Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Passeggiare la notte by Leila Mottley

67 reviews

fortytwoturtles's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-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? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Gun violence, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

randisworld's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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? Yes

4.0

This is a challenging read and full of triggers but it is so well written and well worthy of the Booker nomination. . 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Physical abuse

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Nightcrawling takes us into the life of 17 year old Kiara (Ki) whose world is crumbling down around her. Her father has died, her mother is in a halfway house, she's jobless, she lives in a high rent hovel, her brother has zero notions of pitching in and she's caring for her addict neighbour's little boy, Trevor. Despite all her attempts at keeping her head above water she becomes involved in a world of sordid abuse and manipulation by a group of police officers who coercively control her as an underage 'nightcrawler'.

The novel is absolutely devastatingly gripping from the very first page. Immediately, it's obvious Kiara is in an awful situation and the urge is to wrap up her up and take her from this devastation. Mottley writes so well that there's an immediate emotional connection and investment with Kiara and you can't help but want to run in and rescue her.

Leila doesn't shy away from the nasty, gritty and graphic reality of this case. And honestly that's one of the most frightening parts, that this story is based on true events which occured in the Oakland area. Leila allows us to see into a world overflowing with poverty, abuse, police brutality and incredible injustice. Not only does she allows us to catch a glimpse of this world, she is so authentic and faithful in her writing that it is hard not to feel the fear and desperation seep from the pages. 

It's hard to imagine that such a well written, gripping and important book is a debut novel but even harder to imagine that Leila began writing Nightcrawling just before her 17th birthday. I was completely consumed by every page and am very excited to see what's to come next from the wonder that is Leila Mottley.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Rape, Police brutality, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Confinement, Trafficking, Sexual content, Sexism, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Self harm

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Sexual violence, Child death, Cursing, Death, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Addiction

Moderate: Vomit, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Excrement

tnociti's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Trafficking

jbrendanshaw's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

A gripping look at survival sex work from the perspective of Kiara, a Black teenager in Oakland who is forced into sex work to provide for her brother and her neighbor's son. Her sex work in turn leads her to be caught under the thumb of corrupt police officers and implicates her in an attempt to reveal their misdeeds. A gripping book that is less a thriller than a character study and a book about Black girlhood and the struggle for pleasure and desire in a cruel world. In her end note Mottley describes wanting to show joy in the midst of Black girlhood and this book succeeds. You can tell the author is a poet - her descriptions, imagery, and command of emotions are evocative and place you in the moments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicide

rosienotjen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Trafficking

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Minor: Transphobia