THE OTHER BLACK GIRL

Isolation and microaggressions are themes throughout this audiobook about the sole Black woman working in the white-collar offices of a major publisher in New York City. Nella, well voiced by Aja Naomi King, suffers the indignities and self-doubts of being an "only." Then Hazel, also a Black woman, joins the staff. But the good feeling her new co-worker inspires in Nella doesn't last. Weird things begin to happen, and Nella receives hostile notes. King does an excellent job portraying the conflicted protagonist and is at her strongest delivering dialogue. The other narrators also are very good. This slow-building audiobook is built on psychological tension. Part suspense, part publishing industry takedown, it's both entertaining and thought-provoking. G.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2021]