a mostly white workplace. It gave me some things to think about. And the ultimate premise of what was happening in that workplace was really twisted and provides important social commentary.

A slow paced thriller, This was slow to start if you aren’t into office type thrillers.
A slow, enjoyable read

4/5 stars. Twisty and thought provoking. The description of Devil Wears Prada crossed with Get Out is pretty bang on.

I can understand the buzz around this book - described as a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and Get Out, it confidently blends office politics with suspense and a commentary on race relations. It follows the story of Nella, whose status in a publishing house is suddenly threatened by the arrival of the Other Black Girl, Hazel. The less said, the better - the book is engrossing and will surely skyrocket to the top of the best-seller lists this summer.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC.

I feel like the blurb for the book does not match the actual book very well. I was expecting a book about office politics and race, but instead it was a confusing blend of office politics, race, and a version of the Stepford Wives that I'm still not convinced I fully understood.

The pacing is the book felt a little off as well - the first three quarters focused very much on the office and then the last quarter all of a sudden there was a lot of revealing of the mystery that felt forced at times.

Overall the writing was really engaging and I would look for this author again in the future, but the way the book is marketed needs to match the book more closely. It was a very different story then what I was expecting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Other Black Girl is a satirical novel that is described as being a crossover of Get Out and The Devil Wears Prada. Nella is an editorial assistant at a major book publishing company where she is the only Black office employee amongst white colleagues. Until Hazel joins the company. Nella is thrilled to have another Black woman in the workplace until Hazel starts to outperform her within a few months. Nella also begins to receive anonymous notes telling her to leave. With so many expected twists and turns, this novel keeps you on edge until the very end.

I was trying my hardest not to while reading it, but I couldn’t help but compare it to Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour, another satirical book just published a few months ago about being Black in the workplace as well. I found Harris’ book a lot easier and enjoyable to read, so for readers that struggled with Black Buck like me, don’t let it deter you from reading this book!

The second half of the book is where the story really picks up and it is more evident that satire is being used whereas I did not feel this as much reading the first half. Satire is difficult to create and difficult to consume in my opinion if the audience doesn't have the palette for it or, if it isn't done well it can come off as offensive or distasteful. I think the author did a great job of making a point with the ridiculousness of the situation but not so ridiculous that it was frustrating to read. I think the author wrote brilliantly and crafted this book so creatively, it is a must read for sure that talks about diversity in the workplace but in a fun, thriller-ish type of way. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In my search for books that I wouldn't normally reach out for, this one came to the top of the list. I've been hearing murmurs of how wonderful it is, and I did really enjoy curling up on the sofa with The Other Black Girl. Nella is a strong and well-developed character; Hazel is the girl you love to hate but kind of want to love as well. I kept turning the pages to see how this story would roll out and I did not see the twist coming. I appreciated the subtle social commentary that gave me a view of a world I don't get to see or truly know.

This book isn't what I expected AT ALL, but if you've read other reviews, you've already gathered as much! This is a slow pace / slow burn office drama, with a definite feeling of wrongness throughout. The characters were well written, but I would've liked reading more about them (aka Owen and also the POVs from different timelines).

This book demonstrates the reality of POC in predominantly white work spaces, like in publishing. With multiple daily microaggressions. I know I can't understand all of the nuances of this book, being a white woman, but I know they're there.

I spent most of the book feeling in the dark, but still on the edge of my seat. However, I felt the story unfurled too quickly (especially when compared to the slowness of the book) and I'm left with unanswered questions at the end. And THAT ENDING. I HATE IT. But in a good way? It is NOT a happy ending, but those are usually the most realist ones, aren't they? Those endings that leave you feeling deeply disturbed and questioning everything.

Anyways. I'm not sure what I think of this book. I need to think on it, and I'm not someone who can truthfully criticize this work. So 3.5⭐ for now.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite the psychological thriller. The narrative makes you question what you're even reading, so you really get inside Nella's head, and start to wonder what's real and what isn't.
If you're a My Favorite Murder fan, then this book will definitely make you think "IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP!!" This is a suspenseful, conspiracy-laden plot that makes me feel like that meme of Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

My one issue with this is that the pace was too slow. I didn't find it started to really ramp up until about 75% of the way in. I think it needed to pick up steam much sooner than that. The characters were really what kept me hanging on though. I needed to know where everyone fit into this incredibly elaborate, puzzle-like plot.

Overall, a great read, with some of the best-realized characters I've ever seen in a book.

I’ve been really thinking about how to write this review since I finished this book a few days ago. This book was definitely different from anything I’ve read recently. It almost felt like two different genres of books in one novel. I felt like the secondary storyline never fully developed, and by the end of the book, some of the characters were just not mentioned. It was almost like there was a rush to wrap up the novel without finishing the twist of the novel. I did appreciate the themes and issues explored in this novel, and think they are highly relevant. I will definitely suggest this book to others, as it was extremely original and I’m very happy I got the chance to read this advanced reader’s copy through Net Galley.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This book took a strange turn that I was not expecting and I am still trying to work through my feelings about it.

Overall I really enjoyed the writing style and the backdrop of this book which was at a publishing company. The main character Nella was also very relatable and her experiences and POVs were powerful.

The story took me a little longer to get into than I originally thought it would and sometimes the change in character perspectives was confusing. If it weren’t for the epilogue the ending would have really felt unfinished.

Overall a great read and I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a digital ARC of The Other Black Girl. All opinions in this review are my own.

I so wanted to love this book. The 1st half had me totally hooked. However, as the story went on and the mystery was slowly revealed, I kept thinking to my self that it can’t be what I think it is. When my suspicion was confirmed I literally rolled my eyes. What was shaping up to be a potentially gripping idea was reduced to nonsense. I realise that the whole story is a metaphor for what is going on in society. However, the last half of the book just totally disappointed me.

This is a tricky one. Loved the concept. Loved the buildup and the layering of aggressions and micro aggressions in Nella’s workplace. But, for me, something about the build up or the layering of clues/details felt a bit muddy, and didn’t build enough to earn the climax. That being said, I'm very interested in what Dalila Harris does next.