WOW!!!! This book was one that I couldn't put down I was hooked from the start to the finish. Promise Boys is pitched as Karen McManus, meets Angie Thomas, meets Jason Reynolds and it lives up to its pitch.

How do you prove you are innocent when everyone thinks you're not? That is the question and problem students JB, Trey, and Ramon have to solve when they are all suspected of killing their school principal.

This is a surprising book. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I did, very much. So I was very happy when my request to read it on NetGalley was approved.
Three boys of color attend a charter school, the Urban Promise Preparatory, for boys only who have been given up on by the regular schools. It used to be a fun place, but recently there have been new rules. Those rules include no talking to the other boys, walking only on a blue line painted on the hallway floors, sitting down and standing up in class as a group. These new rules are supposed to make the boys more cohesive, but they only serve to alienate the boys. The principal, Mt. Moore, has become more erratic recently, also. He is rushed, rude, autocratic and smells of alcohol.
We are concerned with three seniors, JB, Ramon and Trey. On the day of the basketball team's big game, all three get detention. This is serious because Trey is the best player on the team. If Mr. Moore weren't so off his usual self, he wouldn't have sent, at least, Trey to detention and kept him out of the game. Of course, the boys don't stay in detention. Mr. Moore is shot and killed that afternoon, and the three boys are "persons of suspicion". One or more of them must have killed the principal. They each claim they did not do the shooting, but they are not believed.
The story is about the efforts of the boys, separately and together, to prove they are innocent and find out who did the deed. It shows how difficult that is when the system is set against boys of color. We must believe they succeed, or else why read the book. It's how they succeed that makes the story so interesting.
I really enjoyed the book. I highly recommend it.
I won a copy of the ebook from Fierce Reads.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Promise Boys was very easy to get into. I was hooked from the beginning. I ended up listening 83 % of the way through, but had to read to finish because my audio book said I was finished and ended. I thought the cast of characters was excellent narrating the book. It covered hard topics like systemic racism and profiling. I liked the different points of view and the social media and news reports added in. The book was fast paced and I was rooting for the boys from the beginning. This is a great book for fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, Holly Jackson, and Karen McManus. I will purchase this for our library.

From my blog post, 2nd paragraph about this book: Since the audiobook had a full cast, it really highlighted the layers that this story had. While the book is centered around 3 Black & Brown boys, J.B., Ramón & Trey, we got to hear/read the thoughts & accounts of others which helped to build this really rich world. We were not only able to see the perspectives of these 3 kids who really don’t have a fair shake at life to begin with but come to understand how they ended up where they did as well as see the support systems they each had. I can’t speak for anyone else but I knew from chapter one that I was rooting for them, in both proving their innocence and finding success (I’m always rooting for the Black & Brown Folx doe).
*There is more to this post so maybe go check it out*

I listened to the audio but did get to see the finished copy at the same time and the formatting does give it another layer so while I WOULD recommend the audiobook, I don't think you could go wrong with the other formats available. I hope this book is adapted for the screen!

Title: Promise Boys
Author: Nick Brooks
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: January 31, 2023
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying in Nick Brooks's Promise Boys, a trailblazing, blockbuster YA mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names—for fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Karen McManus.

The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious "program's" strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.

But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case's prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them?

FIVE STAR MYSTERY!!!! I normally do not read mysteries so this books different.This book is special to me because my mother was a teacher and she was really passionate about her craft and making sure her students learned and was cared for for. I really enjoyed this story. This was a strong mixed-media mystery that tacked the issues of the prison to pipeline system, charter schools, xenophobia, ableism, gun violence, white favoritism, school corruption, immigration, gang violence, poverty, police brutality and school discipline. Mostly, it gave three dimensional inside look at masculinity in POC, both healthy and toxic, which it what makes the story stand out. It is fast paced, but has many tender and great character building moments.I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you,
Nick Brooks (@officialnickbrooks), Fierce Reads (@fiercereads), and Colored Pages Tours (@coloredpagesblogtours) for this gifted copy and letting me be on the tour!

#PromiseBoystour
#Bookstagrammer #blackgirlsread #blackgirlsreadtoo #bookwormsofinstagram #bookstagrammersunite #wellreadblackgirl #blackauthorsofinstagram #blackauthorsmatter #blackgirlsreading #amplifyblackvoices #blackbookstagrammer #blackbookstagram #blackgirlsreading #bibliophile #diversespines #bookstagram #bookish #blackbookstagram #blackbibliophile #blackandbookish #booklover #thisgirlreads #thisblackgirlreads #blackbooks

I was so excited to receive an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. I love a good high school murder mystery drama and this one hooked me early and hard. I was immersed in the lives of our main characters but also troubled by some stereotypes presented. It wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book, but did cause a few cringy moments for me.

When a group of suspects work with each other in unison to help clear them all, I gobble it up like candy, YA is becoming my new favorite genre and this book helped grow my love for them.

A thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. At the end of a school day at Urban Promise Prep the halls are mostly empty when a shot echoes off the walls and lockers. Principal Moore, a strict disciplinarian and founder of the school falls dead. Three students immediately get tagged as suspects as they all had a recent altercation with Moore. The suspected students team up to try and find out what really happened in order to clear themselves. Along the way they uncover secrets that will lead them to the killer. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book immediately grabs and holds your attention. I like how the story told from different perspectives, and that keeps you moving through the story to find out who really killed the principal of the highly acclaimed Urban Promise Prep charter school in South Washington D.C. When the principal is murdered, the suspension falls immediately on three student of color (Black and Latino). The police and community put forth the standard stereotypes often attached to young men of color. At first the reader is drawn in and accepts those stereotypes, and Brooks does an excellent job of challenging those stereotypes, demonstrating there is a plausible explanation for perceived actions once you listen to each young man's story.
This is a compelling story, that shows what is perceived from the outside as good and designed to lift young men up, with the wrong emphasis can actually tear young men down and perpetuate the stereotypes. I highly recommend this for young adult collections. It hooks you from the start and you race to the end to see if the young men actually be able to clear their names and reveal the real murderer.

Promise Boys is an excellent YA thriller set in an inner city high school. At the beginning of the novel, the principal is murdered. Immediately a handful of BIPOC boys are under suspicion for the murder. Told from each of their perspectives and voiced by a full cast, this audiobook brings us each of their individual stories as well as the story of how they come together to catch the killer and prove their innocence.

I recommend jumping into this book as blind as you can. Nick Brooks does an amazing job of portraying realistic, messy teenagers and adults as well as all the issues common in schools today. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Principal Moore, founder of the Urban Promise Prep School, is found dead after being shot at school and the three high schoolers who were supposed to be in detention that day become immediate suspects. J.B., Ramón, and Trey don't come from good neighborhoods and because of this, they become easy targets for the police and media. Realizing that the only way to prove their innocence is to find the real culprit, the three boys join forces.

This book is told from multiple perspectives and different ways, from "oral interviews" to messages, which gives texture to the narrative. The author does a good job of keeping the reader/listener in the dark, so the ending was a little surprising. There's also a lot of diversity among the characters, so it was fun and informative.

Riveting and Diverse, this was a very Enjoyable read.

This book was a cool mix of internal dialogue, police interviews, news reports, and witness statements. I liked that the mixed media aspect was used to tell the story of the school shooting and gave you hints throughout for who was guilty. It was a nice insight on these characters that are from different racial and financial backgrounds from me. There's strong friendships, mild romance, and characters with so many different home lives. The murder mystery had me interested and I was trying to put the clues together to figure out who killed the school principal. I did find myself waiting for it to be over after the 80% mark which lowered the rating by a lot. Definitely interested in checking out anything Nick Brooks writes in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for the EARC of The Promise Boys. Initially everything about this book made me want to read from the cover down to the description. This book was so engaging I finished it in ONE DAY!! This book is marketed as “The Hate U Give” meets “One of Us is Lying”, but I personally haven’t read either of those so I am going to personally market it as “When They See Us” meets “A Good Girls Guide to Murder”.

The chapters are super short, we get character interviews from students, family ,and staff as well as interrogation transcripts.I love the interviews of people’s immediate perception of these boys and how we’re supposed to assume that they are guilty because of how they look or the people they associate with. It is not necessarily thrilling or scary but it is a fun engaging YA “whodunit” that highlights racism and the unfairness of the system that marks us as guilty until proven innocent.

I thought that the world building of Promise Prep was very unique and it made me sad at times to read how these boys were treated. This school was painted as a way out and a road to success but it was a prison system in its own way.

I felt the most connected to Trey. I did build a connection with these characters and i do wish that I could’ve had just a little more time with them, but i didn’t feel like anything was missing from the story. These boys will hold a special place in my heart and I had the biggest smile on my face when they were able to find justice. I definitely look forward to more work by this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

I really wanted to like this, but the premise fell short. I did absolutely love the mixture of narrative and interviews and stories and how the chapters were structured. I like the plot, but it felt undeveloped and rushed at the end. It also needed more character development; particularly when the plot rotated around the three men and why they were innocent. It felt like all of the characters were static, even the main ones.

Overall, I enjoyed it but it also wasn’t fantastic and did not live up to the expectations I had from seeing the star rating and other reviews.

