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A review by wordsofclover
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
dark
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? It's complicated
3.25
Nella is the only Black person working in Wagner publishing house and she's sick of being the token person of colouring and dealing with the microaggressions she encounters every day. So she's delighted when new girl Hazel, a Black girl from Harlem, starts and they become friends. But soon Nella notices that Hazel is acting differently, and in ways is making Nella look bad and her job performance is suffering. As things get tenser, and creepier, can Nella figure out what' up with Hazel?
I liked the writing style of this book and the atmosphere that was slight intense, unsettling and creepy at times. The environment of Wagner was created really well I think, and learning more about the publishing world in many ways from difficult authors and temperamental cover artists was quite fun at times, as well as getting a look at what's like to be a Black woman in a predominantly white environment and how some people behave and the microaggressions she has to deal with and sometimes ignore for an easier time with her colleagues.
I do feel like so much of this story was build up, and when we really start figuring out what is happening, the book is already 90% finished so I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion feeling very rushed then, and then the epilogue was twisty and fun but also slightly depressing and not the ending I would have wanted for Nella obviously.
I liked the writing style of this book and the atmosphere that was slight intense, unsettling and creepy at times. The environment of Wagner was created really well I think, and learning more about the publishing world in many ways from difficult authors and temperamental cover artists was quite fun at times, as well as getting a look at what's like to be a Black woman in a predominantly white environment and how some people behave and the microaggressions she has to deal with and sometimes ignore for an easier time with her colleagues.
I do feel like so much of this story was build up, and when we really start figuring out what is happening, the book is already 90% finished so I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion feeling very rushed then, and then the epilogue was twisty and fun but also slightly depressing and not the ending I would have wanted for Nella obviously.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism