Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This story is heartbreaking to read, especially when you know it's based on true events. Mottley writes Kiara with so much empathy and sensitivity that it's easy to see how events escalated the way they did, due to our broken economy, housing and justice systems. The ending is raw and powerful, and I think this book is a must-read for the summer.

This is not an easy read. About a third of the way in I realised some of this must have been based in real life which makes the whole thing even more galling. It is unrelentingly grim, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, but it is an important story to read.

This is a powerful book about growing up as a young woman in Oakland, the bad end of San Francisco with significant levels of poverty, social deprivation and a large non-white population. The narrative should be well informed as the author herself grew up there and it certainly paints a bleak picture.

The opening line is, ‘The swimming pool is filled with dogshit’ and from then on things get worse. Kiara, the central character is living in the dilapidated Regal-Hi apartments with her workshy, music obsessed brother, Marcus. Her mother is in prison, and she has a crackhead neighbour, Dee, with a son called Trevor who Kiara supports while the mother is incapable.

Kiara is a kind of survivor, or is maybe experiencing a slow death, as she finds herself pushed into prostitution and involved with corrupt and depraved police officers. Like everything else in this book, the worst things happen. Kiara does have a friend, Ale, and an uncle with a successful rap record to his name who might be able to help out but doesn’t, while Marcus is drifting into hard drugs. Things don’t get better.

Because this is written by a young and female Oakland resident, you have to accept it’s authentic but, at times, the poverty, the drug-taking, the street crime, the official corruption and the inability of people either to survive or to help themselves becomes too much. There’s a danger then that the book becomes a kind of parody of deprivation, as worse and even worse things happen to Kiara. Eventually, there is a kind of resolution and some element of hope but it’s a grim journey.

Quite possibly one of the bleakest books I have ever read but an incredible one at that. Kiara is a character you will care for, root for and walk with through the entire novel. A story that stays with you long after you finish the last page.

a Debut novel by Leila Mottley.

Kiara is seventeen and doesn't have it easy, her mom is in rehab and Trevor who is nine who also lives in the same apartment block is very often on his own so she helps look after him too.

She hasn't really had a childhood and has to fend for herself.

She finds herself in the middle of a police corruption.

A dark book that was a page turner.

Nightcrawling is Leila Mottley’s absolutely unforgettable debut. That Mottley began writing Nightcrawling at only 17 is astonishing. This is a dark and raw novel that explores one girl’s fight for survival in world that offers her no protection. Though it is a work of fiction, Mottley explains in her author’s note (which must be read) their Kiara’s story is based on the real life experiences of girls forced to walk the streets in Oakland. This is a story that demands to be read and will not be easily forgotten.

Nightcrawling centres on Kiara Johnson a 17 year old who has been forced to grow up much too fast. Her father is dead, her mother is in rehab and elder brother is too busy devoting his time to recording music to help her out. Whilst she is trying desperately to keep a roof over their heads and food in the table, Kiara is also looking out for her 10 year old neighbour Trevor, whose own mum disappears for days at a time. In her desperation Kiara begins to walk the streets at night. One night she’s picked up by Officers 601 and 190 and the deal they strike with her, in exchange for her freedom, lands her in a media storm that turns her works even more upside down.

I found that as soon as I began reading Nightcrawling that I was immediately drawn into Kiara’s world. The way that Mottley tells Kiara’s story is so powerful, you can feel Kiara’s determination and desperation bleeding off the pages. She is a girl doing everything and anything she can to protect those she loves whilst being constantly let down by those who should protect her. Kiara is caught in that grey area of not yet being an adult and yet unable to still be a child, faced with some of the darkest parts of adulthood imaginable. Mottley’s exploration of the adultification of young black girls is a shocking reminder of the radically different treatments they are so often forced to face.

Unsurprisingly given the subject matter it is a difficult and challenging read, yet as Mottley acknowledges in her note, she wanted Kiara to also feel moments of joy amongst the trauma she faces. She is, after all, still only a 17 year old girl. Just as Trevor made Kiara’s world brighter, so too does he brighten the reader’s experience. The bond between Kiara and her neighbour was just beautiful. She fiercely protected him and tried to maintain as much of the innocence of his childhood as she could, something denied to her.

