'Groundbreaking . . . This is going to be one of the big books of 2022' STYLIST 'Electrifying . . . Marks the introduction of a remarkable new talent' OPRAH DAILY 'Leila Mottley's writing erupts and flows like lava' TOMMY ORANGE; finalist for the Pulitzer Prize 'A truly beautiful and powerful book' RUTH OZEKI A searing debut novel inspired by a true story from the streets of Oakland; California; announcing the arrival of a blazing; young talent When there is no choice; all you have left to do is walk. Kiara Johnson does not know what it is to live as a normal seventeen-year-old. With her mother in a rehab facility and an older brother who devotes his time and money to a recording studio; she fends for herself - and for nine-year-old Trevor; whose own mother is prone to disappearing for days at a time. As the landlord of their apartment block threatens to raise their rent; Kiara finds herself walking the streets after dark; determined to survive in a world that refuses to protect her. Then one night Kiara is picked up by Officers 601 and 190; and the gruesome deal she is offered in exchange for her freedom lands her at the centre of a media storm. If she agrees to testify in a grand jury trial; she could help expose the sickening corruption of a police department. But honesty comes at a price - one that could leave her family vulnerable to their retaliation; and endanger everyone she loves. Nightcrawling is an unforgettable novel about young people navigating the darkest corners of an adult world; told with a humanity that is at once agonising and utterly mesmerising.vigating the darkest corners of an adult world; told with a humanity that is at once agonising and utterly mesmerising.