This book has been described as The Hate You Give meets One of Us is Lying and that’s a perfect description of this book. This YA murder mystery was so well-paced. It’s told from the POV of the three main characters, along with a lot of commentary from other students and teachers. Everyone seems to have their opinion about what happened and who is responsible. Each of the boys have very different types of family and support systems that have a big impact in their lives (some good, some bad). I liked how the boys knew things looked bad for them and they decided to get themselves out of it. Unfortunately, Principal Moore was in the role of supporter when he was anything but - he was definitely a character you would love to hate. He operated under the guise of wanting to help his students but he turned the prep school into a prison and ran it like a warden. This story was a reminder of how young boys/men of color are guilty until proven innocent based on a broken justice system.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

I really enjoyed this YA mystery/thriller set in an all-boys high school, Urban Promise Prep School, in Washington D.C. Principal Moore is an activist that started the school and based his strict program discipline, called the Principal Moore Method, claiming it turns boys into men. Principal Moore claims that almost all boys in his school go from trouble youth to college-bound men because of his method and school. But when Moore is murdered at school, his school and method come under strict scrutiny. Three boys serving detention that afternoon are targeted by the police as prime suspects. All three state that they are innocent, and it's clear they need to band together to find the real killer before they are arrested and lost in the system.

The book is told from the perspective of the three boys, as well as some of their family and friends. It also includes snippets of witness interviews, news articles and social media posts. I like these additions in a book and find it provides interest and a unique way to share information. The book is fast paced and immediately grabbed my attention. The chapters are short and it's a quick and easy read that I read in one day. Each boy was well developed and had their own problems and obstacles to overcome to achieve their goals, and I felt their storylines were relatable and would be of interest to young readers. I mean, who can't relate to suffering from other people's bigotry, having a dream that seems insurmountable to attain, and striving to improve your life and the life of your family.

The side characters, including grandmothers, uncles, parents, girlfriends and teammates added depth to the story and helped the reader understand the three boys' lives better. Again, these characters were well developed despite being minor characters in the book. The mystery was the weakest link and I figured it out rather quickly, but still enjoyed reading how it all wrapped up. Overall, this is a very enjoyable contemporary book that I recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.

On a scale of enjoyment, I had a good time. Or about as good a time as I could of had with this book given what feels like the ever commented on distancing myself from YA.

Maybe it's the circles that I am vaguely apart of, but with every year it does feel like the way that I reflect upon YA books seems to shift. Sure a good book is a good book and can transcend age categorization, but there are always going to be aspects of a novel that will hit harder for the intended age audience than they will for me trying to put myself in the shoes of my younger self.

Promise boys is the story of three seemingly unconnected teenagers at the best performing school in Washintgon DC that are thrown together when the principal of their school is killed while the three of them are in detention. It has all the hallmark signs of a good mystery, none of our suspects can account for the others whereabouts at the time of the murder and all three are given plausible reasons to be the culprit if it is one of them and not someone else that could be uncovered over the course of the investigation.

The biggest issue for me was how short the book is. Now part of me understands it, the book is a mystery and not a thriller, there aren't a lot of twists and turns included to make the reader question what is reality and what isn't... The problem arises when roughly the first half of the book was spent introducing our three leads. Each of them gets a section where we learn about them from the people in their lives; classmates, teachers, family. Then we get a section from their perspective about the events leading up to the murder and concludes with their police interrogation. It's only after we've gotten that, which again is almost half of the already short book that we then start moving forward with something that could resemble an investigation into who murdered this sleazy principal.

Again, I was here for the investigation. At least mostly. I just felt that even with all the introduction to these boys that we got, the book still felt a little flat. It wasn't nearly as intriguing as a mystery could have been. While sometimes you're compelled to want to finish a book in a single sitting because the writing of the book compels you to, this felt like if you were to set it aside for a couple days you might forget that you'd ever started it in the first place and so the book being short was not out of any particular artistic aim but one done to ensure that as many readers reached the end of the book as possible.

So yes, I had a good time, and I think that many other readers will have a good time. But I think that the bulk of readers that decide to pick this up will simply have an average reading experience and will likely not think about the book long after they've finished it.

This novel follows 3 teen boys of color who were accused of murder. Each has their own suspected motives and has to try and prove their innocence. Each of these characters was pretty solid and I saw myself rooting for them quickly. The setting is very well developed and matches the story quite well. I can see how attending Promise was a struggle and how it developed into the way it did.

This is told through a mix of actual chapters as well as smaller chapters from others' POVs. This to me was a very fun way of telling the story as we got to see things from other perspectives. This made the already short book, easier to fly through.

My only downside to this book is that I feel the marketing for this book is a bit off. This is more of a murder mystery to me rather than a thriller. Besides that, the synopsis also made me believe the trio would be working together from the start but that doesn't start until the later half. Despite that, I loved this!

I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a quick and thrilling read!

Promise Boys is a YA murder mystery that follows three high school students, all accused of the murder of their domineering principal. The Urban Promise Prep School prides itself on its reputation of "turning boys into men." Urban Promise Prep takes "disadvantaged" (read: POC) boys in and sets them up for a positive future full of opportunity and growth. On paper, helping boys find easier access to colleges, jobs, or training programs sounds great, if Urban Promise Prep wasn't a militant institution set on breaking the student body's spirit. At this all boys' school (I'm using the term "school" loosely here as it's more like a prison), boys attend classes from 7am to 5pm every weekday, where the boys are all but expected to be drones: there's no talking in the hallway (keep your eyes ahead, your feet on the blue tile line, and your hands clasped behind your back always), no socializing at lunch, and demerits and detention are handed out like Halloween candy. Much of the administrative staff have white savior complexes, and feel that it is their duty to metaphorically beat these boys into submission so that they might have a bright future, which they will naturally owe to Urban Promise Prep and not their own hard work (/sarcasm).

Everything at Urban Promise Prep comes to a screeching halt when their principal, Kenneth Moore, is shot to death in his office during a basketball game. Of course, J.B., Trey, and Ramón, the three boys who'd had run-ins with Principal Moore that day, are instantly suspects. They're carted in by the police, interrogated, and banned from school property pending the investigation.

What follows is a gripping display of how young men of color are guilty until proven innocent, how those in positions of power actively work against these boys while maintaining a facade of "helping," and the terror that young Black and Latinx men and their families deal with daily, especially when dealing with law enforcement and accusations made against them. For example, Trey is always deemed "trouble--destined for gang life and prison" by those in power because he, a star athlete, has the personality of a class clown. What in the world? One teacher, one teacher, has the spine to stand up for the boys, but only does so in the quiet, behind closed doors. Not out in the open. Why? How could people who spend 10+ hours a day with boys like J.B., Trey, and Ramón not see J.B.'s poetic nature and drive to provide for himself and his mom, Trey's athletic abilities and his struggles with absent parents while trying to keep his head above water, and Ramón's entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity? How do these adults not see all of these things, want to protect them at all costs? Then you have the donors--more white saviors with deep pockets who think that their donations to Urban Promise Prep suddenly make their rampant racism disappear.

I was quite literally on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened at each turn, and was so enamored by J.B., Trey, and Ramón's personalities and experiences, and the loyalty they ultimately show to one another and to justice for ALL. Even the side characters like Keyana, Luis, and Magda show the kind of loyalty that you would want in your closest friends, and that can be so rare. I truly loved feeling like a part of this group's story.

My only complaint about Promise Boys is that there was such a long and compelling buildup that the ending felt a bit abrupt. I kept looking at my Kindle's "x minutes left in book" and couldn't figure out how there could possibly be enough time to wrap everything. Nick Brooks does actually close up the story well, I just wish it wasn't so fast.

- I blew through PROMISE BOYS in one sitting. The format of the book - switching between the three boys' perspectives along with commentary from others in the community, news clippings, etc. - made the book move super fast as I was eager to gather the clues with the protagonists.
- You'll find yourself wanting to shout at the book as each boy's story is told, wanting to grab the adults and make them pay attention to what is actually going on in these kids' lives. It's a really heavy book, despite the speed at which it moves.

