Ratings69
Average rating3.4
Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.
Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.
It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career. Having joined Wagner Books to honor the legacy of Burning Heart, a novel written and edited by two Black women, she had thought that this animosity was a relic of the past. Is Nella ready to take on the fight of a new generation?
“Poignant, daring, and darkly funny, The Other Black Girl will have you stressed and exhilarated in equal measure through the very last twist” (Vulture). The perfect read for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace.
Reviews with the most likes.
Wow. Hard to write about this one without spoiling it. My advice - read it soon before you hear too much. I had heard a bit about the book that had me guessing some things too early, but I'm glad I read it so soon after it was widely available. There are MANY ways that this book will have me thinking about it for a while. It got a lot of buzz and didn't disappoint.
read for tbr jar picks my reads vlog: coming soon
this book was a quick and easy read for me. i appreciated the commentary, particularly the subtle nuances of code-switching which were very relatable. the exploration of navigating a white workplace as a black woman, including figuring out if another black woman in the office is an ally or not, was well done. despite these strong points, i found the overall story underwhelming. the plot felt long and drawn out, and the quick resolution in the last 10% of the book left me disappointed. and i hated the plot twist. i'm really grappling with having a 3.5-star time for 90% of the book and then a 1-star time in the last bit. my rating for this one was extremely hard.
After I bought this book, I heard the miniseries was better so I watched it and I do not feel the need to read the book now. The miniseries was very entertaining with an innovtive plot.