Although Nightcrawling is a work of fiction, it has its basis in fact. As the author’s note tells us, she was inspired by very real events involving the exploitation of a young woman in Oakland by members of the police force and this seed of truth makes Nightcrawling all the more powerful and devastating. It is searingly bold and written with a sharp yet lyrical feeling to it. Kiara is a character that is very easy to root for, which makes every harsh reality the world forces upon her even more difficult to read. There is a constant violence, darkness and heartbreak present in Nightcrawling but it is not an overwhelmingly depressing read. There is hope to be found here, however distant, in Kiara’s bravery and unfailing love for those she cares about. This is not an easy read but it is a necessary and provocatively honest story about how little the world offers some people and the horrific choices people who do not deserve it are forced to make.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review


Kiara is a 17 year old living in a motel apartment with her older brother Marcus. Marcus wants to focus on making it in music like their Uncle Ty so Kiara tries everyday to keep their life afloat and a home over their head. This fight leads her to walk the streets and an unfortunate encounter forces her down a darker path.
This is an outstanding debut novel and Kiara is amazing character. At first appearances she appears aloof and maybe cold but as the story progresses we see how full of love she is and the lengths she will go to for those she loves. We gradually learn more about Kiara's parents and the path that has led Kiara and Marcus to this point and the possibility of them ever escaping.
It is a powerful sorry of the fight to survive and escape poverty, the societal challenges and barriers that black women in particular face and the hypocrisy of the police system that is supposed to protect and serve.

This story follows Kiera living in Oakland with her brother. They live in a apartment complex and they like many of their neighbours, friends and family around there , are struggling to survive.

When Kiera finds herself in a bad situation we begin to find out about how her and her family got to this place and the need to fight for survival doesn't always turn out as planned.

This book pack punches. It focuses on how young black women are treated by society and the police the very people who are meant to be there to protect them. It covers strong topics such as rape, prostitution, violence, death and racism.

I loved how Leila gave a voice to girls who are so often not heard.

it gives hope that there is still a place for love, laughter and joy in a sometimes very dark world

I really enjoyed this book and I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more from this author

To think that Leila Mottley was only 17 years old when she started writing her debut novel, Nightcrawling, is mind-blowing. Her writing is exceptional as she shares the story of Kiara, a 17 year old who finds herself solely responsible for keeping a roof over her family's head. Desperate, she takes to the streets to meet rent where she becomes the favourite of a team of local law enforcement officers. Before she knows it, she is a witness in a Grand Jury investigation. Inspired by the Oakland Police Department's 2015 attempted cover up where members of police departments in the local area had participated in the sexual exploitation of a young woman, Nightcrawling is a heart-breaking novel whose events are sadly all too real in the world today.

An incredible debut. My only complaint is that the ending felt quite rushed, but perhaps I just wasn't ready to leave Mottley's writing just yet.

I can’t wait for this book to be released! I’ll be recommending it to everyone I know and can think of some indie bookshops which I know will also love it! I was worried with the comparison to Girls as I found that book a little forced in points but didn’t have the same problem here!

Kiara feels she has exhausted all options. Her older brother is chasing his dreams, her mother is out of the picture and her landlord is raising the rent. While in desperate and fruitless search of work a drunken misunderstanding sees her picked up by a stranger who pays for the privilege and Kiara, very reluctantly, has found a solution. It's a solution that will end in suicide and scandal.

This is Leila Mottley's debut novel and the strength in the writing is the skill with which she makes the reader feel how Kiara is overwhelmed by circumstances and then by those who should have been there to help and protect her. The story is inspired by recent events in Leila's home city, Oakland but is, ultimately, a work of fiction rather than a retelling.

Left to fend for herself and her neighbours young son at a very early age and with her father dead, her mother in prison and her brother a total waster Kiara gets sucked into a desperate life of abuse. Beautifully written, heartfelt and hearbreaking, not without humour, it is difficult to bekieve that this stunning debut novel was written by a 17 year old. It feels like she has lived twice as long. I hope the next one is half as good.
Ken

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for a free Advance Review Copy of this book.

This is a stunning read from a 17-year-old debut author. The cover and book description intrigued me, and I am so pleased I received a review copy of this book. This is a gritty and heart-wrenching read, which contains some wonderful lines of prose. While the content is heart-wrenching and sad, it is an all too common life for far too many people. The descriptions of the apartment block and Oakland itself make the reader feel as though they are walking those streets and scraping by in the awful apartment right by the side of the main character, Kiara. The characters are excellently portrayed and felt real and alive. I could have throttled the brother, Marcus, for the position in which he left his little sister.

"The swimming pool is filled with dog shit and Dee's laughter mocks us at dawn." ... From this graphic opening line, we are drawn with immediacy into the life of Kiara and her older brother Marcus, who ends up neglecting his younger sister when he focuses too much on attaining stardom as his uncle did. Abandoned after their father died and mother went to prison, this pair have only each other. Then Dee, the druggy neighbour, disappears and leaves her young son alone. Kiara adopts him and makes sure he's fed and clothed and has a roof over his head. With no one to rely upon but herself, and unable to secure employment, her life takes a severe downward turn, and she finds herself drawn into a life on the streets, selling her body--something she never thought she would do. Below are some lines I absolutely loved ...

"High Street is an illusion of cigarette butts and liquor stores, a winding trail to and from drugstores and adult playgrounds masquerading as street corners."

