3.5/5 stars.

I really liked Brooks' approach to setting up the murder mystery. It starts with a variety of POVs from side characters telling the reader events they witnessed about the main trio and how they think those were possible motivations to them murdering the principal. It was really creative, and these characters and stories are brought up later when the boys were investigating. I just really liked it.

Also, the exploration of racial prejudice in education was well done. You can really feel the frustration and anger the boys feel from the mistreatment from their school, from society at large, and I was getting angry right alongside with them from the amount of crap swung their way. I normally don't make note of quotes that are implemented before the story that connect to the story, but the quote from John Taylor Gatto really hit a chord in me. Especially with the things going on in public schools nowadays, like the ones in Florida issuing book bans. Schools have always been institutions abused by those in power in order to manipulate and groom the youth, but schools in the America, the supposed land of the free, banning books like it's Nazi Germany? This was in the back of my mind as I was reading, a task accomplished in about three hours because I just couldn't put it down.

Despite my praises, I did find myself skimming through the investigation half of the book because it was taking too long. Once the climax did hit, it felt kind of cheap because everything wrapped up so magically and it was happily ever after. I wish some of the time put into the investigation was moved towards the falling action so the ending would have felt a little more learned, but I'm still glad the boys got a happy ending.

Either way, this was a great read, but the mystery and ending could have been a bit tighter.

Ramon, Trey, and J.B. are accused of murdering their school principal at Urban Promise Prep. The principal was strict and seemingly unfair to the boys, but they swear they didn’t kill him. When no one believes them though, they decide to band together to prove their own innocence. The mixed media (the news reports, police interrogations, interviews, and Ramon, Trey, and J.B.’s first person perspectives) truly makes this story special. The writing and the characterization are top notch. I highly recommend.

In Promise Boys, three young men of color, each suspected of murdering their private high school's autocratic headmaster, band together to track down the killer. While characters and plot could be more nuanced and less predictable, this novel will grab its intended audience and may appeal to teen guys who don't ordinarily read for pleasure. It's on our high school library 's order list!


3.5 stars

I loved the premise, but felt it could have been better overall. The characters were good but at times I had to double check whose POV I was reading. The resolution was okay, but not terribly believable (in terms of the person who was guilty being able to leave the scene so readily).

I think it would have been interesting to add more information about Ms. Hall.

I do think teens will enjoy this YA story.

Multiple first-person POVs regarding a shooting at a charter school in DC - yes, we've read this before, but there's something about the characters Brooks creates that stuck with me. I can see this a great read-aloud in class or as a speech. It's only at the end we learn who actually pulled the trigger and while I suspected the who, the why wasn't quite clear <i>and</i> the reveal is very well done.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I wondered if I was going to enjoy this who done it. my fears were naught, it was a well written journey of false acusement and discovery. Characters are showing great strength. . The journey of each teen, in their conflict to find their innocence, when they withheld valuable evidence is in itself a great lesson. A corrupt situation caused the drama for students of Promise Academy. Run worse than a military academy, where even talking was not permitted among the students. I enjoyed reading and will highly recommend this book.

”My head is a mess though. Thoughts on a loop about what I could've done differently. I tried so hard to change him, to turn him around, and he still found himself caught up in this messed-up system.”

Promise Boys is the story of JB, Ramón, and Trey, all suspects in the murder of their principal at Urban Promise Prep School. Comparing this to <i>One of Us is Lying</i> is doing this book a disservice. It has a much more compelling mystery seamlessly weaved into three teens’ stories about battling the ills of the world.

The format of this book was my favorite part. It’s set up with shifts in perspective that are all equally compelling, making readers eager to root for the three protagonists. Promise Boys, to me, read as a character study with a murder mystery on the side, which isn’t a complaint. My biggest “issue” with the book was the writing, but that’s simply because I’m normally not a fan of contemporary writing and am normally there for the plot and character development.

That being said, I would still recommend this book to anyone, regardless of if you’re a fan of contemporary or not, because the murder mystery element added more layers to the story.

Scheduled to post 1/31/23.

PROMISE BOYS had me guessing who did it the entire time. Pretty much until the killer was revealed, I was guessing. I literally had no idea who it was other than I figured it wasn't one of the three boys. Other than that, Brooks did an excellent job of setting up a school of red herrings for people to follow trying to figure out who killed Principal Moore.

It's interesting because reading this, I couldn't help but think of Ron Brown College Prep the entire time. No relation to Promise, that I'm aware of, other than it's a school for predominantly Black boys to help them get the leg up in the world they need. Where Promise, at its end, did it through militaristic discipline, Ron Brown does it through love and giving these boys the attention and care they need that they wouldn't otherwise get in a public school setting. At least according to NPR's CodeSwitch. But having this understanding that there are schools like this, with this exact mission, helped root the story in reality even more for me.

I could feel the frustration of each of these characters. Ramón couldn't dodge gang life association despite the fact that he wasn't in one. But having a cousin who is was enough. And Trey and JB are basically angry Black boys who had a grudge against the principal (along with a number of people). Circumstances set them up nicely to be suspects in Moore's murder.

I liked the asides interspersed in the story from teachers, other students, neighborhood people about what could have gone down, what Moore was like, and what the boys were like to help paint a picture that I'll fall short of calling well-rounded. Hearsay doesn't really paint a well-rounded picture. But it added more context to the situation.

My favorite was JB and Keyana. I don't normally get googly-eyed over YA relationships, but ugh. These two just had my heart. I loved when Keyana was like I need to know you have my back too if the tables were reversed (understanding how often black women get forgotten in situations like these), and JB replies:

…I would hoist the whole planet up on my back and carry it around the sun, if you so much as whispered for me to do it.

Misty-eyed punch to my gut. But I got misty-eyed for Trey and his uncle, especially when his uncle realized the error of his own way. I won't spoil it, but that realization in that relationship had my eyes watery. And I can't forget Ramón and his abuela and her pupusas. The absolute love and community around these little stuffed tortilla pancakes and how they drove community and Ramón's desire to do right by his abuela by opening his own restaurant just had me floating.

I feel like the love and drive in PROMISE BOYS overshadows the horrible situation these boys are in. It's a circumstance we don't often get to see because we only see the police side of things. We don't see the human side of it. We don't see how accusations like this can be ruinous and the effect they have on boys like this and the lives they've built. PROMISE BOYS is riveting and will keep you turning the pages until you hit the back wall of the book. By then you'll be completely satisfied.

4.5

I received this review because I wrote the teaching guide for this book for Cake Kitchen. I cannot wait for this book to be in the hands of students!

This was an interesting read. The description - The Hate U Give meets One of Us are Lying - was very accurate. I was able to guess the murderer before the novel was over but I did appreciate the multi perspective narration. That helped keeping me guessing for longer. I did think the organization of the novel was a little jumbled. I didn't care for the testimonials of other random characters prior to the start of rhe chapters. I thought it got a little wordy. But all in all it was a great read. I think my students will really like it!

I would like to thank Henry Holt and Co for providing me with an ARC.

I loved this book. Brooks has a fantastic writing style. The way this story was told was very interesting with how it changed between interviews and the main characters. I loved how Brooks developed the characters and the mystery. This book has some great commentary and shows how the main characters are heavily impacted by the expectations placed on them, based on race and where they are from. I enjoyed how they came to get know each other and learn to depend on each other to solve the mystery and clear their names. While it does wrap up very cleanly, I do think it ended in a very satisfying way. This was an excellent book that I highly recommend.

Urban Promise Prep may be a prestigious school that practically guarantees student success and "saves lives" within its troubled neighborhood, but Principal Moore is dead. His patented "Moore Method" didn't stop a bullet to the head. The police have narrowed it down to three suspects: J.B., Ramon, and Trey.

