Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

87 reviews

tesslw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

TW; prostitution, coercion, sex / relationships with a minor, sexual assault, drug use and addiction, police misuse of power, police brutality

17 year old Kiara and her big brother, Marcus are living on the brink. With their father dead, mother in a halfway house and rents rising, Marcus’ decision to quit his job and commit all his time to his promise to ‘break through’ as a rap artist is wearing as thin as the clothes on their backs. Desperate, and seeking ways to pay their rent and buy food as well for 9 year old Trevor next door, whose mother is rarely home (more often out searching for her next fix) Kiara begins to walk the streets of Oakland to try to stay afloat - and keep everybody housed. What begins as a dark curiosity quickly becomes a necessity, and then the circle tightens and Kiara finds herself unable to leave - until things turn really sour.

Let me be really clear when I say that this book is BLEAK. Beautifully lyrical in its searching desperation, but it is cold, and barren in so many ways other than the language in which Kiara’s story is told. It’s heartbreaking and uncomfortable but so compelling. I’ve seen a few reviews say the same thing  but I genuinely don’t think I can do this book justice in a short review - I would urge you to read it for yourself (but please be wary of trigger warnings and content - this is about as far from an upbeat read as you can get!). It’s an incredibly important story, even more so knowing that the author took inspiration from a true case in which the Oakland police department were embroiled in a scandal involving the sexual exploitation of a minor at the hands of a number of serving officers - from which no criminal charges were faced. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Drug use, and Addiction

jamieruwen's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.0

A true freight trains of misfortune hits our protagonist and boy is this novel a powerhouse full of trauma, love, and resilience. I loved Kiara so much; her strong personality and convictions, as well as the care and love she has for Marcus, Trevor and Alé are so admirable and I deeply empathised with her. I had such a clear picture of what the environment and the characters looked like without there being obtrusive descriptions; this novel is simply very well constructed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Death of parent, Excrement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Vomit

selenyigini's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Police brutality

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Abandonment, Drug use, Gun violence, and Child abuse

Minor: Classism

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

elle_e_d_light's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

This book was dark, but Mottley did a fantastic job for a debut. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Drug use, Violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Trafficking

It's inspired by the 2015 Oakland Police Department sexual misconduct scandal.

kaimetcalfe's review against another edition

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

erikaareadss's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

THAT WAS  A HUGE PUNCH TO THE STOMACH. OH MY GOD. I WANT TO CRY. I WANTED THE BEST FOR KIARA AND OMG TREVOR. TREVOR. ALÉ. ALÉ AND KIARA I CALLED IT RIGHT FROM THE START. I NEED TO REREAD THIS OMG. TEARING UP. WTF. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Self harm, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Racism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

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

bella_cavicchi'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This reads bleak and yet it's also laced with so much joy -- a combination harder to strike than I think it seems. The critical acclaim is well-earned.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Grief, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Abandonment, Suicide, and Drug use

Minor: Alcohol and Cursing

killjoycatlady's review against another edition

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