And ...

"His voice fills up the whole room and it's like he's gone to war with the air, leaving me with nothing."

And ...

"Her voice comes straight from the throat, like she's holding so much more that she's not letting out."

I could go on and on. This is, quite simply, brilliant writing. While the topic is heavy, it is treated with sensitivity and honesty, and is well worth a read. Nightcrawling gets a resounding five stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

Make me a badge and a membership card and sign me up to the Leila Mottley fan club. WOW. This book, oof. I can’t believe Mottley started writing it when she was just 17; it’s absolutely incredible. Deeply disturbing and hard to read in places, but a necessary (fictional) account of what happened in Oakland in 2015. I look forward to seeing what Leila Mottley does next: she is one to watch, for sure.

The story is gritty, delving into a side of the streets we normally try to ignore from our privileged middle-class upbringing. At 17, Kiara has it as tough as it gets but she is doing her very best to stay above water - and this means turning to prostitution. She has tried everything else she can think of, but her rent has increased and she cant afford to lose her home. She lives with her lout of a brother who dreams of making it big, but in the meantime he is happy to sponge off Kiara. She feels so alone. and barely making it all work, when events take a further turn for the worse.

Its hard not to be sucked into Kiara's world, her frustration, desperation and lack of options, and this is further aided with the use of "street" vernacular which never slips and gives a real authenticity to the narrative. Her situation is downright depressing and yet there is some strength in her character that gives you hope and keeps you on her side. All the characters are complex and believable, with understandable motives and reactions. And the shining light is her character "Trevor" - hope personified, and the future that Kiara needs to keep fighting for. The story tugs at so many emotions and will be difficult to forget. A really exciting new voice and a bold brave novel confronting real, topical issues.

Really eye-opening book that is based on events and lives that are, shockingly, based on reality. I loved the protagonist’s relationship with her neighbour’s son - really beautifully written. I did struggle with this book due to the difficult subject matter, but it was worth persevering with.

17-year-old Kiara’s mother is in prison and her brother looks set to follow. When their landlord puts the rent up, it’s down to Kiara to find the extra money. With no qualifications or work experience to her name, she has little choice other than prostitution. And when she’s picked up by the police, things look even bleaker. A harrowing book, but one with glimpses of light and hope, Nightcrawling is a lyrical masterpiece.

This book ripped my heart out. The fact that Leila Mottley started writing it at the tender age of 17 just blows my mind!

"Nightcrawling" is based on a true story and is all the more affecting for it. It's about poverty and struggle, survival and exploitation, the family we get and the one we choose for ourselves. I particularly appreciated the Author's Note at the end, outlining her motivation for writing and highlighting issues such as the adultification of Black girls. This is a heart-achingly necessary book which will carve a hole in your soul and stay with you forever.

Although this book took me a while to get into, once in I was riveted. The story of a young black girl living in very rough end of california with her older brother.
Dad is dead Mum's in jail. How does she survive? On the streets of course. Only 17 and used and obused.
The local police force even become involved.
A great story of survival against the odds.

Wow what a book, this is a tender heartbreaking first novel from an author who knows how to make language start;y beautiful .She writes with a distinctive cohesive voice with some phrases so startlingly unique and beautiful that I stopped to highlight them .
The topic is brutal and the novel shows the effects of poverty on the lives of he characters living in Oakland USA . I loved the setting of their flats surrounding a swimming pool so dirty that they could smell the dog poo dropped into it ,this really grounded the novel right from the start
The story follows a young black woman who becomes the victim of police sexual grooming and abuse as a minor and eventually embroiled in a media feeding frenzy as the details become general knowledge . This is so amazingly timely with the publication in the Uk coming at a time when police behaviour towards women in general and those of colour is under the spotlight as never before
I found the characters all extremely well rounded and developed and their relationships with each other read so true .I particularly liked the addition of a transexual woman in a main part and loved the way that I didn't pick this up when I was reading until it was pointed out towards the end of the book .
The book is hard to read in many sections and I was moved to tears often but held together by a sense of compassion and optimism that prevents the novel being a miserable read . What came over to me most strongly was the strong love that the lead character has for her close friends in particular the child she ends up caring for when his mother abandons him . She develops the family she most wants and needs not only from biological family but from her close friends and lovers so that ultimately she ends up not being seen just as a victim but as a strong young woman who will survive
I will be following this authors career as I am sure this book is the start of a golden career , it is rare to read a first novel so perfectly crafted

Oh. My. Days. What a harrowing, heartbreaking read. This book follows the story of Kiara, a 17 year old girl who has been well and truly let down by everyone who should have been there for her and you can literally feel her loneliness and utter desperation in every word. As always, I don't like to give any plot away in my reviews, just know that this is an absolute must-read. Five stars out of five.

The quality of this writing amazes me - this is prose to savour, and I can’t wait to read whatever Leila Mottley does next! Fans if William Boyle will enjoy lingering over this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. I really hope this book does well for the author but I’m sorry, it wasn’t one that I enjoyed at all.

This book is about a 17 year old black girl who lives with her brother and they're struggling to make rent after their father's death and their mother's imprisonment. She ends up working on the streets and becoming involved with local policemen who only pay her for her work when they feel like it. I found this book completely gripping and finished it pretty much in one sitting. I think this is going to be a huge bestseller.

A novel full of gritty realism and a must read, it was unputdownable until I had finished, from the first page I was hooked. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.