The titles worthy of a place on your bedside table
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
It’s hard to believe is a debut, and harder still to comprehend how such a wise, deeply perceptive story could come from the mind of one so young. But Leila Mottley is a bonafide prodigy: she was working on full-length manuscripts when she was 17, and while she patiently waited for adulthood and the legal ability to sign herfirst contract, publishers fought over the book in global auctions. Inspired by a police abuse scandal in her hometown, the story follows Kiara, a teenage girl who lives with her older brother in a crumbling apartment block in east Oakland. As rent doubles and her brother fails to provide, she’s forced into sex work and ends up being exploited by a group of local police officers. Called to go on the record and testify against them in court, she must weigh up which route will truly keep her safe. It’s a brutal and beautifully spun tale of power, potential and the painful lack of protection afforded to those who need it most.