YA Mysteries/Thrillers are always entertaining reads for me and Promise Boys did not miss.
This story took off from the first page told in a mix of police interviews/witness statements, news articles and the multiple points of view of the suspects and people in their lives immediately pulling you into the crime. Ramon, Trey and JB all had heated interactions with Principal Moore the day he was found murdered in his office, which leads to them all possible suspects for the crime. Promise Academy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, taking the term “molding the future” a bit far. No cell phones, no speaking unless spoken to (that means NO interactions with your peers), walking in a straight line and demerits all day for anything. Principal Moore had it coming in my opinion 🫢. All of the boys are suddenly fighting to prove their innocence which means finding out who is actually guilty. This task proves difficult as the boys aren’t friends and don’t know each other well. My favorite chapters were the boys coming together and putting the pieces together because 😮‍💨 was this a puzzle. I couldn’t put this down until I knew what happened. My only complaint is that I wish we saw a little more of the after!

This was one of the best books I've read this year. Usually when books are described as "this author meets this author", I ignore it because it's never correct. This was definitely an Angie Thomas meets Jason Reynolds. The writing was gorgeous and the plotting kept me reading. I will definitely revisit then when it is publish and will put a copy in my school library.

Content Warning: This book contains a brief scene of physical child abuse.

Cover Story: Seeing Red

Ken Nwadiogbu’s illustration is a STATEMENT. It’s how the world already sees the titular Promise Boys: nothing more than destined for the carceral system. Trey’s haunting eyes peering from underneath the red layer totally reminds me of Hooded Justice from Watchmen, and he’s almost daring you to take a closer look — a real look — at who these boys are.

I also love the detail that J.B. is indeed 6’3″, although I find Ramón’s height questionable (he’s canonically a short king!) and his head is apparently over 12 inches long.*


* The average human head is 8 to 9 inches long. I also measured my own to confirm lol.

The Deal:

Under its founder Principal Moore, the Urban Promise Prep School in Washington, DC, is renowned for churning out exemplary students through strict discipline. Because, you see, this is what’s going to help them escape their neighbourhoods and get to college — by any means necessary. (It’s like tough love, but without any love.)

When Principal Moore is killed at school, three students become the prime suspects. With rumours running rampant and the real killer still on the loose, the trio must work together to prove their innocence… unless one of them did do it?

BFF Charm: Let Me Love You x 3

BFF charm with teary eyes hugging a heart
UGH THESE BOYS. It’s absolutely heartbreaking that, even before the murder, they were moving through life with everyone having written off their potential — which is terrible at any age, but especially when they’re all still kids. (OK, they’re teens, but when you’re An Old, they’re BABIES.)

J.B. might look intimidating with his stature, but he’s actually a big sensitive teddy bear who’s constantly writing lyrics and poetry. Trey seems like a cool detached jock, but he doesn’t have many people in his corner since he moved from New York. And SWEET MUFFIN RAMÓN is an aspiring chef who emigrated from El Salvador a few years ago, but most people just assume that he’s in a local gang.


The truth is that each of these boys are so, so much more than how the world treats and perceives them.

Swoonworthy Scale: 3

Right before everything goes down, J.B. finally gets together with his dream girl, Keyana. Their romance is less important than Keyana as a character — as it should be, because Keyana’s AMAZING. (Although there’s one quote that earns an entire point on its own, when J.B. really flexes those poet skills.)

Talky Talk: Perception Is Reality

Nick Brooks introduces each of the boys in a fascinating way. Their individual sections begin with bystander testimonies and police interrogation transcripts in the aftermath of the murder,** and then the book jumps back in time for each boy’s perspective leading up to the murder. Getting to know the characters through other people before getting to know them ourselves demonstrates the stereotypes and preconceived notions that they’re all up against. And the boys themselves aren’t immune from these biases about each other either, because that’s how harmful and pervasive these ideas are. Simply put:

As a Black man, you get no benefit of the doubt. You have to be on the right side of everything.

Page 76, hardcover first edition
(Even though this particular quote isn’t about Latino men, they face similar scrutiny as well.)

** The most INFURIATING parts were Ramón’s condescending white liberal tutor, and basically every single word of the interrogations. The detectives were questioning kids without adults and trying to coerce confessions out of them, like what in the Exonerated Five is this bullshit?!?

Bonus Factor: Murder Club (And Associates)


“Group of murder suspects teams up to clear their names” is a highly specific niche that I can’t get enough of. The odds may be stacked against the Promise Boys, but luckily, they’re not alone.

(The aforementioned Murder Club is, of course, a shoutout to One of Us Is Lying, which is a frequent comparison title for this book.)

