Headlines:
Office politics
Undertones and rumblings
Allies or enemies

The Other Black Girl was an incredibly unusual thriller in terms of plot. It was an office-based story about the relationhip and power dynamics between the bosses and those wanting to move up the ranks, twinned with the inequality of people of colour in the workplace. All that led to a blend of competition, underhandedness and suspicion.

I'd seen this book heralded as a 'Devil Wears Prada' thriller but there was little I could equate to that story. There was zero humour or levity, but a lot of looking over the MC's shoulder. It was hard to see who was friend or foe.

This was a fast-paced read with mulitple POVs and to be honest, I wanted to stay with Nella's perspective most of the time. I got lost at points when the story moved back to a drama in office from some time ago with an black editor and author.

I didn't like where the story ended up and that factor definitely brought the rating down for me. However, the journey through the story was tense and entertaining, so I would be eager to read Zakiya Dalila Harris again.

The narration of the audio was strong. Nella's POV was pitched well, with that kind of suspicious tension that set the tone. There were other POVs that again were a little confusing at times but well narrated.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for the audio and physical copies.

This book is ideal for those who enjoy slow burning plots. It takes some time to draw your attention and then throw you into the story of suspense and mystery. And the ending just blows up your mind.
I was hooked by the social issues that are raised through the story. If mystery is not your genre, this book worth reading at least to become aware of these social reflections.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the audiobook in exhange for my honest review.

I so enjoyed listening to this.
I haven’t fully read anyone’s reviews yet as I like going in blind with a book and form my thoughts.
Then I read others reviews to see what things I might have missed or others thoughts. I love doing it that way as I get a lot of different viewpoints.

If you or anyone you know has been not fairly treated in the workplace then you will relate to this. Being overlooked, opinions ignored.



Double the dose if you are the only black person, borderline discrimination.
So when another girl joins the office it appeared to Nella she could have a co worker/friend hopefully.

It didn’t work out that way at all.

Bias comes into the equation. Things just aren’t right no matter how Nella tries.

Then she gets a note left….LEAVE WAGNER NOW
Who would do that?

Hazel the new Other black girl ends up being in Nellas’s face constantly so close to her she can smell the buttermilk in her hair.

There’s something going on here. Just what it is. Nella gets undermined by the Newcomer who is gaining huge popularity within the company.
I felt so sorry for Nella.


My thoughts are, great debut. One you should pick up and experience for yourself.

I did think it would lean more to the publishing industry side of things seeing Wagner’s are publishers and maybe draw in up to date problems.

There’s definitely White privilege happening here.
It’s written in such a way that you can almost touch the problematic elimination.

This is advertised as a thriller. I wouldn’t entirely say it was, the latter part maybe last 25%? When things went a bit confusing for me. I had to read that a few times.
I’m not sure if the author had so many messages she wanted to impart that sometimes it lead different ways than I expected.

The end still has me a little confused as it veered to something I wasn’t expecting.

It’s a steady pace read but it left me with some unanswered questions.

I would definitely read another book by this author though.

This book was slow to get into for me. For me it was amazing because I knew nothing about the book before I began. Once I got past the beginning it was gripping. Please please read.

This might not have been the thriller I expected but it certainly delivered a slow burn of tension throughout. It is fresh, interesting and at moments simply frightening. The novel follows Nella the only black female working at Wagner Books as an editorial assistant. Two years in, her focus remains on career advancement and keeps her returning to a workplace steeped in social, cultural and political constraints.

As an advocate for more diversity in the workplace, Nella is surprised and encouraged to find the newest appointed editorial assistant is a black female named Hazel-May McCall. Nella attempts to befriend Hazel but soon discovers that things are not what they seem and that Hazel-May could well be a more sinister character than she could ever imagine.

It is a clever novel that weaves an exhausting and relentless tale.