Reviews

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

jerihurd's review

3.0

Urgh. A seriously ridiculous "Mexican Gothic"-reminiscent plot twist almost made me quit this otherwise mediocre book. Three is me erring on the generous side.

jj_tj's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Toxic friendship

briash13's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

abjouett90's review

4.0

Twists and turns

ajamilah92's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

sarful's review

4.0

5 stars for the brilliant idea of black women creating a hair serum to mellow out the righteous anger and earned frustrations of white micro aggressions, unconscious racism and bias. If white people won’t accept their racism without being offended that they even have racial bias, then find a way for black people to live within these confines without justified exasperation. Code switch on steroids.

3 stars for execution. Which I’m not going to lie, completely frustrated me. It’s all there, but it’s jumbled in a disjointed narrative where half the time she’s beautifully building tension, albeit it takes forever, between Nella and the other black girl, the odd behavior and willingness to overlook racial bias whilst throwing Nella under the bus. The other half are characters thrown in with no explanation until the end, and the twist of the resistance too little to late. And why spend so much time building towards the twist when it could have been used quicker and with more effect, as a horror satire. At least that’s what I felt. I wish the resistance and Nella had met earlier I guess. So she could have done a “Get Out” moment of freedom.

Although I did find it a bit cruel when the other black girl said she’d already been using the serum or she wouldn’t have caved into an apology to an undeserving white author, when in reality she hadn’t been using it. Ouch. Nella has already compromised her integrity all on her own.

Having said that, there was a lot of really good social commentary about being black in an all white publishing world, and entertainment in general. I’m satisfied with 4 stars, the spot on racial commentary and mellowed out black woman idea was just that great. White people don’t want the unvarnished truth of racism in America, they want to think racism is a thing of the past. And any diversity is a step forward, no matter what. There’s a lot to chew on, racially, in this book.

michelleann_xo's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

kaya217's review

1.0

70 pages in and I am tired of trying to like this book. It's sooooooo sloooooow. The description of the book made me think I was going to read this great thriller. It's not thrilling me at all. After just reading Yellow Wife I was on this "book high" and I wanted something just as good or better. The writing frustrated me to say the least. I just read reviews that state the book doesn't get "good" until the last 30 or so pages. I refuse to invest anymore time into this story. Glad I got it from the library and didn't have to pay for the disappointment.

austen_most_ardently's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

clairebartholomew549's review

4.0

This was a strange and fascinating book that I’m not quite sure what to make of. Nella is a compelling character, and her narration is strong and cutting. Her observations about the micro- and macro-aggressions that happen in publishing offices (and presumably most workplaces) are incisive and made me think, and the novel has a paranoid feeling that creeps in slowly. It’s not necessarily an enjoyable read because Nella is so anxious throughout, and she seems to be reading into things that seem innocent. Even when it’s revealed that she was right to read into things, the payoff doesn’t necessarily seem that satisfying, maybe because it felt like, as my friend Conner put it, we were being shown instead of told what Nella was reading into.

Spoiler

I thought the hair grease conspiracy was a little silly. I understand that the author was trying to make a statement about how hard it is to be a black woman and feel all the racism and horrors in the world, and how it would be easier for them to deal with their racist bosses if they could care less somehow. But it felt kind of cheap and convenient, especially as the unexplained chemical formula somehow produced the intended effects without numbing the OBG’s entire personalities. I did find the final confrontation between Hazel and Nella compelling, and the realizations that Nella had about not feeling free felt real and earned. Nella becoming an OBG, and the final moment where Shani met her as reinvented Delilah at a new publishing house, felt like a great way to show how widespread systemic racism and its ripple effects are and how hard it is to root out. But I think it would have been stronger without the sci-fi angle; I think it would have packed a more powerful punch if there was no sinister twist and shadowy resistance and it was just people acting that way.