This is an astonishingly powerful read. It won’t be for everyone but it is such an important book and I cannot wait to see what Mottley writes next.

The heartbreaking story of Kiara, who due to really bad family circumstances finds herself walking the streets to pay the rent and take care of her (older) brother and the neighbour's child -- and I won't say more to avoid spoilers.

This is a remarkable debut from a very young writer. The reading experience is not an enjoyable one because the topic and the story are so hard, but it's very powerful and enraging.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Firstly this is a tough read, please check the TW! The story addresses really difficult topics that really shocked me throughout the book. I was instantly hooked on Kiara’s character and through the amazing writing and story telling, i really felt her characters true voice. I really felt her struggle and the strength she has. At only 17 years old there is such a darkness in this story and knowing that Mottley began writing this at the same age honestly blows my mind!

The writing is so emotional and raw, I couldn’t stop turning the pages of this book however devastating the story became, this truly is one of the best debuts I’ve read and i can’t wait to read more by Leila! 5 stars!

Gritty, shocking and heartbreaking, and an incredible achievement for the author, who I believe was only 17 when she wrote this. Leila Mottley's talent is one to look out for.

Wow! It’s incredible that this book was written when the author was just 17 and I’m honestly blown away by that talent. However, I’m really sorry, but, this just wasn’t for me. It’s a challenging, disturbing read that started off well, but, I then really struggled to finish it.

I think I read a review that described it as more poetry than narrative fiction and for me, that’s a perfect summary. I can appreciate its content and quality, it’s just not a book I got through easily and for that reason I’ll say it’s a decent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury publishers Uk for the opportunity to preview.

I found this unsettling and uncomfortable. A book is meant to make you feel and if definitely did.
Not for me but definitely will be for other people. Excellent style of writing.

While the style of the writing was a little hard to get in to, this debut novel from a young author is a very powerful story.
The story is narrated by Kiara & based upon a true story about the gritty determination of a woman’s survival it will bring tears to your eyes.
A harrowing & dark story that shows the treatment of young black girls & those that take advantage of them.
The injustices really get to you in this incredible powerful story.
Such a sad emotional story & a difficult reading matter.

I have to say that I struggled to read this dark book. I think that this should be labelled in the YA group as it is more about that age group and almost acts as a warning to them. As a debut novel by such a young author it is a good start to her later books.

A punch-in-the-gut of a novel, Nightcrawling is a remarkable debut. I was sorry to leave Kiara by the end of the book, and sorrier than hers couldn't be a fairy tale ending. Leila Mottley's book is unflinchingly realistic when it comes to describing the violence that befalls her characters, and yet there are also luminous moments to bring tears to your eyes. The subject of police violence is one that we don't see often enough in literature, which makes Nightcrawling all the more important.

What a book for Leila Mottley to have started when she was only 17 herself. Harrowing and really difficult to read at times, my heart broke for Kiara who had to do what she could to get by at an age where she should be able to be a kid. As she mentions herself, it really does show how young Black girls are often treated and forced to behave like grown adults. Kiara has to take on looking after herself, her brother and the child next door in the absense of any adults to be caregivers. It shows a lot about both the people who'll take advantage and the people who show up for each other.

Quite the debut, I expect we'll be seeing a lot more from Leila Mottley.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
I did not enjoy this book, I did not like the writing style and found it hard to follow in places.
It’s a sad story about the life of a young teenage girl and her struggles to survive.
Congratulations to this very young author on having her book published.

This book is wildly honest and incredibly powerful. It completely sucks you in and the injustice enrages you.
The writing is high quality. It's difficult subject matter and a tough read but well worth it.

Dark, emotional and powerful reading. This had me hooked from the start and definitely not for the fainthearted. Very entertaining and quite disturbing.

Nightcrawling is very dark and hard hitting and because of this I found it very difficult to read. I did struggle with it throughout and it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Dark and entrancing, very hard-hitting but with real energy and characters that shout, its not a book for the faint-hearted. I can't say I enjoyed it but it will stay with me and is extremely well written.