Make time for astonishing debut
Leila Mottley’s “Nightcrawling” belongs near the top of any “best debut novel of 2022” list. This is not an easy read. The words flow easily, with a visceral, in-your-face voice, but the subject matter is graphic and relentless.
The first-person narrator is Kiara Johnson, Ki for short, a 17-year-old living in East Oakland, California. When we first meet Ki, she’s living with her slightly older brother, Marcus (he’s just 18). Over time, we learn why there are no parents in the picture, but it’s clear that Ki is growing up fast, with no role models and no community support. In fact, she’s the one trying to help others — basically raising the 9-year-old son of her drug-addicted neighbor, Trevor, who wouldn’t get to the school bus stop or have anything to eat if Ki didn’t step up. Times are tough, to say the least, and when Ki wanders into a strip club hoping to apply for a bartender job, things get a whole lot tougher.
The events of the novel cascade after that as the title verb becomes Ki’s way of paying the rent. Her brother is lost in his own world, trying to make a rap album and follow in the footsteps of their rich Uncle Ty. After another sexual encounter with a city cop who tells her prostitution is a misdemeanor, Ki finds herself repeatedly victimized by members of law enforcement, until an internal investigation reveals her name, and she’s suddenly the star witness in a massive sexual exploitation scandal involving the Oakland Police Department.
Mottley’s writing style fits the story perfectly. Ki’s voice is so honest and vulnerable. The novel would be completely bleak without Ale, a friend of Ki’s who cooks for her at least once a week to keep her from starving to death. The evolution of that positive relationship serves as the counter to the depraved inhumanity Ki experiences on the streets.
Inspired by a true 2015 story, “Nightcrawling” heralds a bold new voice in fiction. — Rob Merrill, Associated Press
Joe Kingsley comes from a larger-than-life family
with connections, achievements and celebrity akin to the Kennedys. The pressure on him is immense to exceed his father’s vast accomplishments, before he died when Joe was 3.
Cate Cooper’s upbringing is completely different. Her mother worked at diners to make ends meet until she could find a man to support the two of them. Seemingly the only thing that connects Cate to Joe is that her father also died when she was just 3.
“Meant to Be” by Emily Giffin is a sweet and sensible romance firmly placed in the real world. The classic tale of unlikely lovers re-imagines American history through the alternating voices of Joe and Cate from their childhood in the ’60s up to their fateful meeting in the ’90s.
Although the protagonists are roughly 25 and 30 when their courtship finally begins, they flirt like teenagers. When they move past flirtation, it wastes no time getting steamy. But Giffin’s approach to romance is layered, relishing in the bond between two people on emotional, intellectual and physical levels.
Cate’s early life is far more exciting than Joe’s. He mostly toils around begrudgingly doing what’s expected of him. Meanwhile, Cate struggles to escape an abusive household and build a life for herself in the grueling world of modeling. But their disparities are not overlooked — Giffin uses Joe’s privilege to expose systemic inequities as his grandmother teaches him to empathetically use his power to help others.
As the book progresses, the plot gets more predictable and upbeat, relaxing to the point of suspicion. Despite knowing things can’t keep getting better without some pitfall or drama, the big twist is still surprising when it finally comes.
Giffin’s writing is consumable and rich, balancing dialogue and descriptions to build a parallel world with convincing characters. “Meant to Be” proves you can have your romance and think deeply, too.