Wow what a book! Almost a satirical expose centred on the publishing industry, this is a no holds barred exploration of identity, competitive environments, experiences as a black woman in the workplace, privilege, and race. It is better that readers go into this book not knowing too much about the plot, as personally I think that will spoil the enjoyment and understanding of it.
With so many complex themes interwoven, it would be easy for the story to become lost, but I really feel the author has handled this well in The Other Black Girl.
It is badged as The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out and when we first meet twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers, you might be fooled into thinking it is just about office dynamics at publishing house Wagner Books. Nella is the only black person working at Wagner and is excited when she sees another black girl has joined the company – Hazel. Suffice to say this excitement is short lived. When Nella later receives a mysterious note with the words “LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.” the Get Out element really starts coming into play and we move from contemporary fiction into the psychological thriller realm.
Nella is a solidly crafted character and I think many women will be able to relate to her experiences. I found there were points where I really understood her actions, and others where I was frustrated by her decisions – when she lets her guard down or doesn’t assert herself enough but I think that makes her all the more realistic, and it keeps you fully invested in her journey and world. I particularly enjoyed the dramatic irony of Nella’s partner Owen ensuring he was not “The Dumb Fool” by checking she wasn’t putting herself in harm’s way, when in fact Nella would in fact herself later become “The Dumb Fool” whilst we the reader frantically begged her to open her eyes.
The structure really allows the story to slowly unfold. It is told in four parts but with multiperspective elements and shifts in time, which serve to flesh out the more complex elements of the plot – particularly towards the climax of the story where you might find yourself a bit hazy, shocked and wondering what is really going on. With so much happening, I think it’s paced nicely as anything else would not have allowed enough time for explanation.
Knowing that Zakiyah Dalila Harris has put “really large chunks” of her own lived experience into the book really enhanced my reading of it. It is accessible to readers of all backgrounds but as a black woman there were many elements of it that particularly resonated with me. I think for example that the focus on and significance of hair in the story will really land with readers in different ways.
For me the overriding emotion whilst reading was just this deep sense of unease, which completely drew me in. Dark, deep, terrifying, and then some, I would say this is a psychological thriller but in a refreshing and unexpected way, as I don’t think I have read anything else like it. From the acknowledgments I see it is already being adapted for TV and think it will translate brilliantly on screen.
Can’t wait for more books from this author! Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my ARC.
#TheOtherBlackGirl #ZaikyaDalilaHarris #BloomsburyUK #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #PsychologicalThriller
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