A review by bookwormbi
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was really good! I’m conflicted about how I feel about the pace, because on one hand not a lot happens in this book that is ostensibly a thriller, but on the other, I did love being immersed in Nella’s psychological world. Same with some of the characters feeling a little flat—that’s how they were to Nella, at this point in her life where she’s obsessed with Hazel, who really is the only character besides Nella that didn’t feel flat to me. At the same time, I felt somewhat distant from Nella because of the close third, and way more connected to characters like Shawnee and Kendra Rae and Diana, who all had sections where they were the pov character. But again, every time I come upon something I didn’t like so much, I have a counter argument. The whole book feels like an homage to Passing (down to the main character’s name being Nella) and that novel is an absolute masterclass in close third. While I wouldn’t say TOBG is Passing levels of quality, Harris definitely evoked some of that psychological horror with her use of close third, distancing us just enough from Nella that we can see what’s happening to her just before she does. I don’t know. I definitely liked it a lot, and I’m excited to see the adaptation!
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