The Other Black Girl: A Novel

Written by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Narrated by Aja Naomi King, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Heather Alicia Simms and Bahni Turpin

Now a Hulu Original Series

“Riveting, fearless, and vividly original” (Emily St. John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author), this instant New York Times bestseller explores the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781797124766

Zakiya Dalila Harris

Zakiya Dalila Harris received her MFA in creative writing from The New School. Her debut novel, The Other Black Girl, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Reviews for The Other Black Girl

[Edward Lorn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is gonna make a lot of white people feel uncomfortable and that will be a good thing.

[Moo Moo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was FIRE!!! It took a turn that I did not expect! I was hooked for the whole book and was shocked at every plot twist. This book is so good, it could be a movie!! I highly recommend to those who love mystery/ thriller vibes about a black girl in a white dominated field. I think this was tastefully done and can’t wait to read more from this author!! Periodttttttt??

[Zelda P · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gotta wonder if the low reviewers were some of the people that don't "get" it.
This book was phenomenal, the ending really shocked me to the point I flew out of my chair, lol.
This really shows not only the obvious office racism black people experience on the regular, but also missteps/bad choices in our own community. Where does code switching end and Uncle Tom begin? Are we too cautious with our activism to the point we end up losing our own, when the outcome could have been prevented had we taken a few more chances? Is that outcome always preventable or is it just too close to tell, sometimes? Lots of good things to think about.

[Lucia Garcia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So... I have mixed feelings.
On the one hand the whole magic hair products is ridiculous.
On the other, a conspiracy lead by an old straight white dude to keep smart hard working young strong black women down... I can believe more.
I liked that it talks about the lack of diversity in the workplace and that this kind of toxic environment tends to pit the minorities against each other, all the while benefiting the long standing status Quo.
I would say: read it and keep the mind open about the ridiculous aspects of it. It has a good point.

[T. L. Allen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book was semi intriguing. I was engrossed for most of the story, but I lost interest as the book neared its end. The ending was a huge let-down. The conclusion felt rushed, and it left a lot of unanswered questions.

[Yvonne H Edwards · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book was well written and I enjoyed the introductory of different characters that were in Hazels background, but I wish they would have spent more time on how Nilya got out of the cult, and what happened to some of the others who helped her along the way of getting out. Also since Richard was a white man how did he get involved, Was he a part just to make Black people compliant Witt the worlds events, and I wish that the cult could have been reveled sooner. But the book did keep you guessing until the end

[kennylef_495849271 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The start until the middle of the book was very relatable and interesting, however, the end was very confusing and just plain odd. I sped the audio up just to get through it.

[Lydia Label · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was an attempt... But kind of a bad one

[Patty · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Do not read this book! It took a long time to really get started and all the intrigue was about mind controlling hair grease?!?! To what end?!?!

[Victoria Edelsbrunner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good read. The ending went slightly off the rails in my opinion, but didn't change the quality of what went before.

[Rose Morzinski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

AMAZING! This book was so good! I get why the other reviews mentioned that this book dragged on, and it did a little bit, but it all made sense at the end. It doesn’t read like a thriller until chapter 15, but the buildup was worth it. I find myself sometimes getting bored with books because the endings are often predictable, but I could not see this ending coming at all. Definitely worth the read and, as a white person, I learned a lot!

[Rebecca Byrne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 rounded to a 5–half point deducted for the filled-with-so-many-holes ending.

This is a well-written novel. I would NOT compare it to Devil Wears Prada, however. This book is twisty and snarky, dark, scary and devious at its core with elements of the cut-throat biz world. This isn’t light or funny. But it does keep you at the edge of your seat!

Between its description and so many other reviews you can get the general idea/summary. The workplace dynamic of someone who is just trying to do her part to make a name for herself, but the difficulty of never having it be enough because of the color of her skin is not often heard. A resistance cult is also something I’m not used to reading about. This book works its way up into a high crescendo only to burst the bubble with 30 minutes remaining. The wrap-up was not inclusive of many of the dynamic characters and so I was left scratching my head, no pun intended. (A pun you only get from reading this book.)

[Camille Monae · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was a decent premise and started off strong, but by the middle I was exhausted by the extreme details put into describing every room, scent, and outfit, movement and thought. Most of which was unnecessary to the story. Some plots that were setup seemed to be given little to no depth after being set up so grandly. I was left wanting to know more about a certain story line or character. I ultimately also found Nella to be annoying. But that is likely due to my own issues with characters that have no sense of self or confidence

[Aneesha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finally a relatable book about young black women in the workplace. I loved the twists, turns and suspense. I wanted it to keep going when the last chapter ended!

[Juliana Barnet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting allegory and cautionary tale. Somewhat confusing with the various layers and many names. But it has many good moments and the 1984-like ending definitely provides food for thought.

[Carrie Williams · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was just ok. It had parts that I was really invested in ,and some I felt lost. There were just to many characters introduced that made it somewhat confusing at times.

[Nikki Chandler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a slow read. 11 chapters in and it's still dragging. There's little motivation to keep reading aside from a rare "breadcrumb" of suspense.

[Erika Kluga · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Was expecting something else. This is a weird and unusual book!

[Angel Salmond · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. It makes you hyper aware of the "competition" and lack of diversity in some work places. It made the saying "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything" legit for me. Over all great!

[njideka wiggins · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Good plot, not so great execution!
’A for effort. Felt like a first t

[Alikah Adair · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Totally loved the storylines and enjoyed the narration by narrator!

[Ginger Brown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The twist at the end!!! Wow! Thought provoking! And makes you question, what would you do.

[Wendy Sharp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow!! Very different from what expected. Completely unpredictable! Intriguing! Spooky!

[Jan-Marie Cook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stepford wives meets 2020 cultural divides. Must read for all.

[Wanda Collum · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Boooring! It just went on and on with nothing that captivated my attention.

[Mercedes Hightower · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

F***ing AMAZING!! This was was so so good and relatable and horrifying. Will be buying a paper copy for keeps and listening to the book again soon. With every minute.

[Jordan Etters · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loved the plot, but I felt it could have been more action involved. Seemed like the characters didn’t really develop until the book was almost over. I was hooked until the end but a little disappointed with how the attention of the two main characters shifted.

[Ebony Thompson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book was just...ok. Nella being the only black woman in an all white work place and all the things she dealt with was well written. But the plot wasn't revealed until the last 2-3 hours of the book and the book was advertised as suspense but I think it's more sci-fi or maybe supernatural. And there is also so many unanswered questions. Why and how did they pick Nella? Was it Richard? What happened to Kendra? What did they tell Mal and Owen when Nella left? Was Owen part of this too?

[Caroline Crawley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Did not expect the ending. Best audio book I've listened to, so far this year. Disturbing and well written.

[Meg Rice · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was caught up in the characters, their changing relationships and the mystery unfolding. I enjoyed the plot until the introduction of the aliens. At that point the storyline lost credibility. I wasn't expecting that variable, so shame on me for not researching the book before beginning it and shame on the author for diluting what up to that point was a storyline that pulled me in and demanded the reader stay engaged. Must give her credit for strong social commentary woven throughout.