In Leila Mottley’s Nightcrawling – the young US author’s debut book – there is no time to fear the darkness for 17-year-old Kiara. With absentee parents and the rent mounting, she must face the night alone: locked in the company of men, who use her and whisper nothings in the dead of night. It pains her that despite her perseverance and the crushing hunger, her brother Marcus remains blindly fixated on dreams, making music no-one will listen to and trying to make it big like their uncle, who never looked back… not even for family.
When police officers take Kiara in, she is offered a deal of grisly proportions and soon finds herself entangled in dangers far greater than any she’s faced on the streets; but what use is her freedom now, if it comes with vulnerability and the endangerment of those she holds dear?
Inspired by a scandalous truth that unfolded in author Leila Mottley’s hometown of Oakland, Nightcrawling takes you along for a gruelling ride in a city full of injustices and failures. Be warned, the shadows hold demons in the guise of those we are told we should trust. This book erupts with powerful observations and poignant words that linger. Mottley is without doubt an incredibly talented young writer.
Nightcrawling, Leila Mottley (Bloomsbury)
Price: £15.29/£11.99 Ebook. Info: here
words KARLA BRADING
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