Bonus Factor: Tasty Business


Ramón’s pupusas are legendary at Promise — as well as contraband, since Principal Moore had zero tolerance for Ramón’s side hustle. But the real travesty is that I read this book with ZERO pupusas! (NICK BROOKS DROP THE RECIPE CHALLENGE.)

Anti-Bonus Factor: School-to-Prison Pipeline


Urban Promise Prep is so rigid in thinking that there’s only one way to shape young men that it’s literally baked into its ideology. The prison parallels are everywhere, but this immediately made me think of being on program in Andor (if that means nothing to you, you should watch Andor):

If you want to get out of this place on time, you stand the right way on the first try.


Mr. Finley holds up two fingers. That means we can all face the door. After he flashes three fingers, we file in line with our hands behind our back.


[…]


If your hands aren’t locked in place behind your back, you get a demerit, in which case the teacher docks points from your “count.”

Page 31, hardcover first edition
Anti-Bonus Factor: Asshole Principal

Principal Rooney (FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF) grinning while talking on the phone
Look, I don’t want to speak ill of the dead. Lol JK, Principal Moore completely fucking SUCKED. Hot take: if you don’t actually give a shit about helping kids, you should not be an educator. (Although he probably thought he was helping, in his twisted and prejudiced way.)

Relationship Status: Promising Future

When I first heard of Promise Boys, the premise instantly piqued my interest. With its piercing insight and thoughtful characterization, this book definitely lived up to its promise. (I had to.)

Literary Matchmaking

Ace of Spades
An elite prep school that’s hell for its Black and Brown students? Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades also fits the bill.


When You Look Like Us
The characters in Pamela N. Harris’ When You Look Like Us know all too well what it’s like to be written off because of appearances and stereotypes.


A La Carte
For a lighter recommendation that’s full of tasty business, check out A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Henry Holt and Co. I received neither money nor gelato for writing this review (dammit!). Promise Boys is available now.

What a great novel!

Promise Boys has a little bit of everything (social commentary, strong and developed characters, murder mystery, unique format) and manages to combine them in a way that is very different and also really entertaining and thought provoking.

It is a fast-paced, quick read and honestly, I loved the format with different POVS, emails, news articles, etc. incorporated into the story in addition to the POVs of the three main characters. It really hammered home the message that perspective is everything.

My only complaint is that some subplot lines aren't really fleshed out and as a result are kind of left hanging. It is possible that I didn't fully understand everything that took place, but my gut tells me that it's more likely that the subplot lines were not fully wrapped up/explained. It's possible that this was done intentionally (as in sometimes we only know bits and pieces of someone's story) but it bothered me.

However, that relatively minor issue will not stop me from encouraging folks to read this book. It's a great take on a murder mystery and offers a lot beyond that component. Highly recommend.

The promise boys are boys who have been selected from lower socio-economic level boys to attend a private school that will prepare them for success in the world. Unfortunately the school is run by an unnecessarily strict headmaster, and when he is killed one of the boys becomes the designated killer. A group of boys and a girl from a different school come together to find the real villain. That group of students had not been friends before and there was no foundation given for why that particular group would come together, and the solving of the crime was not very realistic. I received an arc and was under no pressure to give a positive review.

4.5 stars rounded up

Promise Boys is an fantastic YA debut. It's a murder mystery set in a boys prep school for struggling and low income kids. Lauded for making a difference in these kids futures, the reality of Promise Prep is very different. It is tense, highly-controlled with abusive behavior from faculty and staff. When the principle is killed, three teen boys are the top suspects. They are Black and Latinx, and people make assumptions. They seem to be the obvious culprits. But they each know they are innocent and need to uncover the truth before this setup ruins lives.

This is a fast-paced, engaging narrative with a little bit of a mixed media element with news articles etc. The audiobook is EXCELLENT, complete with a full cast and sound effects. It does a great job of tackling the reality of how the school to prison pipeline can function, the way people assume the worst about Black and brown boys, and how harsh and abusive discipline often isn't what these kids actually need. But of course, it's for a teen audience and told from the perspective of the teenagers themselves. Very good and I hope we see more from this author. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read to & review an ARC of this book!**

Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Things I Liked:
-The focus on systematic oppression & the ways that Black & Brown people are failed within that system.
-The writing style (through multimedia)
-The mystery was hard to guess throughout the book & I did not guess it until the end.
-I loved that the boys that were targeted came together to overcome their suspension (they did not let the system tear them apart as a team).
-The honest portrayal of how even programs designed to help can become corrupt. I think this helps highlight the need for self-checks & having positive & diverse people in positions of power.

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-Nothing, I actually really enjoyed this one & would recommend it to everyone.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars!