If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.
Summer reading season is finally here, and we’re so ready to start building our TBR list for the months ahead. Fortunately, we don’t have to look far to get some incredible recommendations on must-read novels to add to our bookshelves right now. Oprah Winfrey just debuted her new book club selection — Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley. An up-and-coming writer, Mottley’s debut novel is one you’ll want to get your hands on and page through this summer, and it’s currently 30 percent off on Amazon right now.
So, what’s so special about Mottley’s premiere novel? Well, where do we even begin? Mottley began writing Nightcrawling when she was just 17 years old. She was named Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, and her premiere work has already received encouraging, positive reviews. Oprah even confessed in her announcement video that Mottley’s Nightcrawling “just wowed me.” Let’s dive in to what this harrowing novel is all about.
Nightcrawling tells the story of Kiara, a 17-year-old Black teenage girl living in East Oakland who “carries the world on her shoulders,” as Oprah describes. Kiara’s father is in prison, her mother recently attempted suicide, and Kiara’s brother Marcus dreams of being a rap star — though his aspirations aren’t exactly yielding any financial stability for the family. Making circumstances far worse, Marcus and Kiara are about to be evicted from their apartment.
View this post on Instagram
“There’s much challenging material here,” Oprah shares in the above video. “But, for sure, what shines through is Leila’s lyricism and her courage in taking on what so many young people face in real life.” Oprah further describes the novel as a “soul-searching portrait of survival and hope,” and this story is “one you won’t forget.” You can buy Nightcrawling right now on Amazon for less than $20. Read along with Oprah, and dive into this debut novel from a young writer with a bright future.
Before you go, click here to check out children’s books starring girls of color.
Leave a Comment