They were the only students in that very secure area of the building that evening. They all had reasons to want Moore dead. But who pulled the trigger?

Told through the rotating perspectives of the three boys as they try to clear their own names, Promise Boys peels back the layers of their lives, their motivations, and how things really worked in a school with too many secrets of its own.

The characters really drive this story. All three of the main characters have such detailed and different lives and personalities, making it easy to root for them, sympathize with them, and fear for them. I still can't decide which narrator I liked best because they all have some major peaks. It's fascinating to see them all try to prove *each other's* guilt in a desperate attempt to exonerate themselves, knowing that the police aren't particularly interested in clearing ANY of their names. Fold in secondary characters in each narrator's corner who shine in different ways, and it makes for an engrossing lineup.

The mystery isn't completely unpredictable, but that really didn't matter to me. In the same vein as Karen M. McManus, Nick Brooks does a great job casting doubt on pretty much every character. There are as many hints as there are dead ends. Anyone could have done it, which means you have reason to suspect the involved party before the reveal. But does that ruin anything when you've also suspected everyone else at one point? Not for me!

Promise Boys progresses at a steady clip throwing in little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter to keep you wanting just. one. more. I could've read it all in one sitting, if my life allowed it. Brooks' first YA outing is.. yes.. PROMISING, and I'm looking forward to reading more from him!

This book definitely puts me in the mind of one of is lying. I saw alot of people saying that this book was similar to that and I couldn’t agree more… The first half of the book isn’t much of the thriller aspect as it kind of puts us in the main “suspects” shoes and their home dynamic. Once you get past that is when the mystery comes in and it’s time to put on those detective hats. The story is most certainly fast-paced as each chapter is a different perspective of a different character. Reading this I would say that the author definitely has some sort of background in education and it was very enjoyable to see from a different aspect if you will. Thank you #coloredpagestours #Macmillianpublishing for the ARC

Who killed the principal of Promise Academy? And why? Told through multiple viewpoints - mostly of the three boys who were in detention the afternoon that he was killed - this is a fast-paced book. More than just a thriller, Brooks also looks at the pros and cons of charter schools as well as the personal lives of students who end up there. Although the book centers around a murder and there is mention of a prominent gang, the book is fairly clean and would be appropriate for mature 7th graders and above.

This story takes place at a Charter school for boys in an urban city. I was really interested in this story too because in my education background I have heard a lot of discussion on charter schools popping up all over urban areas. I have heard teachers and parents talking about these character schools and character schools who have moved into urban schools and share there facilities with them. The good charter schools in a community are known for only allowing certain students in, and if a student looks like they are failing they will dump that student from the school, and send them to a regular public school. In an urban city of failing schools and limited resources charter schools are viewed as a way of allowing students in lower income to have a chance to succeed academically.
The setting of this book is The Promise Charter School that is set up by a hard nose visionary Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore has set up this Charter School to be deliberate in the way they go about helping to transform young urban males into success stories. Not everyone at the Promise School agrees with Principal Moore's strategy of how he develops these young men and his methods are very disciplined. Principal Moore is in your face and has a lot of rules and regulations in regard to dress, behavior, curriculum and how students are to act while in the building of the school. In this story there are three young men who had run ins with Principal Moore in recent weeks: J.B, Ramon; and Trey. Then one day Principal Moore is found dead with a bullet in his school office. The police look at the three young men as prime suspects, and as each characters narrative is shared through the book you soon discover that a lot is going on in the lives of these young me and Principal Moore.
I couldn't put this book down, and I really, really enjoyed this book. I loved how each character shared their own narrative of events leading to the murder of Principal Moore, and who did it. I highly recommend this book. Great writing and a great story!
I want to thank Netgalley and Macmillian Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

DNF @ 40% - I loved the concept and the storyline a lot! however, the writing style I just couldn’t get into and it was irritating me the longer I read. if it was in plain text, I probably would have enjoyed the story a lot more - but I give the author major credit and props for the creativity!!! it just wasn’t for me, but definitely will be for many others out there! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I know it’s early in the year, but this may be my favorite book of the year. I don’t typically do a “favorite of the year, ” but this could easily be at the top of that list for me. I can’t say that I’ve ever read this style of book/writing before, and it was absolutely refreshing. The way this story was told kept me engaged until the very last page. I had two guesses about who the killer was, but if I had to choose, my initial guess was wrong.