Did not expect to devour the book like this. 2 hours??? Sheesh.

I thought this was pretty great! I was rooting for these boys from the beginning. Young Black and Latinx boys have a lot working against them, including many adults who are supposed to guide and support them, and I think Brooks gave a great portrayal of what it’s like to be in their shoes. Abuse is not discipline!

I definitely enjoyed the mystery. I loved seeing these kids put their detective caps on, and their resourcefulness and resilience made for a pretty decently thrilling narrative. I also like the way the story was told. At first I didn’t think I’d care to follow so many characters outside of our boys, but I actually ended up enjoying the book even more BECAUSE of the added perspectives and snippets from the others!

While I do think some aspects of the mystery and the reveal fell a little flat towards the end, the journey to get there made up for it.

I’ll be keeping an eye on what Nick Brooks has coming out next.

Thanks Fierce Reads for my copy!!!

The beloved principal of Urban Promise Prep is dead from a single gunshot to the head. Three suspects — his own students — are in custody. While police work to find a motive for who would murder a man working to save so many at risk boys, the three students are seeing the futures they’ve worked for crumbling in front of them.

Promise Boys follows J.B., Ramon, and Trey as they try to prove their innocence. To outsiders, they each appear to have a compelling motive to hurt Principal Moore, who seems to have a penchant for humiliating them under the guise of discipline. J.B. is described as quiet and smart, but with a size that intimidates and strength that hurts. Ramon is an aspiring entrepreneur whose affiliation with a local gang constantly asks him to choose between the life he wants and the reality he’s in. Trey has already been labelled a troublemaker, but the profile he brings to the school’s basketball team is hard to ignore. Almost immediately, the community erupts into a rumor mill, with nearly everyone positing their version of the crime.

I loved the style Brooks uses to tell the story; each student suspect takes the reader on a journey from the present through the days and hours leading up to Principal Kenneth Moore’s death. Along the way, they introduce significant others, family members, neighbors, and more who each share a bit more of the truth to what happened. While I don’t love comparing books in generally, the teen crime-solving approach felt reminiscent of Tiffany Jackson’s Let Me Hear a Rhyme and a classic from my youth, Ghost Writer, both of which I loved. The teen sleuth approach provides a curiosity and open-mindedness that was lacking with the adults tasked with investigation. The result is an explosive finale that shocks the entire community while uncovering more than just a murder.

Promise Boys is part-suspense, part social critique. The plot may be to solve a murder, but what’s really striking about this book is Brooks’ examination of charter school culture and its impact on the students schools purport to prepare for future success. As JB, Trey, and Ramon work to clear their names, the reader gets to look behind the curtain of the school that boasts near total college acceptance rates and city-wide praise. Instead, through the eyes of faculty, staff, and community members, the reader is able to see that Urban Promise is gilded; the image it holds to the public is not how students experience it and while there may be academic successes, the question remains whether the collateral damage is worth it.

Something difficult for me to ignore is this school’s setting in Washington, D.C., a city that boasts countless well-known charter schools whose operations bear striking similarity to the fictional Urban Promise. The idea that strict discipline and rigid structure are the key to ensuring long-term success for “at-risk” kids often belies one truth — they’re kids. In Brooks’ depiction of Urban Promise, there’s little consideration for the humanity of students, evidenced by the militaristic precision with which it operates, from the blue line students must walk in hallways to the silence commanded in the lunch room. While Promise Boys is a fictional story, one walks away with a question of how close to reality is the lived experience of these students and what, if anything, should change.

I loved Promise Boys and devoured it over a few hours. There’s no question that I recommend it. It’s the kind of story that sucks the reader in and leaves you with too many questions to walk away from the book for more than a few moments. And while I always had an inkling of the truth at various points, I was pleased to be wrong on different accounts. I think it’s absolutely something teens would relate to, but I also believe that adults will benefit from the underlying messages here, too.

#netgalleyarc Loved this book. The alternating points of view and timelines were a little tricky to keep track of but eventually it wasn’t too hard. This was well written and very suspenseful. A definite buy for my high school library.

I was quite curious how this was going to go for me based on the comped titles but ended up really enjoyed the mixed media format of this one.

This book is amazing, and I knew there was a reason why I was so hyped about this book coming out. I love the premise of these black and brown boys solving a murder they've been framed for, and all the conversations that come with it, from having to always be perfect, gaining harsher punishments than necessary on a daily basis, and being governed by "well-meaning" overrepresented populations who have their own flaws and problems to work out. Loved it from beginning to end.

So I initially rated this story 4.5 stars, but I'm bumping it down to 4. The loss of the half-star resulted in listening to the end of the story via audio. Maybe because I didn't spend time with the narrators from beginning to end, it kind of messed up my perception of how I processed this story. Now for the original review.

This was my first time reading this type of style narrative, and it was refreshing! Promise Boys by Nick Brooks kept me engaged as I flew threw the pages trying to solve the murder mystery. I thought this story would be another trauma-filled book with a sad ending, but the vibe didn't feel heavy. It didn't feel like another punching bag, and it didn't feel like another story "we have to tell." Throughout the reading, I had high hopes for these characters by the end of the story. Especially after we got each suspect's before, present, and after POV.

I liked the writing structure the most. It gave people's accounts of what they saw, heard, and we can see plain old gossip weeding itself into facts.

Karen McManus, Angie Thomas and Jason Reynolds, all mixed up into one wild mystery. Who killed the principal? Which of the promise boys are guilty of this murder?. The story keeps you on your toes making you wonder who did it. I was able to figure it out halfway through the book but that didn’t stop me from finishing it. It was interesting to see how JB, Ramon and Tre come together, with the help of Kenya, and solve the mystery. Three young men whose lives are on the line, the only thing in common is that they go to the same school and all have beef with the principal. Definitely one for mystery lovers.

Three boys with everything to lose. How will they find the truth?

Memorable, inspirational, and moving.
An intoxicating YA read that will stay with me.

Oh yes, this is definitely going to get a lot of play not only because the cover is awesome, but the pacing of the story is speedy because of the multiple points of view that reminds me of [book:Light It Up|42642157] which I absolutely loved, with a little [book:Gentlemen|6061941] thrown in there for good measure (an oldie!)

Either way it fits the bill for the teen murder mysteries that while blowing up in a very real way, are all variations on a theme. Revenge, murder, misinformation, trust and untrustworthiness, and plenty of shady characters to throw off the scent because we're all a little dishonest. Yet, prejudice is real and when the three boys from the Promise charter school are accused of the murder of their principal, they have to be the ones to set the record straight because no one will do it for them- hell, they all think one, two, or all three of them is guilty.

It's got grit and great characters.

Promise Boys is a YA murder mystery about three teenage boys of colour - J.B., Ramón, and Trey - in a highly strict, prison-like school, must investigate their principal's murder in order to clear their reputations when they are all linked to the scene of the crime. It wasn't them but the person who did it must be among them...right?

I was hooked from the start with following J.B., Ramón, and Trey as they team up and track down the killer before they're wrongfully charged. This story uses media and secondary sources to drive home how much rumours and false narratives sensationalise because everyone already assumes they are the main culprits and denies them the opportunity to share their truths. Swipe left for a quote that shows a micro-aggression from someone who "knows" the boys. It made me so mad because that's it! That's how the hate carries!

It's almost difficult for me to capture how intelligently the author highlighted the persistent discrimination and systematic inequality against boys of colour in the criminal justice and education system. I was so emotionally invested in what happened to J.B, Trey and Ramón who I could see in them countless real youths of colour who were trying their hardest but being constantly failed by a system that would rather perpetuate harm than give them a chance.

