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The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris is self-described as Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada. Given that, I got my hands on a copy as soon as humanly possible. There’s no way I was missing out on one of the best movies I’ve ever seen clashing with one of my favorite chick flicks of all time in a novel. Like, how can a book with that description not be an utter masterpiece?
That curiosity stirring within you right now? Give into it. How can a chick flick and a thriller/social commentary piece work together? Take the bait! Buy a copy. Feed that curious mind like the sourdough starter you tried to make during quarantine.
I loved this novel and want to recommend it to everyone. You need to get on it guys because The Other Black Girl has been picked up by Hulu for a television adaptation and I have faith that it’s going to be dope. Catch me watching Get Out and The Devil Wears Prada to quell my impatience.
SYNOPSIS:
It’s been Nella’s dream to work as an editor with Wagner Books ever since she read Burning Heart when she was younger. Kendra, a black editor for Wagner books for a black author in the late 1900’s, made Burning Heart the rave novel that impacted Nella to the point that she wanted to be Kendra when she grew up. After working her butt off (and harder than everyone else), she landed her close-to-dream job: assistant editor at Wagner Books. Two years later, and while Nella wants to be an editor, she’s less than impressed with the overly white office and the performative activism of her coworkers. She hopes that things will start changing when Hazel, the most recent hire who is also black, joins the team. Her and Hazel hit it off, but things around the office start to change when Nella receives a mysterious and threatening note on her desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.
WHAT I LIKED:
At its core, The Other Black Girl is a workplace novel. Reminiscent of Bartleby the Scrivener, it largely takes place beneath the fluorescent lights and the harsh gaze of the higher-ups, focusing on Nella’s unhappiness and discontentedness with how she is expected to work and go along, accepting the workplace as it is with all of its undesirable imperfections. The piece is a commentary on being black in the workplace and critically looks at the lack of diversity in the literary world, both on the writing end and the publishing end.
Nella is a character that the reader can’t help but love. She’s characterized as a woman who doesn’t fit in because her middle-class upbringing separates her from that of her other black peers, but the color of her skin separates her from her white classmates and her white co-workers. This dichotomy gives us a complicated character with unique and complex worldviews, the perfect viewpoint for this wonderful novel. She is a woman who has worked hard to get where she is, but doesn’t seem to be moving upward and beyond an assistant. Her relationship with her boss, Vera, is complicated. Most days Nella is sure she’s a good assistant, bound to one day make editor. But then there are the days that Vera simply forgets about Nella, or challenges her to an impossible task, almost like Nella needs to prove herself even after all of her hard work and unpaid overtime. Nella and Vera’s unpredictable workplace interactions bring images of Andrea Sachs killing herself in an attempt to please the demanding Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.
Weaved into Nella’s story are snippets of Kendra’s story and a character named Shani. The focus is on Nella, but these chapters that are sprinkled throughout each section build the suspense that earns The Other Black Girl a Get Out comparison. Just like Nella’s background, the two storylines present the reader with two sides to the story, putting Nella in the middle and at the mercy of people she doesn’t even know exist. Again, adding to the suspense that is perfectly placed within the pages. As the novel progresses, the reader gets more creeped out than the previous chapter. By the end of the novel, I couldn’t put the book down.
While I can’t get into this without giving away major spoilers: the epilogue is fantastic. I had chills and also major vibes that there could be a likely sequel (which I would also buy in a heartbeat).
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
I would’ve liked to see more of the other character’s perspectives. The chapters that focus on Kendra and Shani add suspense, and while they provide the reader with necessary context, I found myself wanting to hear more about their stories. If there is a sequel, or if Harris chooses to write more on what she’s created here, I hope to learn more about the characters and see a deeper exploration of the world she’s crafted.
OVERALL:
Nella has spent two years working as an assistant editor for Wagner Books, her dream job inspired by the success of Kendra, a black editor responsible for putting Burning Heart out in the world and into Nella’s hands. While it may be her dream to be an editor, Nella is starting to wonder if it’s worth it after plateauing in her position and failing to bring diversity and dialogue into her very white office. She hopes that will all change when another black girl, Hazel, is hired and brought onto the team. All is going well until she receives a mysterious note: LEAVE WAGNER NOW. The Other Black Girl is workplace fiction that acts as a critical commentary on the lack of diverse voices in the literary world. Nella is a character that the reader can’t help but like with her complexities that are so beautifully crafted. Alongside Nella’s storyline are the stories of Kendra and Shani whose storylines are sprinkled throughout and add an element of suspense that keeps the novel moving. I could talk about this one for a while, or I could just let you read and see all of it for yourself. I highly recommend this one and gave it 4/5 stars. Grab it on Amazon or Bookshop!
MY RATING:
Kelliemarie Mash 