Really enjoyed this story of ... wow how do I even describe it? Suffice to say the "Devil Wears Prada" comp is really misleading.

This is more along the lines of [Get Out meets The Stepford Wives meets The Firm (hide spoiler)]. So much tension!

The portrayal of microaggressions is sharp and cutting, and the dual timeline narrative added suspense and mystery to the story. It felt like the book was two different stories--a corporate political thriller to start, and then at the end became a sort of fantasy caper, and there were a couple questions left unanswered with regard to character motivations and final conclusions, but overall this was an enjoyable and most importantly a really thought provoking read.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The writing style for this was so engaging. The setting is tried and tested in a publishing house but the end in particular was anything but tried and tested. Highly enjoyed.

The write-up for this novel describes it as 'The Devil Wears Prada' meets 'Get Out', but the end product actually surpasses the hype. It is a rollercoaster ride and has you hooked from early on, with a shocking twist that you 100% won't see coming.

First of all, this is a story that lays bare the white-dominated world of publishing, with superficial people paying lip service to colleagues in order to get one step ahead of the person at the next desk. As happens to ambitious Nella Rogers, when a new colleague, Hazel, arrives at Wagner Publishing.

Nella thinks that Hazel will be on her side because, like her, Hazel is black; however, within a short timeframe, Hazel has everyone at Wagner in her pocket and Nella fighting to keep her head above water. And then there are the notes, telling Nella to 'Leave Wagner. Now'. As Nella struggles to find out the truth, it seems Hazel is always one step ahead.

Secondly, there is the linked narrative of Kendra Rae Phillips, employed by Wagner Publishing in the early 1980s, who knows exactly what is happening to Nella because it happened to her and others. This adds an extra layer and dynamic to the story as we see how her and Nella's experiences pull together.

This is a sharp and incisive piece of writing by Zakiya Dalila Harris. As a social commentary, it doesn't pull its punches and challenges the reader's perception of how race is perceived in the workplace and the lengths some will go to in order to get ahead. There is also an element of psychological thriller to it, as we witness Nella's struggle to keep hold of her job and her sanity.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Bloomsbury Publishing, in return for an honest appraisal.

I cannot exaggerate how much I am in love with this book.

The Other Black Girl is a heart-pounding exploration of racism, colourism and micro-aggressions in the publishing industry and other white-dominated spheres. The book itself gaslights you through constant manipulation and doubting. You’re not even sure if it is a real conspiracy or if you’re seeing things that aren’t there. There’s some really illuminating passages on microaggressions and ‘subtle’ racism that were incredible to read. Overall, I adored the writing style and how beautiful the word choice felt often. This is a writer who is sure of themselves, who has confidence in their overarching vision and you and see that passion manifest itself in incredibly riveting and rich writing.

It would be remiss of me to not mention how wonderfully complex the narrative voices on display are. I love the interweaving characters and how their voices often contradict one another. There’s always a sense of unease in every page, setting you on edge and meaning that while you may empathise with certain characters, you never truly trust them. In that way, the characters feel slightly distant from you, but I really liked this.

Rarely does a book leave me genuinely gobsmacked. The Other Black Girl pulled this feat off, with twists and turns galore. For me, my favourite kinds of twists are those that immediately make you want to reread the story to see the tiny details you missed and here there were plenty of them. It was just so cleverly executed. Throughout, there’s a gradual buildup of tension and a claustrophobic atmosphere, but you are left unsure as to the full cause of it. The slow drip of suspense sent shivers down my spine and encapsulated everything a good mystery should have. When the curtain finally drops, it is a masterpiece.

The Other Black Girl was just such an excellent book that I can only implore you to pick up immediately.

A great exploration of how white-washed careers like publishing are, and the dire need for diversification! Nella was such a great main character and I really felt sorry for her as she is desperate to succeed in her publishing career but hurdles keep appearing in front of her. There were some amazing side characters and an interesting sub-plot!

