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wanderlustaxa's review against another edition
4.0
An absolutely gutting book. The authors note at the end reflects on what policing of all sorts does to bodies and this book challenges everyone to think about our circumstances, our luck (or lack thereof) and the ways the justice system is or isn’t built to protect us. I wanted to know what happened post testimony—but her that the uncertainty is part of the point. I don’t think I’ve read a more lyrically expressive or creative book this year. Finding out the author begun it at 17 floored me but finding out she was a youth poet laureate made me love the metaphors and exploratory language even more.
goodreadswithgammy's review against another edition
2.0
First off, thank you to Goodreads giveaways and Knopf Publishing for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I found it to be a slow and heavy read.
Don't get me wrong, I am extremely impressed that this book was written by a seventeen year old girl. I definitely think she has so much potential to be an amazing writer.
Trigger warning! Prostitution, racism, poverty, police violence, and sexual abuse.
Sadly, I only gave this book two ⭐️⭐️!!
frozel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Leila Mottley’s Nightcrawling follows Kiara, who is orphaned and burdened with the responsibility of caring for her older brother Marcus and their neighbor's child, Trevor. With their rent more than doubled, Kiara desperately seeks work while Marcus clings to his rap dreams. Faced with limited options, Kiara begins nightcrawling, a decision that’ll eventually thrusts her into the dangerous world of sex trafficking.
Mottley masterfully explores two crucial themes: the forced maturity of Black women in a neglectful society and the one-sided dynamics often present in relationships between Black women and men. Kiara is robbed of her childhood, becoming a surrogate parent to Marcus. The weight of supporting everyone falls solely on her shoulders, while Marcus remains emotionally and physically unavailable. Nightcrawling isn't a choice for Kiara; it's a desperate act of survival for herself, Marcus, and especially, Trevor. While Marcus shirks his responsibilities, burying his head in the sand, Kiara bravely confronts their problems head-on.
A seemingly simple solution quickly spirals into darkness as Kiara becomes entangled in a sex trafficking ring. What’s even worse is a criminal investigation opens after a connected individual’s suicide and his mention of Kiara’s alias. Her world spirals into turmoil as she struggles to handle the investigation and soon trial, her relationship with loved ones, taking care of Trevor, and most significantly, surviving. As you can imagine from the almighty U.S. justice system, it fails to deliver true justice for Kiara in the end.
While the story reflects a bleak reality, I do wish that Kiara’s story could’ve ended with some sort of resolution. Any hope for a more just future would’ve been welcomed, but again, I understand that this isn’t how it is in reality.
Nightcrawling is a powerful and unwavering portrayal of a Black woman’s fight for survival in a world set against her. It’s a story of resilience in the face of corruption, hardship, disappointment and trauma. This thought-provoking read sheds light on the struggles faced by many, urging us to confront these realities and advocate for change.
blaisabrina's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pauline_kappmeyer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
veganecurrywurst's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
connieevans's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Wow. This broke my bloody heart. One of the most powerful novels I have read in a while. Think it will take a few days for this one to fully settle and for me to order my thoughts properly.
sjd's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
litwithleigh's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Tandem Collective Global and Penguin Random House Canada for my gifted copy. IYKYK my reviews are always honest.
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 2.5/5
THE PLOT
17-year-old Kiara, left to her own devices without help from her older brother, turns to prostitution to make ends meet.
MY OPINION
This was a difficult read because it was a deluge of traumatic events. Prostitution, abuse of all forms, death, murder, etc... Not to mention the dirty cops. Kiara never got a break. And on top of that, she became a stand-in mom to Trevor while his real mom hit the block looking for a fix.
Keeping in mind that Leila Mottley was only 17 years old when she started writing this, I think she has potential to be a great writer. There were several introspective quotes throughout this story, but sometimes it was trying too hard to be deep. I think this can be attributed to the author's age—teenagers can have moments of lucid brilliance sandwiched between notions that dating an older man is totally normal because "I'm really mature."
I found the ending particularly weak. After such a compelling story about the horrors Kiara faces as a young prostitute and the fallout from the OPD scandal, the author forces things to end on a high note. But instead of closing the book with hope, I found myself feeling uneasy, wondering: what TF is gonna happen to Kiara now!!? She can't be on the streets anymore because she's too famous for her own good. And what about lil Trevor, shuttled off to some foster care family?? Who will he grow up to be?? And Marcus??? There were so many frayed edges. I felt like Kiara was in deeper shit by the end of the whole ordeal.
All in all, an impressive undertaking by a young author. At 17 I was skipping a record breaking number of classes LOL. I definitely wasn't selling my manuscript at an auction to publishers all over the world lol.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: at times, thoughtful, poetic prose, enjoyed the fictionalized version of the OPD scandal
Cons: did not feel authentic at times—some major themes left unexplored after being briefly mentioned, ending was contrived, at times overwritten and awkward
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 2.5/5
THE PLOT
17-year-old Kiara, left to her own devices without help from her older brother, turns to prostitution to make ends meet.
MY OPINION
This was a difficult read because it was a deluge of traumatic events. Prostitution, abuse of all forms, death, murder, etc... Not to mention the dirty cops. Kiara never got a break. And on top of that, she became a stand-in mom to Trevor while his real mom hit the block looking for a fix.
Keeping in mind that Leila Mottley was only 17 years old when she started writing this, I think she has potential to be a great writer. There were several introspective quotes throughout this story, but sometimes it was trying too hard to be deep. I think this can be attributed to the author's age—teenagers can have moments of lucid brilliance sandwiched between notions that dating an older man is totally normal because "I'm really mature."
I found the ending particularly weak. After such a compelling story about the horrors Kiara faces as a young prostitute and the fallout from the OPD scandal, the author forces things to end on a high note. But instead of closing the book with hope, I found myself feeling uneasy, wondering: what TF is gonna happen to Kiara now!!? She can't be on the streets anymore because she's too famous for her own good. And what about lil Trevor, shuttled off to some foster care family?? Who will he grow up to be?? And Marcus??? There were so many frayed edges. I felt like Kiara was in deeper shit by the end of the whole ordeal.
All in all, an impressive undertaking by a young author. At 17 I was skipping a record breaking number of classes LOL. I definitely wasn't selling my manuscript at an auction to publishers all over the world lol.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: at times, thoughtful, poetic prose, enjoyed the fictionalized version of the OPD scandal
Cons: did not feel authentic at times—some major themes left unexplored after being briefly mentioned, ending was contrived, at times overwritten and awkward
pmrichard1's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed and always found myself wanting to be reading this, despite the awful subject matter. Appreciated how the ending wasn’t unrealistically positive (especially given the truth it’s based on) but still did end in a very meaningful way for the characters.