Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

121 reviews

taras2's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

2.75

It is impressive that the author wrote this when she was only 17 years old. This story was a heartbreaking and challenging read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, and Abandonment

bridgetmckernan's review against another edition

challenging hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Took a little for me to get into but, overall it is an impressive debut novel that will stay with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment

emilycrossett's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

3.5 ⭐️ Mottley has an incredible command of the English language. She can use a simple description of an action or movement to parallel Kiara’s story arc and offer foreshadowing. She immerses you in her setting and can sucker punch you in just a few words catapulting you into Kiara’s reality, one fractured by the fault lines of the justice system. I struggled a bit with the pacing of the story. I wanted some more substantive plot points evenly spaced throughout the book. A lot happened in the last 75 pages. I love when there’s a big cast of characters that brings alive a community. Each one was well developed and grounded in reality, but there were so many I think it detracted from the main storyline. Will definitely read more of her work!

TW: violence, sexual assault, child abuse/neglect/death

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Violence

acorn192k's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Trafficking

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Transphobia

bella613's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

emilyyaksic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, and Sexual violence

mwedderburn14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Child death

kattyenn's review against another edition

dark tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

thissagreads's review against another edition

ALL OF THE TRIGGERS!! I couldn’t finish this book because the pace was slow. The amount of triggering trauma happening to this *child* was overwhelmingly heavy, without reprieve. After the second hour of listening I was hopeful that the main character Kiara- would catch a break. But she didn’t, and the amount of TW was wild. Yes I understood that the author was shining light on very bleak situations that anyone can find themselves in, if given scraps and being abandoned. 

By the 6th hour, there continued to be a lot of “well I just have to do what I have to do” mentality, on top of having to trick/prostitute  while trying to take care of the neighbor’s kid since his mom is just looking for her next fix …. I don’t really understand the appeal, even if the author is a young, award winning poet and started writing this book at 16 years old. Very disappointing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

TRIGGER WARNING!! Kiara’s brother is a shitty rapper who’s not working to pay the bills in the tiny apartment they both share. He won’t step up so Kiara’s been working but still struggling. She’s already asked her brother to help out but he’s whining about wanting to rap and asks for a month to “make it”. She agrees but one night she goes to see her brother’s ex girlfriend (at the bar she works at) and accidentally gets drunk. Then she sees a GROWN MAN who’s into her, and they walk off to -what Kiara thought- was going to be a consensual hook up, but he ends raping her. Then after throwing money at her, Kiara gets the idea to start prostituting herself while her brother gets the month to “release his album”. But unfortunately she gets pulled into the underworld quickly, accepts a gig with cops and then of course everyone takes advantage of her. So Kiara’s life just gets worse. ESPECIALLY after her brother tells her he won’t support her! And on top of that her mom is AWFUL and couldn’t give a damn about her 2 kids struggling to keep the lights on, this monster killed their little sister in the bathtub and refuses to take accountability so she’s been in prison and a Safeway house. This book was just fucking awful and riddled with trauma that I felt was overdone and unnecessary.

mgmsharpe'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? Yes

4.25

This was really good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Dysphoria