The Other Black Girl: A Novel

This novel is a brilliant, Fresh, take on black sisterhood and work politics. Although the story moves a bit slowly at times, the writing was so sharp. The novel explored so many themes, many of which white america is not ready for but which black folks everywhere will resonate with. I think, as another reviewer wrote, the only people who can’t understand or appreciate this book arent the target audience. I loved the imagery the author evokes when describing black people, black cultural relics. This book calls into question how black women navigate toxic work environments and whiteness....A central theme of this book is the idea that black women have to be FIXED to be palatable to white people. Genius!The premise of this book was...Black girls out here moving like sociopathic beckys!!! What a horror!!!) All while Disguising themselves as down to earth sistas...What a FRIGHT!!! And what a MASTERPIECE!!! The OBGS have no solidarity, their only adjacency or alignment to black people or black culture, is strictly for climbing the social ladder. Not only you have to navigate mostly white spaces, but amongst backstabbing black women who can best be described as true sellouts, in every form of the word.This book is not hyped; it deserves all the accolades. I'm soooooooo glad I wasn’t jarred by a white woman's review of this book and her incredulous response to why HAIR GREASE was the kryptonite. (Sidenote: Black women have a complex relationship with their hair. OF COURSE it would be hair grease! If Black women’s hair choices for example, perms and relaxers can lead to cancer, why not?)Whoever doesn’t “get” this book, doesn’t simply out of their shallow understanding of the dynamics of race. This book is a stunning exposition on sistas who get lost in the white supremacy sauce. I can imagine many of the reviewer’s who dismissed this novel as “silly” or trite or “overhyped” probably never understood the dynamics of being blackness and white oriented workspaces. White folks simply can’t relate! If your understanding of blackness and systemic racism is shallow, of COURSE you wouldn’t get it, due to your profound ignorance and inexperience as a member of an historically privileged class.This story came together in a way that is SO electrifying, so novel—-I read it in only two sittings—-hmm, maybe a matter of six or seven hours total?This was one of the blackest novels I’ve read in a while/—reminded me of the Derrick Bell I read in high school in which aliens came from outer space and removed all of black culture from mainstream American culture. Just as many sistas LOVE the coldest winter ever, many of our corporate sistas will looooove this brilliant novel. Issa Rae, pls adapt this on screen!!!

As a black girl myself,it dawned on me that I had never read a fiction novel by a black,female author. Yikes. So when I saw this book,and read all of the rave reviews, I got excited, and bought it. I don't want to say anything disparaging abt this book,but I found it to be weird. Weird in the way that From Dusk Till Dawn was weird to me. I felt that the book took to long to get going,and once it did,it pivoted so hard from where it was,I got whiplash. I'm not an impatient reader,so I don't mind waiting for my written reward. However, the last few chapters of this book felt like the author was being rushed to find a conclusion to this somewhat muddled/murky storyline. I wholeheartedly and 100% approve of,and understand the point of this book. The underlying story is very real. I just wasn't 100% a fan of how this book conveyed the message.

3.5/5I would have to classify this novel as a dark literary fiction, not a psychological thriller that is suggested with the “Get Out” reference. This was a well written debut novel and Harris’s style is definitely something to be watched. I am looking forward to her future work.Now with the story itself…After reading the synopsis of the book I was excited and grateful to see an author bravlely pen a story giving diverse readers a front seat to the internal dialogue of a black woman navigating a predominantly white work place setting. Harris did a spot job on of this, however flawed Nella and Hazel might have been, their conversations, dialogues, and experiences were accurate (I say this from personal experience). I enjoyed navigating this with them, but it did become redundant and I felt like we were going in circles talking about the same thing. I understand it was the backdrop of the story but I felt like it never really took off-the tension just sort of stayed stagnant if that makes any sense.About 80% of the story was a “set up” for the grand finale and while I might be a part of the rare breed of readers that enjoys slow burn with a lot of context, because there was not much movement anywhere it really became a chore to get through.In regards to the elements of suspense and horror-this came at the very end and I do think that it was a good plot twist that made me chuckle and I thought it was cleverly done-I wasn’t expecting it at all. I would recommend this book, with that being said I would implore readers to completely forget the “Get Out” reference-it is not present in this book and is slightly misleading. I think I might have set myself up for disappointment because I went into it expecting more of that “Get out” feel/atmosphere than it actually gave.

I have been going back and forth for a few months about whether to end this book or not. My book club chose this book to read, I thought well now I don’t have to keep debating about reading the book. I am so glad I read this book, AMAZING! Being a black women myself, I’m my late 40’s, and working in an office, I have been fortunate to work with a number of different backgrounds, we didn’t always see eye and eye but we would talk about everything from race to religion, we had heated debates but it was still respect for everyone. We would we call them crazy to their face and laugh.So I am so glad this is my experience with workIng in an office environment.This book was crazy entertains, horrifying at the same time, and real thought provoking at the same time. I just finished this book 15mins ago and I still sitting here, LIKE DAMN!

