Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

2 reviews

sorcha's review against another edition

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funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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mlthomas234's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Really like Nella’s storyline, up to and including the end. Loved how Hazel’s character evolved (from ambiguous to sinister). I also liked how Nella was never the “perfect” black girl and was very aware of all the ways she might be seen as “less black” because of her upbringing, who she dated, when she started thinking about social issues, etc. given all of that, I️ wish we’d seen her struggle a bit more with Hazel’s question at the end rather than it being skipped over directly to the epilogue. What went through her mind? Did she really consider it? For how long? What was the turning point? 

I️ also had trouble following the storyline of the writer/author pair of women and the resistance— pretty much everything outside of Nella’s story, the chapters were interesting on their own but found it difficult to follow on how they all connected. Ultimately, I️ just accepted them for their high level message (“something is not right, got it”), and kept reading. Thinking back I️ wonder what would be lost if those scenes weren’t included? They made things more confusing which isn’t the same as making the mystery more interesting. 

Overall, Harris did a great job delivering on what was promised: a sharp thriller that explores the dynamics (and fears) of what it’s like to be a black woman in the workplace.
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