Nella is the only black woman working at Wagner Books. So when another black girl is hired on, Nella is sure they’ll be fast friends. They can lament together over the woes of being the only women of color! They can support one another and have each other’s backs. Like when Nella points out problematic stereotyping in a literary big wig’s latest book.
Except that’s not how things happen at all.
Not only does Hazel seem unbothered by the things that Nella has been quietly fighting against for so long, she seems to go out of her way to undercut Nella or even make Nella seem like a problem.
As if that weren’t bad enough, Nella starts to receive threatening anonymous notes. Notes that coincide with Hazel’s hiring.
At first, Nella is sure that Hazel can’t be the one leaving the notes. She’s also willing to believe that the things happening in the office could be less nefarious than they seem. Maybe she’s blowing things out of proportion. Maybe Hazel deserves a second chance.
Or maybe Nella’s suspicions are correct.
Zakiya Dalila Harris combines humor, a little dash of horror, social commentary, and the uncomfortable realities of the publishing world into a debut that is compulsively readable!
When I first saw the announcement about this deal, I knew I had to read it. It was being touted as Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada, which I figured was something that remained to be seen (comps are sometimes really appropriate or a real stretch, in my experience) but it turned out that’s exactly what The Other Black Girl is!
Honestly, to explain the comparison to Get Out is spoilery, in my opinion, but trust me, the horror elements are there. It helps that the prologue in particular sets the reader up for something much darker than the first part of the book really alludes to.
In the opening pages, the reader is introduced to a character we later learn is a highly-regarded black author. An author Nella herself reads and admires. And in these opening pages, this character is absolutely terrified!
But the reason behind this terror doesn’t immediately become apparent. Because we next cut to Nella and her introduction to Hazel. Nella’s excitement about the prospect of having someone else on her side is so apparent and, unfortunately, quickly dashed.
But, like anyone who’s been in a similar situation, it’s easy to see why Nella would believe that maybe it’s all in her own head. Maybe she’s reading too much into things. Maybe Hazel is just trying to fit in and make it in a tough industry. Maybe Hazel is just like Nella but too new to stick up for her beliefs. In fact, Nella begins to wonder if she’s the real problem after all.
There’s so much that I love in this book. At the most basic level, it’s a super entertaining read. There’s a sense of dread and a suspicion of sinister happenings that makes The Other Black Girl a true page turner in every sense.
But beyond that, I’m a woman who’s worked in professional spaces for quite some time now. And women in general don’t get great treatment from men or, in a lot of cases, other women either.
Even more than that, I work in publishing and everything about this book rings true! Which is not unexpected considering Harris worked in publishing as well. And while I think everyone knows the things laid out in this book happen, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done in the industry. (The cringe-worthy editorial meeting…I’ve been in on some of those myself, though nothing quite in the vein of the ones in this book!)
Harris, through Nella, gives readers an inside look at the industry and specifically what the experience is like as a black woman, but also adds a twist to it that makes workplace drama much more ominous—and fun to read! Definitely, highly recommended!
Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!
No comments:
Post a Comment