Nightcrawling

 Leila Mottley is the author of Nightcrawling. This was a difficult novel to read. Set in Oakland the story is about a young high school drop out named Kiara. Kiara's father left years ago. Kiara's mother is in prison. Kiara's brother, Marcus, is older by five years but he quit his job years ago and is trying to make it as a rapper. Rent in their apartment is going up and Kiara is trying to earn money. People are not interested in hiring 17 year old Kiara with no work experience. Kiara is also caring for a neighbor boy whose mother has abandoned him. Kiara is an at-risk youth. One night she has a drunken interaction with a stranger that leads her into a job she never wanted. Eventually she becomes a witness is a scandal with the Oakland Police Department. At the end of the book, in the author notes, the author states she wrote the book based on an actual court case with the Oakland Police department taking advantage of the youth in their city. Kiara has a heart of gold and I enjoyed reading about  her.