The Other Black Girl
By Zakiya Dalila Harris
- Release Date: 2021-06-01
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Description
Now a Hulu Original Series
“Riveting, fearless, and vividly original” (Emily St. John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author), this instant New York Times bestseller explores the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.
Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.
Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.
It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career. Having joined Wagner Books to honor the legacy of Burning Heart, a novel written and edited by two Black women, she had thought that this animosity was a relic of the past. Is Nella ready to take on the fight of a new generation?
“Poignant, daring, and darkly funny, The Other Black Girl will have you stressed and exhilarated in equal measure through the very last twist” (Vulture). The perfect read for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace.
Reviews
Started off great but ended offensively
3By Lisa LanniganThis started off as an interesting book on dynamics in the work place as the only black person and then what it looks like adding a new black person in the mix. It even was funny. But towards the end it felt like the author didn’t really like black women. She made the combative, insecure, overly obsessed with their hair and race. Yikes. Scary that they are making it into a tv series bc I’m sure it will be problematic. I gave it 3 stars because at least I was able to finish it 🤷🏾♀️Had potential, but essentially trash
2By Miss TereeHouse negroes versus field negroes. It’s not surprising the house won since the protagonist was in bed with the enemy. Just like the authoress. As another reviewr wrote, the storytelling was very uneven and the book didn’t get even slightly interesting until about 2/3 of the way through. Black people, look elsewhere for entertainment. This wasn’t writen for us.Waiting for sequel
4By juliasp17Didn’t appreciate how the best part was a setup for the second book and not all the questions were answered.Great potential but….
1By Kristi's PhatAss BeatsThe writing was awful, story lines were incomplete.Don’t waste your time
1By wandering ivyThis book lacked everything!A masterful page-turner
5By Ally00127361037I couldn’t put this book down. I loved the characters, the suspense, and the important viewpoints. The writing is superb. I was happy to learn about things I’ve never known and see the world from the perspective of a black woman. It was shocking, eye-opening and powerful. It was brilliant and I didn’t want it to end. Instant-buy author!Loved it.
5By Brigid O'shaughnessyStepford Wives meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Brilliant. First heard Audible version very good and liked it so much read ebook version. Can’t wait for film version and also more books from this author.Not very good
1By JulB62Would not recommend this book. The writing was not focused. A million different characters and no clear direction. Very disappointed, it could have been much better if the author stayed focused. Good theme, bad story telling…What on earth was that?
2By rf12345678901357924680The beginning of the book had so much promise. I’d hoped for insight and entertainment. By the end, I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes and wondering 1) if it would somehow get better and 2) when would I finally be done. Such a disappointment.Just Missed The Mark
2By princesst30While I totally get what the author trying to do, like creating a satire/mystery, I feel like she missed the mark. The main character Nella, is just not developed enough for us to understand her logic and her responses to just about everything. The other plot that involves a decades olds situation could have been beefed up more, as that backstory was actually more interesting than Nella’s main issues.