This bold, brutal tale of one girl's struggle to survive and support her loved ones shines an exposing light on systemic corruption, but is also a fierce, defiant ode to the city of Oakland and the striving souls within it.
Told in considered, emotive prose that drips with poetic symbolism, the story follows Kiara, who is forced to turn to the streets when her family implodes. We glimpse her longings, dreams and creativity alongside the trauma and terror she faces day to day, and through the pages she becomes a soul – a person deserving of far more than her lot in life, with a capacity for selflessness that continually astounds. Through Kiara, Leila Mottley gives a voice to victims of abuse who are so often silenced, and boldly advocates further change to systems that foster corruption, pay no mind to poverty and cover up crimes.
I'd recommend looking up trigger warnings for this book, as it explores a range of sensitive themes such as poverty, prostitution, death, suicide, abuse, drug dealing, sexual trauma and police corruption. However, I will reiterate that the author does a great job of showing the human capacity for hope in hopeless situations, and the way people come together to bravely build lives despite the uncertainty of the world.
Told in considered, emotive prose that drips with poetic symbolism, the story follows Kiara, who is forced to turn to the streets when her family implodes. We glimpse her longings, dreams and creativity alongside the trauma and terror she faces day to day, and through the pages she becomes a soul – a person deserving of far more than her lot in life, with a capacity for selflessness that continually astounds. Through Kiara, Leila Mottley gives a voice to victims of abuse who are so often silenced, and boldly advocates further change to systems that foster corruption, pay no mind to poverty and cover up crimes.
I'd recommend looking up trigger warnings for this book, as it explores a range of sensitive themes such as poverty, prostitution, death, suicide, abuse, drug dealing, sexual trauma and police corruption. However, I will reiterate that the author does a great job of showing the human capacity for hope in hopeless situations, and the way people come together to bravely build lives despite the uncertainty of the world.