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

challenging informative mysterious 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

5.0

This book was both very informative & very interesting. The further you dive into the book, the tenser it gets at certain points, and I have to say that the peak of this story was pretty terrifying as a concept. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and got more & more invested as I kept reading. It keeps on you on your toes at points but lets you breathe in select others, which makes for quite the experience! Highly recommend to people who want to delve into books that tackle the topic of racism (especially in the workplace), or simply to anyone that wants to read a good book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Toxic friendship

The way Hazel talks about converting other Black girls into the sort of person society finds palatable is a great way of showing how POC in the real world end up "fitting in" with white people by acting like them instead of embracing their roots/culture/etc. I found that part of the story chilling in the context of the book because it not only completed the plot perfectly, but also showed how difficult it is for POC (especially Black people) to be their true selves in a world that favors whiteness as the ideal.