As debut novels go, this is an impressive novel. The writing is excellent, and the premise is interesting, but for me the execution fell rather short from what I was expecting.
The idea is brave and intriguing- I had never really thought of inequality in the publishing world. But now it has been addressed, I am fascinated!
The novel follows characters that intrigued me to begin with, but then didn't hold my attention enough as the book went on.
The themes are profound and necessary, but I don't think the plot really grabbed me enough and could have done with more substance for me.

I was so excited to read this since I had used the phrase so many times in regular speech that to read about a common black girl experience was so interesting.
I was completely invested in the book from the first page as there was a level of danger about it the more i read. Initially i couldnt work out who i was more worried by Nella or Hazel. It was written in a way that had me side eyeing both of them but not sure who to trust.
I wasnt a fan of the seemingly unlinked 'named' chapters at the beginning but once they came together, it was okay. while there were points that could have been a bit more structured in terms of plot laying but it ends well and as a consistent sinister feel about it the whole way through.
For a Black British person it was a bit heavy with the African American experience that took me out of it a bit, but thats more an observation than a criticism.

It's so hard to describe what a creeping, eye-opening and unexpected novel this was; it defies a lot of the comparisons it has been given. Any assumptions that it will be a comedy like The Devil Wears Prada should be set aside - The Other Black Girl is ominous, foreboding and downright creepy at times, all the while keeping some very realistic commentary about the reality of diversity in 'traditional' industries.
Nella is the only black girl employed at a prestigious New York publishing house, and despite her own efforts to encourage diversity discussions in the workplace, she's learned to keep her head down in the hopes of eventual promotion. Her working life is disrupted by the arrival of Hazel, a second black woman employed as an assistant. Unlike Nella, though, Hazel seems to be an instant hit with everyone and Nella finds herself at the end of a number of incidents where her sense of cultural solidarity is threatened by the fact that Hazel seems to be (quite possibly) out to get her....
I had no idea where this was going and was blown away by the ending. The Other Black Girl is a brilliant, tense read which highlights what is it like not only to be a minority employee in a predominantly white industry like publishing, but also a broader question about code switching, racism and how far trauma can be buried simply so you can get on with the job at hand. Highly recommended.

Possibly the most thought-provoking novel I have read in a long time. It made me, firstly, intensely aware that I have no concept of what life must be like for black men and women in a largely white world. I have no authority to comment on the life of a young black woman seeking to make her way, to take advantage of the same opportunities as any white girl can, when the world sees not much more than the colour of your skin and automatically downrates you. So much of it came as a cold shock. However, I was unhappy with the way it played out and the closing chapters - I don't understand why this route had to be taken. Why not simply play out the battle between a black woman staying true to herself and one who wants to 'fit in' by accepting all the racist micro and maxi aggressions that come her way? I have to say, a brilliant concept but a disappointing ending.

Plot: Nella has been the only Black girl in Wagner Books (a top publishing company) for the last two years when Hazel (another Black girl) gets hired. Soon after that, Nella starts receiving notes telling her that she's in danger and she needs to leave the company.

There was so much hype online about this book that I was really looking forward to it, but it just wasn't it for me.

This is a slow book. Some may say a slow burn, but there was no such burn for me: it was just slow. It's over-written and could easily be shortened without losing any of the plot. Not much really happens until the last 30-ish pages, when suddenly everything is action.

The story centers on Nella, but there are some side characters (some in other times) that compliment the book. I, as many other reviewers, found these distracting and that they didn't really add that much to the plot.

This review is based on an ARC of this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Zakiya Dalila Harris’s The Other Black Girl starts off in relatively familiar, All About Eve territory. Nella is the only black employee at Wagner Books, and despite her continuous efforts to make her colleagues more aware of issues of race and representation, nothing much has changed in the years she’s worked there. When another black girl, Hazel, joins the company, Nella is initially hopeful that she has an ally, especially when Hazel commiserates with her over the racist representation of a character in the latest novel from one of Wagner’s top-selling authors. However, when Hazel throws Nella under the bus to impress her white bosses, Nella grows rapidly more suspicious. As Nella’s story unfolds in the present, we get occasional snippets from other narrators who are both entwined in Wagner’s past and involved in something much more sinister.

