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A review by rwalker101
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The blurb on this book has changed from "Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada" to "Get Out meets The Stepford Wives", and frankly I find this second blurb a much more apt comparison. The first thing you have to know is that this is a fantastic slow-burn book, and most of its narrative has Nella feeling very deep and very personal feelings about many complicated issues. These are necessary to understand, if you are going to comprehend the horror of the ending.
In my recent review of Coraline, I mentioned how I had watched the Stepford Wives, and how I had found the concept of betrayal in horror deeply affecting. The Other Black Girl scratches that same itch, but it comes from a slightly different place. Instead of drawing horror from betrayal of a personal nature, Harris draws on the horror of not receiving help or guidance from members of your community. The book hinges on this concept of minority community; members of your same demographic are supposed to look out for you, to share knowing glances with you and be an empathetic shoulder to lean on when it all gets to be too much. The villains of the book weaponize this commiseration, using it to draw in innocent black women and make them party to their darker, but ultimately sympathetic schemes. The ultimate question Harris poses is this: is it better to sacrifice your minority identity so that you may be better accepted by the majority? Or is it better to speak your mind, even when it turns almost everyone in your life against you?
In my recent review of Coraline, I mentioned how I had watched the Stepford Wives, and how I had found the concept of betrayal in horror deeply affecting. The Other Black Girl scratches that same itch, but it comes from a slightly different place. Instead of drawing horror from betrayal of a personal nature, Harris draws on the horror of not receiving help or guidance from members of your community. The book hinges on this concept of minority community; members of your same demographic are supposed to look out for you, to share knowing glances with you and be an empathetic shoulder to lean on when it all gets to be too much. The villains of the book weaponize this commiseration, using it to draw in innocent black women and make them party to their darker, but ultimately sympathetic schemes. The ultimate question Harris poses is this: is it better to sacrifice your minority identity so that you may be better accepted by the majority? Or is it better to speak your mind, even when it turns almost everyone in your life against you?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism and Stalking