Nightcrawling is an impressive debut novel, especially when you consider it was written when Mottley was an undergrad student. 

This is the story of a 17 year old Kiara in Oakland who stumbles into prostitution when life hands her absolutely garbage options. To make matters worse, she is quickly picked up by the Oakland PD and ends up being used as one of their personal prostitutes. 

The novel’s plot focuses on a trial involving Kiara and the OPD and Kiara’s relationships with a best friend, her brother, and her mother. They each have their own baggage that contributes to Kiara’s emotional state. And the trial is emotionally overwhelming, making her significantly afraid for her personal safety.

This book is emotionally compelling and I enjoyed it immensely while reading. However, as I ruminated on the story after finishing I noticed some areas that I wish had been more fully fleshed out. I did not like how the storyline with Kiara’s mother concluded; it felt simplistic and unbelievable. I also felt that the end of the OPD storyline was insufficient. I think some people will read this book and see it as representative of the experience that women in poverty have in prostitution and I don’t think it should be interpreted as such. It is a novel, and it’s not a work of nonfiction. It is especially not a work that depicts the graphic realities often faced by sex workers. 

So I recommend this book if you want a really sad, emotional read but make sure you’re ready to view it as what it is. Fiction can be great to learn from and it can contribute to our empathy for others, but it is not a replacement for broader, factual learning.