The Other Black Girl

Just - wow! I’ve seen so much hype on this online (excellent marketing and proof campaign) and was blown away by The Other Black Girl. I work in publishing and it was as if the author had dropped real-life work moments into the book. Honest, truthful, and looking at the really, very big problem in the industry, this book is essential reading. It’s the book we’ve been waiting for for a long time.

Wow! The hype is real when it comes to The Other Black Girl. This is a must-read for anyone who works in publishing - Harris exposes so much of what is wrong with the industry on every level, but with such style and flair, I was laughing out loud and rooting for Nella, even whilst my blood was boilng. This had me guessing until nearly the last page, which I reached very quickly because I could not put this book down. An excellent debut, I can't wait to read what Zakiya Dalila Harris writes next!

Wow, I absolutely loved reading this book. A very ambitious, fast paced, original and timely novel about being Black in a predominantly white environment: the book publishing industry. Up-and-coming editorial assistant Nella loves it when she finally gets a Black colleague, but why does it feel that she's adjusting better to the many quirks of the prestigious publishing house and its employees? 

I expect a lot of aspects will resonate with people in the book trade as there is a lot to recognise - even for white people - and will hopefully also be a wake up call for many in charge. Harris is very successful in getting the details just right, whilst not letting the ambitious plot get away from her. 
I had not expected this level of social consciousness in a novel that was also so well written. It reminded me of Such a Fun Age from Kiley Reid. I am confident there will be a lot of buzz around this book on its release next year.

Not only a must-read for book trade 'insiders', but for everyone who wants to read a captivating, engrossing novel about social justice.

Thank you Bloomsbury & NetGalley for the ARC.

This was everything it was hyped up to be and better, the writing was astounding and I ate it up in two sittings. This is definitely one to read for anybody in the industry, particularly those in more senior positions should like to read it - it might be the wake up call they need.

Will certainly be buying a physical copy and re-reading on publication!

Wow, I loved this book. The description ‘Get out meets Devil Meets Prada’ is spot on. Such a fresh feeling, with a real look at the publishing industry. The thriller style undertone of the book was chilling at times. I couldn’t recommend this highly enough! I will be buying a physical copy to reread! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy to review.

A tense and compelling read. Nella, the only black girl in her publishing work place (who is not sorting mail or fixing computers), is thrilled when another black girl starts working at Wagner. That can only be a good thing, right? Then things take a sinister turn. Zakiya Dalila Harris writes brilliantly about being a Black person in a white environment, code switching, the trauma of racism and the need to put on a bright smile and get on at work. She does this in a satirical thriller that kept me awake and anxious to the very end.

Wow. This blew me away. I know it was described as a mix between The Devil Wears Prada and Get Out which is super accurate. I just couldn’t put it down, I had to know what was going to happen next which is the sign of a great book. I thought the writing was fabulous and so descriptive. I just wish the ending hadn’t been so rushed because I really needed more detail of what happened to all of the characters!

Genuinely couldn't put this down. Still reeling slightly from the ending! This was a brilliantly crafted and readable thriller about identity, workplace politics and being Black in the overwhelmingly white publishing industry.

I’ve been looking forward to reading The Other Black Girl for months. It’s been all over social media and it was on my own can’t-wait-to-read-in-2021 list, so I nearly died of excitement when I got approved for it on NetGalley. It lived up to the hype. It was very topical: a searing, honest look into the issues within the publishing industry. It was also an incredibly unique thriller with a sinister spin on its social commentary.  
 
Zakiya Dalila Harris' candidly illustrated Nella’s experience of being a Black woman in the very white publishing industry. Both the overarching issues and the details were perfectly executed. The book demonstrated just how difficult it can be for Black employees to voice issues with racism in the workplace for fear of how it might affect their careers. How can a company claim to promote diversity if their Black and marginalised employees face backlash for speaking out? It’s easy to see how someone starting their career might feel they have to stay silent.
 
The Other Black Girl explored some very relevant themes while pulling the reader through its dark plot at the speed of light. There were so many twists and turns; I stayed up reading late into the night. Without giving too much away, the ending was a shock. This book is going to provoke even more much-needed discussion after its release, and I can’t wait for it!
 
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC!

This is an astounding debut. It has been billed as The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out although I think it may be better than both. Zakiya Dalila Harris deftly weaves themes of white supremacy, black erasure and racism with office politics and the ruthless competition of New York publishing, A powerful and gripping story mesmerisingly told. A fresh, bold, uncompromising voice. I can't wait for her next book.

The other black girl was a brilliant unusual read. Nella works for a huge publishing company where she has been trying to rally for a more diverse workforce, and then Hazel starts work there. What should have been two women looking out for each other suddenly turns into Nella having to fight to keep her job while dealing with notes telling her to leave the company. 

The book brings to the forefront the kind of racism which exists in the workplace and the white privilege which is everywhere. The first half of the book is about Nella and the mystery of the notes and new girl Hazel. Is Hazel sending them and undermining Nella at work? In the second half of the book you begin to understand what has been going on, and let me tell you I was not expecting it! What an original idea, I loved it! I can’t wait for Zakiya’s next book.

