Whew, what can I say about this one? There’s nothing necessarily shocking about NIGHTCRAWLING and that’s what, I think, makes it tragic. It doesn’t explicitly state “this is horrible” and it’s in this lack of acknowledgement and in the acceptance Kiara has of her circumstances that made parts of this book make me want to weep for Black girls everywhere. This not a book you can zoom through; it makes you take your time with it.  The writing is beautiful and deceptively intricate, and there’s whole gut-wrenching lines and paragraphs that sneak up on you. Leila Mottley is truly an author to look out for, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.