Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

105 reviews

libellumartinae's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.0

I don't know how to feel this book. I didn't expect an easy read when I first started it but I certainly didn't expect either what it came with. The story is so scarily terrifying, especially upon discovering it's based on real facts, and I absolutely felt interesting the whole context and plot in which the author developed it, switching swiftly from a more journalistic style or a more personal one that allows to see in time everything the main character feels while also following the trail of events.

I didn't fully enjoy the writing and I thought that the ending was a mess, because although I understood how it finished at the same time I felt like it could have handled with a bit more of slowness.

It's utterly a story that will stay on my chest for days and won't leave me. It's an haunting tale that I'd encourage you to read - obviously being aware of the tws - because it certainly will help you on understanding and opening your eyes on different aspects of our rotten society.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Transphobia, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Racism, Police brutality, Violence, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Gun violence, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Child death, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse

sangsmiles's review

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Violence, Racism, Trafficking, Abandonment, Child death, and Suicide attempt

misssharpe's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

Beautiful writing. But the story was low and by the middle I was just ready for it to be over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Trafficking, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Self harm, Misogyny, Rape, and Stalking

Moderate: Abandonment and Addiction

Minor: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, Child death, Child abuse, Racism, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use

angela_king's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Police brutality, Trafficking, Death of parent, Addiction, Rape, and Racism

ak_96's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Murder, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Racism, Abandonment, and Suicide

annamgoodman's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, Cancer, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Cursing, Blood, and Self harm

aweso10's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Police brutality

cassroberts89's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Beautiful and sad and just a tiny bit hopeful. It’s obvious Mottley is a poet; the language throughout the book is lyrical and vivid. Sometimes this comes as a bit of a distraction from the story, however. This is really my only criticism. Not from personal experience but from the author’s skill, I connected so deeply with Kiara. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say much about how the story goes except that it is heartbreaking and feels realistic in all of the most uncomfortable ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racism, and Police brutality

emmalinallap's review

dark emotional inspiring tense medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, and Racism

writingcaia's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-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? No

4.25

Very powerful, touching, and heartbreaking - a tale that tells of the injustice, the blindness, the erasure of Black and Brown women.
This is the story of a girl that has to grow up too fast when her widowed mother goes to jail and she has to take care of her older brother that wants to pursue a doomed to failure music career and a little boy who lives next door whose mother is an addict and never around. But, how? She’s only seventeen, she can’t find a job. Desperate she takes the darkest plunge and starts walking the streets breaking her feet and her soul, giving herself to the worst of men. In her Nightcrawling she meets an older woman with a pimp and she considers it but then she’s almost arrested and the police start using her. And, the rest you need to find out.
It’s a devastating story of how doing your best can mean the worst for you, when trying to come clean can devastate your life, but it’s also about love for others, supporting the weakest, being there for your loved ones, and doing the right thing, even when it’s wrong, even when it can cost you.
The writing is beautiful but did feel weird and repetitive at times, taking you a bit from the story, but that’s the only flaw I found.
The friendship between our girl and bff, the love between her and the little boy she takes care of, it really made my heart swell, even if amidst such tragic and life threatening events.
It’s definitely a must read debut if the theme interests you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual violence, Rape, and Child death

Minor: Trafficking