I want to start by saying I REALLY wanted to like this book, and I am usually a defender of modern/pop culture references. A Hundred Other Girls follows Noora, a 22-year-old Middle-Eastern American writer. She’s hired as Loretta James’ assistant at Vinyl Magazine, which she grew up reading. I love books about writers and books set in New York, so I expected to love this. Unfortunately, I found a few of the main characters annoying and I didn’t understand their decisions, and the references were out of control. A few examples:

“He’s giving me major Atticus Finch zaddy vibes.”
“I’m going viral faster than that f*cking Instagram egg that got more likes than Kylie Jenner!”
“Changing as rapidly as the racks at Zara.”
“IRL” in regular sentences.

Overall, not for me, but if these quotes don’t scare you, I’d still recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A HUNDRED OTHER GIRLS got off to a strong start for me -- it felt like a cute remix of the Devil Wears Prada. Noora dreams of being a writer and has long loved Vinyl magazine; she lucks out and is hired to be the editor-in-chief's assistant. At Vinyl, Noora quickly stops idolizing the EIC and finds herself overworked and underpaid. She's also agreed not to write for anyone other than her blog (so, no freelancing).

All this was fun, if a bit paint-by-numbers: The young, hungry main character; the kind and immediate ally at work; the dinosaur of a boss who's an expert at print but lost when it comes to social media/online journalism. But after awhile it just felt like a lot of time in Noora's head -- and she's young, and makes simile after simile. I think it'd be a stronger book with interstitials, such as her blog entries or Vinyl articles.

Still, it was great to read about an Iranian American woman in the NYC media scene.

A hundred other girls

I am grateful to NetGalley and Iman Hariri Kia for offering me this EARC.

I was so attracted to this book after following Iman Hariri Kia on TikTok, where she posted videos around this book. I was overjoyed to spot it on NetGalley and quickly requested it, my request was shortly accepted and I could not wait to dive into this book.

I felt that Iman Hariri Kia writes eloquently about the encounters of Middle Eastern immigrants faced post 9/11 New York. Iman has made several modern Gen Z references in her book, for example LGBTQ,non binary and many more.

I can definitely say the plot of this story relates so much to Devil wears Prada, as Noora the main character waltz into her dream job working alongside editor of chief at Vinyls magazine, but soon comes to discover you should be careful for what you wish for. While working in a not so supportive environment where Noora is expected to be on the beck and call of her boss Lorette, it finally becomes too much for Noora’s to handle and she makes the decision to leave the the magazine due to workplace politics.

There were a few mental health references made by Noora regarding her boss which were unpleasant, specially when she practically diagnoses her boss possessing a bipolar personality and having narcissistic traits. But as a reader I could understand that it was only Noora’s frustration towards the job that was making her feel resentment towards her bosses behaviour.

Over all a great read, loved the magazine workplace drama, my first ever encounter of a middle eastern writer, I will be eagerly waiting for this authors next book.

Thank you once again to NetGalley and Iman Hariri Kia for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy.

i feel super bad that it’s taken me so long to finish this book but yeah no i’m obsessed! i vividly remember seeing iman on my fyp in january at that nyc snowball fight promoting her book and thought “huh maybe i should tune in” and i’ve been following her from a distance ever since then. when i saw this book was available in netgalley i physically jumped to request because duh. and then when i got it? world stopped.

anywho let me talk about how i felt about this book.
im not gonna lie, it definitely took me a while to get into it, like a week or so. i was going into it with an expectation in mind and it didn’t live up to it so i just got bored. then i thought “what am i doing???” and restarted with a blank mind and absolutely adoreddddd this. it was so nice and refreshing and still had bits and pieces of what i expected. now i know a lot of people were annoyed with the amount of millennial genz humor and i can’t lie and say it didn’t have me putting my phone down to have a mental break, butttt i feel like once you put that to the side and carry on, you realize the plot and the character development is incredible!!!

could say more about this book but brain not working bleep bloop. READDDD!!!

Thank you as always to NetGalley for the ARC. I had high expectations for this novel but it unfortunately fell short. What this book did great was the diverse cast of characters despite most of them being very unlikeable. Where this book became a problem for me was the overused modern pop culture references, the main character that I had a hard time rooting for, and the very unresolved/under developed story and plot points. I had so many unanswered questions by the time I got to the end and wondered how we got to certain things. I wanted this book to be so much better than it was but it was sadly not the case.

When I started reading A Hundred Other Girls, the first thing that struck me was how alive New York City felt. Secondly, I used to be a big fan of The Bold Type, which was why I requested an early copy of this book, and straight away I felt like I was watching an episode of the show. At first, I enjoyed it, but unfortunately, the story felt overdone yet underdeveloped at the same time. Let me start with the positives.

Like I said, I felt very immersed in the setting. All the descriptions of the city and the workplace were vivid, and I could picture where Noora was and what she was going through at all times. That really helped break up the narrative and I enjoyed those moments. I also liked the fact that there were many diverse characters in this book who did not need the feel to justify themselves, they were just there living their lives. Reading this, I could tell that Hariri-Kia has personal experience with the industry she writes about, and that the had witnessed many events like those in the book in her own life. Most specifically, the last couple of pages felt the most genuine, and although I feel like Noora could have made a different, perhaps more nuanced decision, I could see why she acted the way she did in the end.

Unfortunately, I also felt that the characters' personalities and motivations were severely underdeveloped, and it was hard for me to wrap my head around many of the plot points because they felt disjointed as a result. Noora and Loretta were perhaps the most developed characters because we got to see so many of their interactions, yet all of the other characters' interactions with Noora felt surface-level and only happened when she needed them to happen (such as with Saffron or Cal). I also disliked the writing style with its overuse of Gen Z cringey talk, which made the story feel very unrealistic despite some moments that felt a lot more genuine especially towards the end of the story. Maybe this was meant as a satire, but I didn't get that feeling. Ultimately, it took me a long time to get through this book despite its easy breezy writing style because I could not stop cringing and it felt overwhelming to the point that I had to put it down for days at a time before I could go back to it.

I wish the writing would have been honed a little more, that some sentences had been reworked, and that a lot of the cringe had been taken out because much like The Bold Type, I don't think this book will age very well. It read like a fun YA novel about a woman working in the fashion magazine industry that I think I would have loved had I read it when I was 15, therefore I would recommend it to an audience that is easier (1) looking for a fun no-brainer story to pass the time, or (2) a younger audience. Keep in mind there is an explicit sex scene in this book, and cringey references to vaginas getting warm when Noora sees her love interest, but ultimately that's nothing that teenagers don't have access to on a much more graphic level, imo.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Hundred Other Girls is about 20-something Noora who has just landed a dream job working as assistant to her idol at her favorite magazine. Noora is a dynamic character, but quickly realizes she's in over her head as she takes on more duties. It's a quick and effervescent read. New York is a character and practically leaps off the page. I really enjoyed the tone and storyline and would recommend if you're looking for a light and entertaining read.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This novel is definitely an updated version of the Devil Wears Prada. Set in NYC, the narrator is a 22 year old Iranian-America who wants to be writer only she's stuck as an assistant to bossy, egotistic women. The plus side, she's working at her favorite magazine.

The amount of pop cultures reference was a bit overwhelming in the story - this novel will truly be dated in a year. The main character is also completely unlikable, along majority of the characters in the story. I considered DNF multiple times throughout this read.

I am clearly NOT the demographic for this novel - 2.5 stars. Thank you Sourcebooks for the advance reader copy

There was a ton of hype around this book but I came out just medium. I do think that the author is really fun and engaging and the description of this book as an updated Devil Wears Prada is accurate, but it was just missing something for me and I can't put my finger on it. Definitely a personal thing and I think others would love it

This book left me feeling some type of way. Which way that is - I can’t decide. It was well written and snarky, which I enjoy. I just don’t know if I loved it? But honestly, any book that leaves you with a sense of disquietude is a winner in my eyes. It’s absolutely our modern version of The Devil Wears Prada in the best way.

After finding Hariri-Kia’s Tiktok a few months back, A Hundred Other Girls became one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. Having the main character that holds the identity of a first generation, Iranian American woman, Noora, and works within the fashion industry, is not a combination we get very often, if at all, in media, and it's about time we got it. The cherry on top was that the character did not go by a western nickname, but forced others to recognize her identity by going by her given name.
The first five pages alone set the atmosphere for the rest of the novel. Hariri-Kia refers to the lack of spacial awareness that men possess, the feeling of otherness as a child of immigrants, and of course, the ever-present imposter syndrome while trying to make something of the sacrifices made by the child's family.
Hariri-Kia’s novel makes several makes subtle, but notable references to minority communities by mentioning what I refer to as “insider information”. In other words, references that any reader will be able to understand, but would make those that are from the community of the reference, feel seen. For example, when describing Noora’s outfit of the day, her “gold plated necklace, which says Noora, written in Farsi”. The description may go over the head of many, but for those who culturally identify with Noora in some way, including myself, this was an inside joke that made me immediately laugh. A Hundred Other Girls also includes BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Age representation in a way that is completely unforced and simple.
The same type of “insider information” is applied to the setting of the novel. This book written by Gen Z for Gen Z is also a love letter to New York in the same way Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is to Los Angeles. Although I am a Los Angeles native, I can imagine how this book provides such specific imagery and feelings for individuals that have grown up in New York.
Between the representation and the light shone on the problems and abuse behind the curtain of the fashion industry, Hariri-Kia’s A Hundred Other Girls is a novel that NEEDED to hit the shelves.

A Hundred Other Girls is the newly revised The Devil Wears Prada that our generation didn't know we needed but now we have! It is an incredibly fun, hilarious and exciting story from start to finish.

Aspiring writer Noora lands a job at Vinyl magazine as the assistant to the infamous editor-in-chief Loretta St James. What ensues is a wild ride of bizarre demands, new friendships, secrets, hot IT guys and a digital vs. print turf war. You will find yourself laughing out loud, rooting for Noora and crying at the sweet relationships both new and familial.

Iman Hariri-Kia does an excellent job of writing diverse characters and hilarious dialogue - I couldn't put this down and can't recommend this debut novel enough!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was enjoyable and well-paced. The description of Devil Wears Prada Meets The Bold Type is half true. While I felt The Devil Wears Prada throughout the book through Loretta, I missed The Bold Type other than the setting. I wanted more interaction between Noora and her friends and sister rather than only her internal dialogue. I would have loved more Saffron!

I had heard this book was a cross between the devil wears Prada and some other magazine movie...totally correct and I loved every second of it. First of all anything with a magazine/publishing setting, I am in! I am obsessed with anything in NYC and there were great twists to keep this moving along quickly. Fantastic writing and I will be looking for more from this author 100%! Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hariri-Kia's debut was a quick easy read, and for those who've ever worked in the media industry, she strikes a nerve on a lot of the drama and inner workings in the magazine world (aka print and digital battling to survive, clickbait, and general pressure in new media these days).

𝐀 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 by debut author Iman Hariri-Kia is billed as a more modern take on 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘢 combined with Hulu's 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘛𝘺𝘱𝘦 and that’s exactly what it delivers. In it we meet Noora, a 23-year old Iranian-American who lands her dream job as assistant to the demanding editor-in-chief of Vinyl magazine. Noora is an aspiring writer and NYC blogger who dreams of more. As expected, the job turns out to be more of a nightmare, including ongoing battles between the print and digital sides of the magazine, with Noora often stuck in the middle.⁣
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The story itself was an easy read, but didn’t bring much to the table that was terribly surprising. The basic framework was one we’ve seen before, only through a Gen Z lens, adding a little depth to the story. Where the book shone brightest for me was in Hariri-Kia’s writing about New York itself. She did it in such a way that the city was almost a character. I also really enjoyed her descriptions of the actual characters’ fashion choices. Overall, I think this was a solid debut, though not one I was awed by. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣
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Thanks to @bookmarked for an electronic copy of #AHundredOtherGirls.

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A Hundred Other Girls - Iman Hariri-Kia

This book was exactly what I needed. Whilst writing essays I need an escapism book that I can dive into in the evening and fall into place with the characters, and this was exactly what I found. A Hundred Other Girls follows Noora as she gets a job at a publishing house she's loved since she was a young girl, not loved actually but used to guide her through her young adult life. However, when she starts working at the magazine she is pulled between the traditional Print team and the up and coming Digital team. Noora must decide where her loyalties lie and reep the consequences of her decision.

This book gave me modern Devil Wears Prada vibes, very similar to the Bold Type tv show which I absolutely adored. Although mainly focusing on the magazine, I love how the book also explored issues that are apart of everyday in the modern world. This included the problems faced by different ethnicities, genders, ages and race. Although some of these were explored more deeply, Hariri-Kia didn't attempt to explore all of them but just wrote them in as a part of the life we all live.

This book is out on the 8th, go pick it up as soon as you can. It's perfect for a summer read, whether that's done on a commute, a beach or a night in bed.

Noora is a NYC blogger struggling to find her way forward as an aspiring writer. When Noora cracks the door open to the publishing world when she scores the position of executive assistant to the legendary Loretta James, editor-in-chief of Vinyl Magazine. Noora soon learns that there is trouble in her supposed paradise, Vinyl Magazine is in the midst of a turf war between the print and digital teams, spearheaded by Loretta and her nemesis and once-upon-a-time assistant, digital editor Jade Aki. Noora is thrust into the thick of the fight after she is persuaded by Jade's assistant into digging up dirt for digital. As a double-agent within Vinyl, Noora is pulled between her loyalty to her demanding and influential boss, the love and respect she has held for Vinyl Magazine her entire life, and her desire to make waves as a writer.

Hariri-Kia's debut novel is Devil Wears Prada set in the digital age. A Hundred Other Girls boasts a diverse and morally grey cast of characters, offers a refreshing critique on the behind the scenes of the lucrative media industry, and calls out workplace tokenization of POC. I loved Noora!! The book is told through her POV, and the author deftly relays Noora's experiences as a Middle Eastern American and navigates her feeling of being lost in life and trying to figure things out. The writing is fast paced and flows like a magazine article, riddled with fun pop culture references. The 'romance' subplot in this book was not what I was expecting - but I'm not disappointed. I do think that the double-agent aspect of this book could have been explored a bit more deeply - Noora's loyalty to Loretta and the magazine needed more to back it up. But overall this was a fun read!

CW: panic attacks

Thank you to #NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for proving me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Star rating: 3.75

A Hundred Other Girls teetered on the edge of being really good. I won't say it was a home run (maybe a double?) but I had a lot of fun along the way. This book is basically The Devil Wears Prada but pulled from 2006 (when the movie was released) and given a new 2019-esque outfit. The female lead, Noora, is an Iranian American who has been obsessed with the magazine Vinyl since she was little. This book follows her as she scores a job as an executive assistant there and all of the drama, gossip, and industry politics that play out in the high fashion magazine world.

First, what I loved:
- I appreciate that Iman Hariri-Kia wrote a diverse cast of characters, seeing representation in books is extremely validating.
- The book was funny! There were many instances where I made audible laughing sounds...which honestly *never* happens when I'm reading.
- I actually enjoyed all of the pop culture references and jokes. As someone who is firmly planted on the border between gen x and millennial - the references actually made Noora feel more like a person I'd know in real life and gave the book more of a conversation between friends vibe. I've seen a lot of people say this book is very Gen-Z, and I don't know any Gen-Zer who would know and/or use some of the references.

Didn't love:
- At times the writing seemed overly flowery, I found myself skipping past some of the more descriptive setting writing to get back to plot advancement and drama!
- I didn't necessarily feel particularly invested in Noora or what would happen to her or the magazine. I would have loved to get to know her more, maybe with short anecdotes from her past, just so I could form a connection to her character a bit better.
- Some parts of the book seemed a little slow. A bit *too much* drama added in and not just advancing the dramas already laid out.

Overall, this book was a lot of fun to read and I'm excited to read what Iman Hariri-Kia writes next!

"For fans of The Devil Wears Prada and The Bold Type comes a smart, modern story about the shifting media landscape and one Middle Eastern-American writer finding her place in it." I love The Devil Wears Prada *and* The Bold Type, so I was really looking forward to reading to this book. But it fell flat for me, and I actually ended up putting it aside at the 50% mark. Here's why:

1. It was VERY heavily inspired by The Devil Wears Prada... to the point that it read like YA fan fic of it.
2. The slang was so over the top. There were multiple times I didn't know what I was reading because of it.
3. The term "KPI" was used A LOT, but it was very clear the author doesn't actually know what a KPI is. This may seem like a nit-picky thing to say, but to me, it meant the book wasn't very well researched/edited.

I loved the premise, but this book was not for me.