The way this story was incredibly heartbreaking, hopeful, and kept me captivated until the last page. I loved all three boys so much, and I could go into detail about them, but I want everyone to read this book. Each character was given the space to stand out, and I enjoyed getting to know them!

Overall, this was a very quick read! The resolution felt quick but the journey was wonderful. I applaud Nick Brooks for weaving such an inspirational and powerful story about young boys overcoming a fundamentally problematic system. An absolute must-read! HBO make it a mini-series now, thanks.

In Promise Boys, the controversial principal of an all boys' charter school turns up dead, leaving the police with three main suspects: Urban Promise Prep students Trey, J.B., and Ramón.

I was excited about this one, as I love a YA thriller in an academic setting. (No, this is NOT really a Dark Academia book, but it is set in a school).

Promise Boys had a lot of strengths: an interesting setting, and a group of characters who came to life on the page as they tried to prove their innocence.

As a reader, I am not the biggest fan of the kind of narrative format in which a lot of main character POVs are mixed with other random characters' POVs in order to tell the story. (Think Jodi Picoult if you read women's fiction.) Promise Boys features POVs of characters like the school nurse, a "random dude," a "neighborhood hustler," parents of the suspects, and J.B's girlfriend (who I was a big fan of).

Eventually the narrative focused more on the three main characters, but in general there was way too much POV jumping around for me and I wanted more traditional narration.

However, I think most readers won't mind this at all.

Promise Boys was a quick and gripping read. with a surprising resolution. If you like mysteries set in high school, or were a fan of One of Us is Lying (who wasn't?) definitely give this one a try!

Promise Boys is fast paced and impossible to put down. Told in mixed media style - in terms of testimonials and character POVs - this mystery is captivating. Revolving around three teens who are accused of murder and who have to team up to clear their names, Brooks knows how to deliver tension. I loved that at the very beginning, at first, we only hear from the perspectives of bystanders. We see their biases, racism, and judgements. And then afterwards, we hear from the teens themselves.

4.5 stars

I read the premise and immediately thought of Karen McManus and Ace of Spades, but I think I liked this one more than either of them, mainly because I related more to the main characters in this book than in One of Us is Lying, and this book was more realistic and believable than Ace of Spades. And honestly, I loved each of the three main suspects for different reasons.

The book spends most of the first half setting the stage for what happened before, during, and after the murder. Nick Brooks does an excellent job of letting us know who these three boys are, and their inherent worth. They have been beaten down by society and let down by even the people who are supposed to care for them. In retrospect, this was brilliant because, by the time they started realizing they had to solve the mystery themselves, you were hooked into their lives and rooting for them and feeling all their pain and frustration. While this first half could have been moved along more quickly, when I found myself choking up with tears by the end, I have a hard time faulting the author for this slower beginning. Most of the chapters were short and from different points of view, including news stories, texts, and glimpses of moments in a huge cast of characters, some of whom showed up just once. And somehow, he made it all work. Usually, in a book like this, I have to use the search function to figure out if I've seen a character before and in what context, but that was completely unnecessary here.

There was only one character whose circumstances were never fully explained since it felt like much of what they decided about this character was supposition. While everything worked the way I thought it should, I never quite figured out what exactly was happening with this person. I'm keeping it vague because I don't want to spoil the mystery.

The mystery itself...well, I don't want to say anything else because I don't want to spoil anything. Honestly, you should just read it yourself. It may not be the most complex mystery, but the whole story was very well written, and I will be looking for other books by this author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Happy Pre-Publication Day (by 1 day)!

Trey, J. B., and Ramon are accused of killing the principal at the Promise School. The Promise School is a private school supposedly dedicated to helping at risk boys to succeed. The methods at Promise are strict and demeaning. While many people beefed with Principal Moore, the police have decided Trey, J.B. or Ramon are guilty because it is easier to create their own narrative about three black boys than to search for the real killer so the boys reluctantly come together and launch their own investigation.

A difficult and important story about the very real bias and injustices in our criminal justice systems. While reading this, Tyre Nichols was killed by police in Memphis, making this story even more gut wrenching for me.