The Other Black Girl (A Outra Garota Negra, na edição brasileira) é o romance de estreia da americana Zakiya Dalila Harris.Traz a história de Nella Rogers, uma jovem assistente editorial que trabalha numa prestigiosa editora em Nova York. Ela é a única funcionária negra na empresa. Até que um dia, uma outra assistente negra é contratada. Nella fica contente, por crer que finalmente teria uma aliada naquele mundo branco e opressor. Porém, as coisas não são exatamente o que parecem ser.Com uma prosa envolvente, Zakiya leva o leitor para a toca do coelho, numa trama com plot twists suficientes para nos deixar espantados a cada virada de página, ansiosos por desvendar aquele mistério.O que terá acontecido a Kendra Rae Phillips, a única editora negra a trabalhar naquela empresa, que está desaparecida há tempos? Quem escreve aqueles bilhetes intimidadores que surgem misteriosamente sobre a mesa de Nella?E por que a nova assistente insiste tanto para Nella usar um hidratante capilar que ela mesma fez, e cujos ingredientes não constam na embalagem porque são “uma receita secreta” que veio da mãe de uma amiga de uma amiga de uma amiga?Zakiya Dalila Harris trabalhou numa grande editora em Nova York antes de escrever esse romance. É com precisão de detalhes que ela nos leva por esse mundo que, de maneira geral, é stale, male and pale, e onde a presença de uma mulher negra, o que dirá duas mulheres negras, é motivo para desconfortos, micro agressões e macro agressões.The Other Black Girl usa suspense para falar de racismo e privilégios num mercado de trabalho que os brancos querem manter branco e onde os esforços e dedicação dos funcionários negros nunca são suficientes para que eles consigam quebrar o teto de vidro criado para mantê-los em posições subalternas para sempre.Nella Rogers sente que não só o seu emprego mas sua vida corre perigo. O que ela fará?

El libro que necesitaba

It's a very good book about how blacks are treated, so far it's been very are opening. It is a must see book from a young girls perspective on being black in America.

Black Lives Matter meets the Stepford Wives; where to be called racist is not only the ultimate insult, but career ending.Best-selling author Diana Gordon and her black editor Kendra Rae Phillips are the original black publishing success. The book starts in December 1983 with Kendra suffering the effects of the original hair treatment, which caused burning and itching. The prologue suggests that she has been a little too frank in telling people what she thinks, “If you White, You Ain’t Right with Me,” and those in power have now closed ranks against her. At the beginning of part II, we go back to September 1983 and learn how Kendra had experienced white prejudice more than Diana, who had attended, and taught at, a black college. Diana is more content to work within the system until she gets what she wants.Nella is a junior assistant in a publishing company. She has been trying, unsuccessfully, to broaden the diversity in her workplace and gain promotion. When Hazel arrives, Nella feels the company is finally moving in the right direction, that she has a kindred spirit, not competition. Unfortunately, Hazel is not what she seems. The initial bonding soon turns sour when Hazel defends a white authors portrayal of a black character, after she has previously agreed to support Nella’s criticism, Nella feels betrayed. She begins to get written notes telling her to leave the publishing company. Suspecting Hazel, Nella attends a party at Hazel’s house to look for evidence, but the truth is far more subtle and sinister.Shani is a new modern recruit to the resistance. A resistance that is paranoid about being infiltrated by the other black girls who conform to the rules of the white controlled institutions. These other black girls are loyal only to themselves and the white people who employed them. Obsessed with success and competitive enough to discard any black girl who gets in their way. Like Kendra Shani has been there before, having her work undermined and then being sacked for stepping out of line with the comment “Vampiric, self-important white saviours”.The mysterious Lynn is the driving force behind the black resistance movement. Kendra is a broken shell of the woman she once was, broken by the system. Diana looks back on a career that had been watered down, believing Kendra dead, rather than in hiding from the ruling elite. It is Imani, Diana’s friend, who is behind the new conformity grease and the network of other black girls.This novel not only looks at the problems of promotion within a small organisation, but the idea of institutional racism and the different ways to challenge the system. I don’t accept some critics arguments that there is a lack of characterisation, as I believe the author has brought out the culture and values that are important to her characters. She has also shown how different people react to the situations they find themselves in. I look forward to the next novel from this very talented author.

Ce roman parle d'une assistante noire, ayant un petit grade dans sa boite d'édition, mais espérant toujours une promotion. Arrive une autre fille noire également. Elles échangent, s'apprécient, mais bientot survient une rivalité. Les développements suivants amènent à une sorte de thriller dans le milieu noir de Brooklyn.Ce livre décrit bien le monde de l'entreprise, et rappelle par bien des aspects notre vie au bureau. Ce livre est comparé au film Le Diable s"habille en Prada. Je pense qu'il est beaucoup plus profond que le film, qui brille surtout par la prestation de Meryl Streep. De plus, et du moins de ce que je me rappelle, il n'y a pas le coté thriller dans le Diable d'habille en Prada.En conclusion, en ces temps d'interdiction de voyage, ce livre vous permet de passer de bon moments en compagnie d'Américains, et somme toute de se transporter à New York pour une vingtaine d'euros.