A review by cc_shelflove
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

informative sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Phew. Finally, I can let out the breath I’ve been holding since I started reading this nightmare. Mottley started writing this book when she was 17, and she is truly a woman wise beyond her years. We follow Kiara, a young girl struggling to make rent. When she stumbles upon the sad, unfortunate fact that she can trade her body for cash, she lands herself in a ring of sorts involving members of the Oakland Police Department. Parts of the book were a bit slow for me, but there were other times where I was racing through the pages and hoping that at some point, I would find Kiara free. Based on a true story that broke out in 2016, Nightcrawling exposes sexual exploitation and trafficking in a way that I’m not confident has been done before. While I wish it stayed a bit more accurate to the real events, I would recommend this read—just know there are differences and don’t neglect researching the case. 
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