A hilarious, satirical novel that allows the reader to fully immerse themselves into the murky world of publishing. Zakiya Dalila Harris' writing is fluid, biting, and kept me hooked throughout. I would definitely recommend.

Really compelling book: the description of corporate life, rivalries, the tickbox 'diversity initiatives' that really are nothing of the sort. Very sharply observed, very witty. I think describing this book as The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out is not really doing it any favours: it is neither a comedy nor is it a thriller. In fact, the conspiracy and suspense elements of it were the least successful or necessary to my mind. I'd quite happily have settled for a less 'surreal' explanation of things. But I really enjoyed the characters, the dialogue, the social critique.

*I will post this on my blog a week before publication date*

I was super excited to read The Other Black Girl after attending a Bloomsbury Night In with talks from a variety of authors, so when I was approved for this on NetGalley I started to read straight away. 

The Other Black Girl follows Nella - the only person of colour working at a publishing firm. After many attempts to bring diversity into the workplace, she is excited to find out another black woman got a job there. And then she gets the note... LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.  What follows is a series of twists and turns as we find out who is on her side, and who is not. 

The book is described as The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out, and that is the most accurate description I can think of. Whilst the book touches on serious topics such as diversity in the workplace, it also has a shocking twist that left me stunned. 

I really enjoyed reading this, I would absolutely love to see it as a film and thanks to Harris's descriptive prose, could vividly imagine the characters and settings. I really recommend this to anybody who loves a suspense/thriller such as myself, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy! 

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advanced readers copy of this in return for an honest review.

I did not see this coming! The Other Black Girl really surprised me - the shock of the ending as a response to the racism experienced really angered and convicted me. The experience of reading this book will be a powerful tool to open the eyes of white readers. I couldn't believe the ending but this made me question myself as a white woman, and showed me the exhaustion it can be navigating the every day as a black woman in a white industry. Why wouldn't you fight? Because it is so tiring. This really clearly showed me the pressure and prevalence of white supremacy and that if anything is to change we all need to listen and learn, and then step forward to help change the systems around us - those with the privilege need to step forward and shoulder much of the exhaustion in the fight to end what benefits us.

Ok I admit with this one I was drawn in by its clever cover and I didn’t expect it to hit so hard. I was expecting a story about the very white publishing industry (which I got) but I wasn’t expecting mystery and suspense! A very nice surprise. it starts off a bit slow but gets a lot better a third of the way in. obviously racism and micro-aggressions in the workplace and diversity in publishing are subjects that need to be spoken about more and I think the mystery element was a very clever way of drawing attention to the complex position that the black people who have been successful in breaking into these kind of industries are put in. the shallowness of corporate diversity mixing with a little bit of sci-fi - I think this was a great debut. i feel like it’s not at all my place to try and weigh in on what I thought the author was trying to get across - but it was sharp and offered a lot of insight into the pressure of losing yourself and playing by someone else’s rules to succeed when success is so off limit.

This was absolutely brilliant, I couldn't put it down. The way the author wrote about the world of publishing from a junior perspective was accurate but then to add the additional nuances of what that means for a person of colour gave the story even more depth. It felt like an expose of the inner sanctum of publishing crossed with Get Out and I thought it was fantastic.

This novel reminded me of the early version of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' and in a good way.  I found the setting interesting, the characters deep and, for me, an understanding of the struggles a black woman can have when trying to make it in an industry that seems not known for its diversity.  I found myself having to google some terms and then chuckling to myself as the narrator mentions how white people don't know about the issue black women have with their hair - an interesting start to the novel.  Then, around the 60-70% mark the dynamic changes, with a turn for the worst for our protagonists.  Definitely a good read, with a few genres mashed together but, ultimately, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' clinched it for me.  Recommended.

Without doubt, this is my book of 2021 so far. The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out as Nella, the only black woman working for white-dominated publisher Wagner Books, struggles to maintain her place when another black woman joins the team. 

Hoping they might be allies, Nella soon suspects that Hazel might not have her best interests at heart. Hazel starts making the kind of waves within a short month that Nella herself has struggled to achieve in her two years with the company, causing a range of emotions to surface: envy, insecurity, frustration, confusion. Nella always thought that black girls would have each other’s backs...

The writing is superb and creates a compelling and tense tale with a twist that’s as ingenious as it is sinister. READ THIS BOOK!

Amazing!!! I absolutely loved reading The Other Black Girl and couldn't put it down. Nella is such a well written, real character. I felt as though I were completely on this journey with her, and so many parts of the book made me gasp as they were so true to life. The book manages to portray an authentic look at how existing as a minority in an industry that is dominated by white faces can affect the very core of your being, whilst still creating mystery and anticipation. Fabulous!

Original take on racial diversity and office/publishing house drama, comedy and thriller at the same time, definitely unexpected! Great debut novel, looking forward to reading more from this author.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!