Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!! I was blown away by this incredible debut!

Nightcrawling follows Kiara and her brother Marcus, who are struggling to survive in Oakland. Kiara ends up in an unexpected profession, desperate to pay bills, take care of the young boy next door, and keep their apartment.

I don’t even know where to start with my thoughts on Nightcrawling. It was raw, gritty, and mesmerizing. It’s definitely not an easy read, but it’s important. Kiara is fictional, but events are based on actual cases of sexual exploitation of young girls by police, which disproportionately occurs against BIPOC women. Parts of this book will make you uncomfortable…but that’s the point.

The writing and imagery were vivid and beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough. Once I started reading, I was fully immersed in Kiara’s story.

Nightcrawling comes out today—so grab your copy!!!

Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for the #gifted copy!