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

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This taut, can’t-look-away, thriller offers a lot more than the usual run of the mill fare for the genre. I appreciated the social commentary, the unflinching portrayal of racial microaggressions, white privilege and gatekeeping in the publishing industry.

It’s edgy. You’ll be wondering what’s happening and loving the unsettled feeling the author creates. The sharpness is balanced with a surprising playfulness and undercurrent of humour which makes this book different, a little hard to characterize, but entirely absorbing.

I did see the big twist coming, the one that lots of readers said really shocked them. But that didn’t spoil things for me. I was just a bit surprised given that I’m not usually good at seeing what’s meant to stay hidden.

The audio is outstanding, if that’s your jam. I couldn’t stop listening.
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