Not to be too cliche, but I did not want to put this book down, I enjoyed it a lot.

I’m not sure if I agree with the Devil Wears Prada comparisons, that suggests the existence of a comedic break, that is not what you will get from this book. The Get Out comparison however is on the nose, perhaps combined with the BBC Drama Industry for a dash of tension, and a little Stepford Wives kitschy thrill and plot - the ever tightening knot of tension experienced when watching those was ever present whilst reading this book. It’s a gripping and addictive read, that despite the social commentary angle, doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I received an advance readers copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have heard a lot about this book, so going in I had high expectations, and I must admit I wasn't disappointed upon reading it. It's clever and so fantastically different, I raced through it in one weekend.

Thanks to Netgallery for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I had high hopes for this book after hearing about it, especially because I work in publishing myself, but it surpassed my expectations. Whip-smart, chilling and unique. I loved every page. Thank you for the ARC. I will be recommending this to everyone!

3.5 stars to be specific

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris is a book that grabbed my attention the moment I saw it was being marketed as The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out, set in the publishing industry!

Bold, intelligent and very unique, The Other Black Girl is certainly a wild, suspenseful read, combining a slow burn office drama with racial commentary and a dash of horror. I only wished the separate narratives came together more smoothly and that it wasn’t *such* a slow burn, things don’t really pick up until three quarters into the novel.

Nonetheless, this was a great read!

The Other Black Girl tells the story of Nella, the only black girl at a prestigious NYC publisher, longing for a day this will change. When Hazel gets recruited as a new assistant, Nella gets what she wants but soon she realises that you have to be careful what you wish for, and that Hazel might not be the ally she thought.

Bold, funny, thought-provoking with dark "Get Out" undertones, The Other Black Girl offers a different look at diversity and what it means to belong. I can't wait to see what Zakiya Dalila Harris writes next!

For fans of thrillers and racial theory alike, the buzz around this book is intense. The Other Black Girl is the story of Nella Rogers, a publishing assistant in her twenties, and notably the only Black girl working at a prestigious publishing house. When Hazel, another, very cool Black girl arrives, Nella is delighted, until it becomes clear that Hazel is not all that she seems. Add to this the threatening notes Nella receives at her place of work, and you've got a tale that’s smart, witty and timely. The Other Black Girl seems simple on the surface, but becomes complex rather quickly, employing several narrators and infusing everything with a sense of creeping dread.
Comparisons with Kiley Reid’s Such A Fun Age are warranted - The Other Black Girl is very good on microaggressions, from assumptions Nella’s co-workers make about her to her name being mispronounced in a Starbucks. Harris brings these incidents to life, and readers feel the awkwardness and rage Nella feels in the face of these. Nella’s work in an overwhelmingly white environment brings great opportunity for satire and critique of publishing, and its this critique that is The Other Black Girl’s strength: I have no doubt that everyone will be talking about this book when it’s published.

For what I suppose you’d bill as a literary thriller, it’s an oddly slow burn, and never compelled me to read on as much as I anticipated. In a way, I appreciated the gentler pace of the first half of the book - I knew twists and turns were coming but Harris is happy to explore her other topics first. The description of the book as ‘The Devil Wears Prada for the literary world’ is warranted, too, though it’s worth noting that The Other Black Girl is an altogether smarter and more socially aware piece of work.

Over the second half of the novel, slowly connecting the dots as a reader was exciting - I took my time with the books first two parts but read the latter two greedily. I read this on ebook but I would have loved to be double-backing and hunting for clues in a chunky paperback. The big reveal is, frankly, completely wild - no spoilers but it’s intense, and turns the novel on its head in many ways. Much as I enjoyed the reveal and the biting commentary on racism in the workplace, The Other Black Girl didn’t quite come together for me. Multiple narrators left things feeling a little disjointed, and the ending feels rushed - for a longish book, I feel another 20 pages could have gone a long way in the final section, as I was left with many unanswered questions. Nevertheless, The Other Black Girl is a biting, buzzy novel that will have me thinking about it for a while after it’s finished.

Not really sure how I feel about this book - in equal parts frustrating and enthralling. I am still thinking about it now, so that can only be good...
It’s a slow burn for sure and I worked out what was going to happen about 60% through. It was still interesting to see what was going to happen. The tension was built nicely throughout, even though not a whole lot actually happens for the majority of the book, and I felt the descriptive narrative of the office politics was really well written.

The comparisons to A Devil Wears Prada were misleading because although the book seems like that at first, it’s not. At all. I’d say it has more in common with Vox - a really interesting concept, but one I just ultimately didn’t buy into.

I REALLY liked this book. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first or where the plot was going, but found it such an interesting read along the way.
If any one thing stands out to me though, it's that the character of Richard could have been developed a little further. It wasn't as clear as it could have been what exactly his motivations were, and how he got Diana involved in his whole scheme, nor what Kendra's full story was. I felt like everything outside of the Nella-Hazel plotline was a little bit shadowy and could have been delved into further.
Maybe that was intentional, but it's the one spot that I felt could have done with a little bit more depth. Also, I'm not sure if it was ever entirely clear who the mystery woman on the train in the prologue was. I'm guessing Kendra, and that might be my own poor memory, but as a reader, it would have been good to circle back to that to tie it all together.
Overall though, a really really exciting read.

I found this book odd. The prologue was exciting and I was expecting a thriller. Then there were pages and pages about the publishing house and I didn’t really take to Nella. I found the parts from other people’s perspective very confusing although they do make sense at the end. The end redeemed the book for me as it was creepy and thought provoking but I would have preferred more going on in the middle to make it worth getting there. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Well, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I spent two nights up until 2am reading it because I just couldn't put it down. What a triumph for a debut novel.

Not only does the book give insights into being the only POC in a work-environment, it has a mindfuck of a twist that keeps you on the edge of your toes. About a third of a way through, you start to feel the tension of something being off, and this tension never leaves. It's what keeps you gripped to reading frantically at 2am trying to figure out what the real story is.

There were a few nitpicky things in it; some areas that were poorly edited, some repetitive scenes, not massively developed characters etc. However, it didn't take away from the novel in any way, in my opinion.

This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. A thriller or maybe a horror? It took me a while to get into The Other Black Girl, but once I was in, I was hooked. I was constantly trying to figure it out but some of the twists I didn’t see coming. It follows Nella, the only black woman working at Wagner publishing in New York City - at least until Hazel arrives. Nella notices something weird about Hazel, but maybe she's just jealous...

The Other Black Girl weaves a tale of code-switching and trauma that's very of the moment. It's described as Get Out meets Devil Wears Prada which is pretty spot on (add a dash of Gone Girl in there maybe?). This is a book that begs to be discussed.

This book is definitely a confusing slow-burn thriller. I really enjoyed it, a lot of it takes place in Nella's office and there is some really interesting commentary about being black in the workplace especially when you are the only black woman in the workplace. I can see this being a hit!

I am not going to go into the premise of this book. You can find that all over the internet but it is a mystery/thriller that weaves and winds itself all over the place.

I found the writing in relation to racism within the publishing industry and the experiences of Nella being the only black girl in the office and then the other black girl really strong. As a narrative on that experience and the micro-aggressions that BIPOC people of colour experience all the time it is excellent but I actually found the book as a whole a struggle to read.

On a couple of occasions I found myself in some of the flash back chapters totally disorientated and not even sure who I was reading about and even now I have finished it I still feel that way, The main threads around Nella and Hazel were fine but the back story and Shania and Kendra, even now I have finished it, I am not 100% clear on. Also Nella's best friend, she just vanishes at the end. She is clearly not in on things and is maybe even onto what is happening but at the end she is gone, poof, vanished and that brings the whole ending into question for me. There are also characters that appear that seem to be relevant to the story somehow but they just also drift off too and are never mentioned again.

As time went on I found myself caring less and less about Nella too and there was no other real character to bond with. Everyone else, apart from her best friend and her boyfriend, were awful people and Kendra's story, which seemed potentially interesting was never really explored. And who the hell is Lisa?

I also feel like the ending was rushed. We were led to this big reveal that was going to pin everything together and it just doesn't do that.. Unlike the movie Get Out which reveals the back story and how they ended up doing what they did this just leaves all that unexplained. I actually finished the book with a hugely unsatisfied sigh. I read all that to get to that?

I have given this book 3 stars because anything that makes me write such a long review clearly had an impact but to be honest I would say, don't waste your money and don't buy into the hype of this book. A lot of publisher money is going into making this the 'next bog thing' because like in the book itself I suspect the publisher can see $£$ because of the subject matter and have glossed over that the plot is overly convoluted and ultimately not really scary.

This was a McDonald's of a book - I gulped it down and enjoyed it at the time but afterwards felt unsatisfied.

The story concerns a black girl called Nella, who works in a very white publishers. Another black girl is hired, Nella thinks they can be besties but then starts to feel uneasy about the newcomer. Meanwhile, Nella also starts to receive nasty notes telling her to leave the company.

It's a nice set-up, and the story bounces along in very readable fashion without anything much happening. Nella is a nice lead character - she feels real and someone to root for. And I liked the description of the office environment in the first sections of the novel, the author nails the feeling of a workplace which is inclusive on the surface but which actually only pays lip service to diversity.

Several other character threads, set across different time periods are introduced throughout the story. I think the intention of these was to build mystery, which at times they did. At other times I just found them a bit confusing. Ultimately, I'm not sure these sections really added much, or were needed.

It's impossible not to talk about this book without addressing the odd turn it takes in the final third. There's a plot development which is almost laugh out loud ludicrous. I guess it's meant to be viewed metaphorically but I don't think it works within the context of the rest of the book. It just seems a bit silly unfortunately.

Two final things:
1. I've seen people talk about this book as being part "horror". It really isn't. And it's nothing like Get Out, aside from being a modern look at race.
2. It's not uncool to think "Hey Ya!" is the best Outkast song.

A fun read and some thought-provoking ideas but ultimately the story doesn't really come together in the latter sections.

This is complicated novel. The assumption is that it deals with the difficulties faced by blacks working among a mainly white workforce but while that is one thread, it is by no means the main one. Nella is the only black assistant editor in Wagner, a publishing firm. She treads carefully, works hard and hopes for recognition. The appointment of another black editor, Hazel (who becomes the Other Black Girl) seems like a step in the right direction but turns out to be not that straight forward. Sinister things begin happenIng like anonymous notes warning her to leave the firm. Then she gets involved in attention to black women’s hairstyles which is exceedingly extended and adds little to the story. Also, there are many characters who come and go and whose purpose is obscure. I consider this to be an opportunity missed.

This is a hard one to review, I thought I was getting chick lit with a conscious, fiction but written by someone who understands and has lived some of what Nella is going through and then it isn't chick lit anymore at all?! We have a conspiracy theory/thriller/mystery on our hands!

I found it a bit confusing in places but it's been hard to put it down - the premise seems wild when you think about it after reading but I found it a fun read and definitely current.

Lost a star for me for the ending though. We need another few chapters at the end of the book though, DONT LEAVE IT THERE. I NEED MORE!

This book hooks you in from page 1 and does not let you go. I had to put it down three times in total in the less than 48 hours it took me to finish it: one because my iPad dared to die on me while reading, the other two because my body had the audacity to require some sleep. Both mornings I woke up and my first thought was "ok, coffee, and then we keep reading".

Honestly, if it doesn't get shortlisted in next year's Booker Prize or Women's Prize, something is wrong. The hype surrounding Harris' debut is absolutely well-deserved, this is an amazing thriller that throws a series of plot twists at you (including the final one) and at the same time an open critique to the too-white world of publishing (which could have been the too-white world of entertainment, or the too-white world of finance). Nella has been an excellent guide in this too-white environment while she was discovering it herself. Malaika an excellent helper. And, despite everything, Hazel was the perfect antagonist: we all felt envy mixed up with guilt because we're all supposed to support each other towards another woman, even more so if this other woman is the only other black girl.

There is just one detail that bothered me ever so slightly: Igor, who is he? For a character that gets mentioned around 6 times throughout the novel, I'd like to know a bit more other than that he is a fitness guru and Malaika's boss. There are some references that seem to go back to something we may be supposed to know, but not very explicit. He just doesn't seem worthy of mention to me.

Other than that, the novel is smart, well written, gripping, a page-turner (I absolutely hate the term, but it's very necessary in this case) and I personally cannot wait for some more Harris on my way.

A well-written portrait of the publishing industry today as seen from an Assistant’s perspective, with a timely description of the hardships of being a Black employee. I found the rhythm and pace of the novel very compelling, which made the book unputdownable. It was very easy to empathize with Nella’s character and journey from the beginning, and this made her decisions throughout the novel more difficult to bear, but also sadly sensible and relatable. The reflection on the toll that society’s pressure and discrimination takes on the individual was conveyed very successfully, truly reaching the reader’s heart.

I was given an e-arc by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book deserves the hype it has received, because it is AMAZING. It is funny, insightful, thrilling, and relatable (as a BIPOC but not Black reader). The writing itself is very clever, and I appreciated the little Chekhov's guns throughout.

Can't wait for this to be published so I can recommend to everyone I know.

Set in a prestigious New York publishing house, Zakiya Dalila Harris’ debut follows Nella, the only Black employee on the editorial staff until Hazel is installed in the cubicle next to hers. Harvard educated, the daughter of comfortably off parents, Nella knows that she must work twice as hard as the white editorial assistants, spending much of her time second guessing the reactions of her colleagues. When Hazel arrives, Nella’s thrilled but a little disconcerted by her confidence and social ease which quickly wins her popularity with everyone, from the receptionist to the head honcho. Shortly after Hazel’s arrival anonymous notes appear on Nella’s desk, urging her to leave Wagners. When Hazel’s behaviour turns distinctly unsisterly, Nella begins to wonder if she’s behind what seems to be a campaign to oust her but the truth, it seems, is not nearly so simple.

Harris’ novel pulls no punches, shining a piercing light on the dazzlingly white world of publishing which she clearly knows well through a sharp piece of satire. The result is a great piece of storytelling, often blisteringly funny, with the page-turning pace of a thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed it, dismaying though its ending is, and wondered how publishing employees felt as they read it, particularly those of colour who seem as rare on the ground here in the UK as they apparently are in the States.