There’s a great novel somewhere inside The Other Black Girl, but for me the pacing was too radically uneven for it to reach its full potential. The first 75% or so focuses too squarely on office politics, and the creepy speculative thread is introduced too late, making the ending feel rushed. If only it had had longer to rev up, the climax could have been brilliantly twisted, but Harris spent too long on office microaggressions (which of course could form the basis of a great novel in their own right) to fully lean into the weirdness. I can see why this has made a big splash, but I hope Harris goes more full out with the horror in her next novel.

Unfortunately I could not connect with any of the characters, found the narrative fragmented and confusing and didn't feel able to finish reading after getting 37% into the book.

Book #63 of 2021
The Other Black Girl by Zariya Dalila Harris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📸:

In the cutthroat world of New York publishing, Nella is an editorial assistant sick of being the only black girl in the office. Micro-aggressions and glass ceilings make her feel like she can not speak up. Finally, another black girl joins the workplace and maybe things will change…except Nella discovers an anonymous note telling her to LEAVE NOW. I’ve read comparisons to The Devil Wears Pravda, but this is really misleading. This book is a chilling tale of workplace bullying, isolation and paranoia. It is well observed and funny. Most impressively changes genre as the narrative progresses. Starting as a contemporary drama it evolves into a mystery / thriller and more then some (I don’t want to give any more away…). Really intriguing and very original, with some interesting twists that make you question the price of progress.

Nella Rogers is the only black woman working at Wagner Publishers. She's tried to raise the notion of diversity to her colleagues, with little success. She's good at her job,
Enter Hazel, another young black woman. Nella assumes that they'll be allies, but she couldn't be more wrong. Hazel seamlessly slips into the job, subtly undermines Nella even though at first she agrees with her, and Nella is constantly wrong footed by Hazel, who leaves her feeling shocked and betrayed. Then the notes start appearing... Leave Wagner now.

That's a simple synopsis. There's a whole lot more to this novel, but the Devil wears Prada reference is misleading. It's not funny, or really cut throat, at all. There's something else entirely going on here, and some of it has to do with hair. And hair product.

There's a flashback to an earlier time when a black woman author and editor worked at Wagner. It's all slightly sinister and weird. There's something going on, it's in the hair product,

I honestly had no idea what really happened at the end. I got the complexities of the relationship between Nella and Hazel , the rivalry at work, the complexities of the work situation and the whole basis of the novel until three quarters of the way through when the confusion set in. I wasn't engaged enough by this new direction to care enough to be honest.
I am aware that it was supposed to be a stand out novel of this year, but unfortunately, I didn't really get it. And I still don't.

Thankyou to netgallety and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book. The characters in this book were very well developed but the story was a little bit slow. The last third of the book was better and the twist at the end i wasnt expecting however i do have some unanswered questions

I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was a pleasant surprise.
An intriguing cross-genre book that feels fresh and interesting. Incorporating both inter- and intra-racial issues in a unique way, Nella has to come to terms with no longer being the “only black girl” working for a highly influential publishing house. Will the new girl be an ally or a threat? Fascinating and horrifying with a smattering of hair product advice – I kid you not. I predict this will be a huge summer read.

I persevered with this because some people whose opinions I respect rated it highly but I DNF'd at 24%. The issues it raises are important but that's the problem - it is a list of issues rather than a living, breathing story. I peeked at a few 'spoiler' reviews to find out what the much-promised twist was, and was confirmed in my decision to abandon.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it a real page turner. The characters seemed well developed and intriguing. The ending, however, just didn't really do it for me and I felt a little flat on finishing. An enjoyable read, but I was hoping for so much more.

I enjoyed reading this and found it very compelling and intriguing, but what was that ending? I thought it was for sure gonna be a 5* read but the twist / ending was a bit weird and there were a lot of unanswered questions

This book was so interesting that I didn't mind how confused I was to begin with. The slow unwinding of what was happening and the creeping threat had me hooked from the beginning.

The reveal of what had been happening and how was brilliantly done, as was the chilling reveal in the epilogue.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the ebook and audiobook from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and reading while listening was the perfect immersive experience for this book.