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A review by herreadingroom
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
5.0
Oh my goodness!! This book is just phenomenally written and even more mind blowing is that the author started writing this when she was only 17 years old.
It’s an unflinching story about Kiara Johnson, a 17 year old young woman whose life is fraught with emotional and financial hardship. Left to fend for herself after her mother goes to jail and later into rehab, Kiara takes on the responsibility of earning enough money to pay the rent and keep herself and her older brother, Marcus fed. Kiara also takes the neglected neighbour’s 9 year old son under her wing and supports him too.
Kiara’s brother is seemingly too wrapped up in chasing dreams of becoming a rock star to have any consideration to helping Kiara bring home any money.
Faced with relentlessly brutal hardship, Kiara feels she has no other option but to walk the streets and sell the only commodity that she has - her body.
Here she falls victim to sickening sexual exploitation at the hands of corrupt police officers which will ultimately leave her testifying in a grand jury trial and potentially putting her family at risk.
The characterisation is utterly brilliant - I especially loved Kiara for her staunch tenacity, for never giving up, for her ability to feel love, empathy and compassion, and for giving these things to others despite never receiving it herself and despite all that she has had to contend with.
It is a very difficult and dark read at times - the injustice, the racism, the misogyny, the poverty and the exploitation are hard to witness in these pages but, oh my word, the author’s ability to deliver a literary punch to the solar plexus whilst simultaneously astounding and emotionally moving the reader with her prose is astonishing! I simply could not put this book down!
It’s an unflinching story about Kiara Johnson, a 17 year old young woman whose life is fraught with emotional and financial hardship. Left to fend for herself after her mother goes to jail and later into rehab, Kiara takes on the responsibility of earning enough money to pay the rent and keep herself and her older brother, Marcus fed. Kiara also takes the neglected neighbour’s 9 year old son under her wing and supports him too.
Kiara’s brother is seemingly too wrapped up in chasing dreams of becoming a rock star to have any consideration to helping Kiara bring home any money.
Faced with relentlessly brutal hardship, Kiara feels she has no other option but to walk the streets and sell the only commodity that she has - her body.
Here she falls victim to sickening sexual exploitation at the hands of corrupt police officers which will ultimately leave her testifying in a grand jury trial and potentially putting her family at risk.
The characterisation is utterly brilliant - I especially loved Kiara for her staunch tenacity, for never giving up, for her ability to feel love, empathy and compassion, and for giving these things to others despite never receiving it herself and despite all that she has had to contend with.
It is a very difficult and dark read at times - the injustice, the racism, the misogyny, the poverty and the exploitation are hard to witness in these pages but, oh my word, the author’s ability to deliver a literary punch to the solar plexus whilst simultaneously astounding and emotionally moving the reader with her prose is astonishing! I simply could not put this book down!