Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

This book was longlisted for the National Book Award, and the author is young and talented, and her first book is visceral and beautifully written. At a time when structural imbalances of capital, health, gender and race deepen divides, this is a searing testament to the liberated spirit and ingenuity that is seen in this story telling style . The book is based on a true crime in 2015 involving institutional exploitation, brutality and corruption in the Oakland police department, Nightcrawling gives voice to 17-year-old Kiara Johnson, who, after her father’s death and mother’s detention in a rehab facility, becomes a sex worker to pay for rent hikes. She also needs to look after her disillusioned older brother Marcus, who spends his time on music, and Trevor, a nine-year-old left behind by a neighbour. Drugs, sex and power struggles are a familiar premise from television dramas , but what makes this book scarring and unforgettable as a novel is it’s ability to change our perception of the repressed and confined. It does this by entering the mind, body and soul of Kiara, one of the toughest and kindest young heroines of our time. Well worth reading.