Atria Books
The Other Black Girl
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Good Morning America and Read with Marie Claire Book Club Pick and a People Best Book of Summer
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Harper's Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Parade, Goodreads, Fortune, and BBC
Named a Best Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Esquire, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, The Boston Globe, Harper's Bazaar, and NPR
Urgent, propulsive, and sharp as a knife, The Other Black Girl is an electric debut about 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.
A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781982160135
EAN:
9781982160135
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
368
Authors:
Zakiya Dalila Harris
Publisher:
Atria Books
Published Date: 2021-01-06
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This book had me hooked. It was a little slow, at first, but once Hazel blew in, it took off. Wow, I thought Nella was going to be able to fight it off but the serum took over. Such a good read.
The plot was kind of slow overall until the end, but I still liked it.
i really did enjoy this book. disclaimer: i would not classify this as a thriller, maybe mystery but there’s nothing “thrilling” about this book other than wanting to find out the ending obviously. it was tough for me because Hazel and the OBGs made me feel sad that this might be something that Black girls and women would want. it did have me on the edge of my seat because i just needed to know what happened. but we didn’t find out what was going on until the final chapter which we were then kind of left on a cliff hanger.. then the epilogue. so i was disappointed with how this ended mainly because it took sooo long to get to the point. but overall, would still recommend.* same rating / review posted on Goodreads
I’m such a sucker for books like this. I was not expecting that ending at all. There were times where I got a little lost in the setting but I caught right back up before the climax. 4.5/5 stars
This review is tough because, on one hand, the story is genius so 5 stars. For example, giving voice to the issues Black women are forced to deal with in the workplace eg. the micro aggressions, the stereotypes, the lack of community, having to be the lone voice of diversity etc. are such important, necessary and long overdue subjects to highlight in this fictional account; However, there were so many characters to keep track of and the story was sooo slow moving, I was tempted to stop reading so many times. When the plot did finally pick up, it felt rushed and, frankly, I’m still confused by some stuff. Overall, I would recommend with the caveat that it is definitely a slow and, at times, confusing burn but the author obviously has talent and a voice which deserves to be heard.
