Njghtcrawling by Leila Mottley follows the story of seventeen year old Kiara from Oakland. With her father dead, her mother incarcerated and her older brother disconnecting from his responsibilities by following an unlikely dream of making it big in the music industry, it is up to her to find a way to keep a roof over their heads in the face of predatory rent rises. She also cares for her nine year old neighbour Trevor, whose mother disappears for days at a time, lost in drug addiction. Unable to find a job, she turns to prostitution to keep herself and those she loves afloat. On getting picked up by police officers after an encounter, she finds herself caught up in a dark world where those in power exploit others with impunity. When that power is challenged, Kiara must choose between staying silent or trying to expose those who take advantage of and abuse their power against those less able to fight back.
Mottley touches on many troublesome aspects in contemporary American society surrounding race, class and gender. In her author's note, she states that this story was based on true events, of police officers abusing their power against those in marginalised communities and facing no repercussions. Kiara's situation is heartbreaking, and one that many women face today. With rife systemic racism, no prospect of jobs, no family support and predatory landlords, it is not surprising that some find themselves in her position, especially when there are those in society who will take advantage of their desperation to merely survive.
That being said, the writing style was not for me. Although I thought the message of the novel overall was strong, the technical execution was lacking and I believe the book would have benefitted from a few more rounds of editing to tighten the prose and preen or remove some bloated scenes.
I still considered Nightcrawling strong for a debut novel, and am looking forward to reading her next release.
Mottley touches on many troublesome aspects in contemporary American society surrounding race, class and gender. In her author's note, she states that this story was based on true events, of police officers abusing their power against those in marginalised communities and facing no repercussions. Kiara's situation is heartbreaking, and one that many women face today. With rife systemic racism, no prospect of jobs, no family support and predatory landlords, it is not surprising that some find themselves in her position, especially when there are those in society who will take advantage of their desperation to merely survive.
That being said, the writing style was not for me. Although I thought the message of the novel overall was strong, the technical execution was lacking and I believe the book would have benefitted from a few more rounds of editing to tighten the prose and preen or remove some bloated scenes.
I still considered Nightcrawling strong for a debut novel, and am looking forward to reading her next release.