I wasn’t… ummm… thrilled (?) that the main suspects were young men of color, but given the neighborhood, it makes sense. One thing that I loved about the way this story was told was you got J.B’s, Trey’s and Ramón’s points-of-view, but you also got the day before the murder, the day of, and after. BUT… you didn’t just get their points of view; you got others, which really gave you (as the reader) a fuller picture, but it also showed you how you, as the witness, can misinterpret what you heard or saw.

This was absolutely stunning, and I enjoyed every step of this mystery!

Promise Boys follows 3 teens, J.B., Trey, and Ramón as they become suspects in the murder of their high school principal. The boys all attend Urban Promise Prep School, a strict school that pledges to turn disadvantaged boys into successful men. Each of the boys vows that they are innocent. Can they work together to find the real murderer or is the killer among them? The story is told from multiple viewpoints and leaves the reader turning the pages at rapid-fire speed. It reminded me a bit of Ace of Spades, which I also loved. I couldn't put this book down! It was a 5-star read for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this amazing book.

Promise Boys is a cleverly written murder mystery that follows three boys who are all suspects in their principal’s murder.

I flew through this book. Each chapter left me with tons of possible theories to who the murderer was and I constantly needed to know what happened next.

I loved the way that this book was written. Nick Brooks has a really fun writing style that’s easy to get sucked into. The mixed media format was also really well done. It helped this story flow really well and the newspaper stories in particular brought an interesting twist to this murder mystery.

J.B., Ramon, and Trey were all really solid characters to center this story around. They all came from different backgrounds yet I liked them all the same and I found myself rooting for their sucess from the very start of the story.

The setting in this story was excellent. The idea of an elite, well-known school that is way too harsh on students hits close to home for me. I went to a school that reminded me of Promise in some aspects. My school definitely wasn’t as bad, but there was enough in common with Promise that it made me picture my old school while I was reading this story and it made the story feel more real to me because I could see how someone at an intense school like Promise could snap and do something terrible.

I did have a couple issues with this book. The first being that about 45% of this story is exposition. It’s just setting up the evidence and who each character is. It’s only the last 55% were the characters truly become detectives like what’s hinted at in the synopsis. I feel like the balancing between exposition and actual story could’ve been better.

I also felt like despite the cover and the book’s marketing, this book doesn’t feel very much like a thriller. I didn’t personally mind this since I prefer murder mysteries over thrillers, but if you’re considering reading this one, don’t go into this expecting to be scared or to have your heart racing or any of those other feelings that people typically associate with thrillers.

I don’t think this book is for everyone, but it was fairly enjoyable for me. I could easily picture this book being made into a HBO limited series some day.

Firstly thanks to #Netgalley for my gifted ARC e-version of this book. This book comes out on January 31st.

I seen this one floating around in late 2022 and was hooked when I seen that this book is mixture of Angie Thomas and Karen McManus (sign me up! Duh!). YA and thrillers have a special place in my heart

This book does not disappoint, it jumps off from the first page. Instantaneously, it gives a who-dun-it feel. I love how the book gave an account of the days leading up to the murder for each suspect and then the events the day off and afterwards. It lead to some good character and plot development. This book has multiple POVs, and sometimes this can be a little chaotic, it works for this book, because literally EVERYONE is a suspect.

I guessed who the killer was from the very beginning, but I feel like it’s because I read way too many thrillers lol. Overall this was a good read that teenager me and adult me loves.

I would rate it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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