Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Poignant tale of teen girl who turns to sex work to survive.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 50 parent reviews
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Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 3 kid reviews
What's the Story?
When NIGHTCRAWLING begins, 17-year-old Kiara finds an eviction notice on the door of the apartment where she lives with her older brother, Marcus. Both she and Marcus are high school dropouts, due in part to having to support themselves because their father died of cancer and their mother went to prison. After a bartender friend gives Kiara many drinks one night, she goes home with a nightclub patron who pays her for sex. She begins seeking out sex work and ends up with members of the police department as her customers.
Is It Any Good?
This novel is thrilling and poignant, but for mature readers only. In Nightcrawling, debut author Leila Mottley uses her linguistic gifts as a poet to make a beautiful book from a very sad, ugly story based on true events. The main characters are well-rounded enough to be sympathetic even when they make terrible choices. Evil characters are written as believable people, not cartoon villains. Mottley vividly captures the look and feel of the city of Oakland, where she has lived her entire life. A few of the major plot points seem to come out of nowhere, but those leaps tee up page-turning sequences. A romantic subplot seems forced and leaves loose ends.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of sacrifice in Nightcrawling. Is there anything you believe should never be sacrificed?
How does poverty shape the characters' choices in Nightcrawling?
Nightcrawling was based on true events. Why do you think the author chose to present this story as fiction?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Knopf
- Publication date : June 7, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 0 - 0
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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