Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

93 reviews

thisbookrox's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

this book captivated me with it’s really beautiful writing. it was challenging but well worth the read. the author’s note at the end was great as well. i read this on audio and the narrator was amazing. 

definitely read CWs before reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Blood, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Vomit, and Child death

Minor: Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Drug use

sidekicksam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

Kiara is on the cusp of adulthood, but has been dealing with adult issues for most of her life. Since her father died, her mother is at a halfway house, and her brother is chasing a dream of becoming a rapper, coming up with the rent falls to mostly her. 

What a stunning debut novel. It is apparent that Mottley is a poet, as her writing style is lyrical and explores themes as racism, sex work, poverty and oppression without making it overly graphic or horrifying to read, which is quite a feat. 

For me personally, the lyrical/poetic writing style also made it more challenging to get through, as I kept zoning out and took quite a bit of time to read each section, but the story grabbed me by the collar and made me keep reading. 

If you liked this, watch The Florida Project or read On The Savage Side, and if you particularly liked the writing style I recommend Caleb Azumah Nelson or The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Death

bookswithisabel's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

ashyq's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Blood, Drug abuse, Rape, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Grief, Trafficking, and Vomit

kaimetcalfe's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Child death, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Violence, Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Alcoholism

Minor: Mental illness, Gore, Terminal illness, Grief, Vomit, and Confinement

theblushbookworm's review

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

Wow, it’s a mind-boggling experience to read a book with such beautiful prose about a subject so dark. In order to stay off the streets, 17-year-old Kiara is now working on the streets in sex work by first accident, always necessity, and later coercion. Kiara is supporting herself, her older brother, and her neglected 9-year-old neighbor. They all find themselves parentless as a trauma took away Kiara’s mother,  death her father, and drugs her neighbor’s mother. The rich tapestry of characters in this book just trying to make it and the often judged “choices” they make to do so is treated with so much care and nuance. This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and an epic reminder of the humanity of all sex workers and in the inhumanity of some cops. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Murder, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Police brutality, Pedophilia, and Death of parent

issyd23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Harrowing! Child turns to sex work to pay bills thanks to deadbeat family. Horrifyingly inspired by true events. NB ACAB! 3🚔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness

killjoycatlady's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This story doesnt have a neatly wrapped up hapoy ending that promises that the bad guys go to jail and the good guys get to heal.  It’s a realistic depiction of marginalized lives that fall outside the purview of American justice, yet it shows that even amongst the despair and pain, there are moments of love and joy that matter, even if they dont triumph over injustice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Child death, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

wordsofclover's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, and Death of parent

tarnya_smith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

This book has many trigger warnings so please check those first. 

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator on audio did a great job. Tackles the brutality of cops with the black community, especially black women. This was dark, this was raw, gave me insight into America, PoC's lived experiences, the law and cops, the life of a sex worker, many things I've never read before. It was very well told, honest but with emotion. 

Despite the mess she got caught up in, I was just routing for Kiara the entire time hoping it got better for her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Police brutality, Trafficking, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape