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msshel330's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the overall idea of the book - Black women finding a way to get ahead in the publishing world by killing a part of themselves. The execution was a bit bumpy though; the exposition was clunky in spots and I had a bit of trouble understanding the time jumps in the narrative.
melissch's review against another edition
3.0
love some critical publishing commentary, but have mixed feelings about the ending
simi987's review against another edition
3.0
Ummm strange book… plot kinda went nowhere and messily followed like 30 characters
rosiefpb's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know what I was expecting but it was not this. More sci-fi/horror than anything else. Not really my thing, just gave me the creeps.
ravina_b's review against another edition
4.0
I was initially interested in this book by the comparisons to Get Out, and upon finishing it I feel that that truly is the best way to describe THE OTHER BLACK GIRL. Zakiya Dalila Harris tells the story of Nella Rogers, the sole Black editorial assistant at Wagner Books, and the way that her life changes when another Black woman is hired - but not in the way that she thinks. It is a slow burn that revolves around Harris’s meticulous integration of microaggressions and tokenism within office politics. It is a very well written book, and a brilliant concept.
Though this is neither horror nor thriller (it’s about the impact that unconscious racism could potentially have on society, much like Get Out), it does make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when the more sinister events unravel. It will make you uncomfortable - but that’s the point. Saying that, if you found Get Out farfetched then you might struggle a little with this; nevertheless, for me, the way that Harris explores the theme of race in a different way than we are used to strengthens the plot and its plausibility.
Regarding the alternating points of view - I can understand why these were included and I did feel that they added some value to the story, but I don’t think anything would have been missing had these been left out and the information in these chapters could have been incorporated in different ways throughout the book. I kept anticipating that there would be some discussion of these external characters that just never came.
Overall, this was a very thought-provoking read and I felt that the way Harris chose to explore her themes was unique and forces readers to question the society we live in. Massive thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Though this is neither horror nor thriller (it’s about the impact that unconscious racism could potentially have on society, much like Get Out), it does make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when the more sinister events unravel. It will make you uncomfortable - but that’s the point. Saying that, if you found Get Out farfetched then you might struggle a little with this; nevertheless, for me, the way that Harris explores the theme of race in a different way than we are used to strengthens the plot and its plausibility.
Regarding the alternating points of view - I can understand why these were included and I did feel that they added some value to the story, but I don’t think anything would have been missing had these been left out and the information in these chapters could have been incorporated in different ways throughout the book. I kept anticipating that there would be some discussion of these external characters that just never came.
Overall, this was a very thought-provoking read and I felt that the way Harris chose to explore her themes was unique and forces readers to question the society we live in. Massive thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
cake_sniffer's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
shmadsie's review against another edition
4.0
this book was STRESS. FUL. hazel 100% had that creepy, stepford vibe and every time she was on the page, i was bracing for the absolute worst, which she often delivered. i can't decide if i love or hate how it ended. on the one hand, honestly, who tf isn't tired so that seems realistic as hell, and on the other, you've got all this behind the scenes resistance that led to absolutely..... nothing, so what was the point of reading about so much of it, y'know?
smyles42's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This book was different than I was expecting it to be, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Though the first half of the book was kind of slow going, it picked up and was hard to put down. The blurb about the book said that it is Get Out meets Devil Wears Prada, but in the book publishing industry, and that is somewhat accurate. I was expecting it to be more Devil Wears Prada, but it was much more like Get Out meets The Stepford Wives in NYC. I love a book that I can’t figure out right away. I really didn’t know how the book would unravel. This book kept me guessing up until the end.
I’ll try to write a short synopsis because I don’t want to give too much away. Nella is a young, Black, editorial assistant at Wagner Books. For the entirety of the time that she has worked there, she has been the only Black woman and one of few WOC in the office. Tired of constantly dealing with microaggressions and awkwardness caused by her white coworkers and bosses, she is relieved and excited when a new Black girl starts working at Wagner Books. Hazel is seemingly perfect and quickly becomes the #1 editorial assistant in the eyes of the administration, especially after a particularly uncomfortable confrontation between Nella and one of the publisher’s most famous (and profitable) authors. Nella soon starts getting notes left on her desk telling her to leave Wagner Books immediately, though, and from there things quickly spiral downward for Nella.
This story was told from several women’s perspectives over time. It all mostly came together at the end, but for a good chunk of the story I was confused about who was supposed to be speaking and why they were related to the story. I felt that there were a few loose ends with other characters that weren’t tied up very well and/or were neglected to focus on Nella’s trajectory. I thought that The Resistance angle didn’t pay off. We were introduced to them, but it was never explained who they were, who Lynn was, how they formed, and how Kendra Rae was connected to them. Kendra Rae, Shani, and Malaika had a lot more story in them that wasn’t explored enough for me. There was a lot of build up, but it left several unanswered questions at the end. The novel was more a vehicle for social commentary and the actual story sometimes took a backseat. You should read it though if just for the honest and sometimes distressing commentary on contemporary Black women’s lives and issues they face in a white-dominated workplace.
Overall, I did like this book and I will likely recommend it to people when it comes out. This novel is Harris’ debut, so if her first effort was this good, I am looking forward to seeing what she does next. One final thing; I liked the ending. It was depressing as hell, and I (guiltily) love a book that doesn’t have a happily ever after ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll try to write a short synopsis because I don’t want to give too much away. Nella is a young, Black, editorial assistant at Wagner Books. For the entirety of the time that she has worked there, she has been the only Black woman and one of few WOC in the office. Tired of constantly dealing with microaggressions and awkwardness caused by her white coworkers and bosses, she is relieved and excited when a new Black girl starts working at Wagner Books. Hazel is seemingly perfect and quickly becomes the #1 editorial assistant in the eyes of the administration, especially after a particularly uncomfortable confrontation between Nella and one of the publisher’s most famous (and profitable) authors. Nella soon starts getting notes left on her desk telling her to leave Wagner Books immediately, though, and from there things quickly spiral downward for Nella.
This story was told from several women’s perspectives over time. It all mostly came together at the end, but for a good chunk of the story I was confused about who was supposed to be speaking and why they were related to the story. I felt that there were a few loose ends with other characters that weren’t tied up very well and/or were neglected to focus on Nella’s trajectory. I thought that The Resistance angle didn’t pay off. We were introduced to them, but it was never explained who they were, who Lynn was, how they formed, and how Kendra Rae was connected to them. Kendra Rae, Shani, and Malaika had a lot more story in them that wasn’t explored enough for me. There was a lot of build up, but it left several unanswered questions at the end. The novel was more a vehicle for social commentary and the actual story sometimes took a backseat. You should read it though if just for the honest and sometimes distressing commentary on contemporary Black women’s lives and issues they face in a white-dominated workplace.
Overall, I did like this book and I will likely recommend it to people when it comes out. This novel is Harris’ debut, so if her first effort was this good, I am looking forward to seeing what she does next. One final thing; I liked the ending. It was depressing as hell, and I (guiltily) love a book that doesn’t have a happily ever after ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
janey's review against another edition
4.0
This was terrific, not what I expected -- more [b:When No One is Watching|49398072|When No One is Watching|Alyssa Cole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585146341l/49398072._SY75_.jpg|73236183] than [b:Such a Fun Age|43923951|Such a Fun Age|Kiley Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557181911l/43923951._SY75_.jpg|63995465]. The parallel story is a bit jumbled, somewhat irritating even though I was pretty sure it would be clarified in the end.