Think the murder mystery skills of Karen M McManus, mix it with the power and impact of Angie Thomas and you would get Promise Boys. An awe inspiring read.

I randomly decided to pick up 'Promise Boys' after finishing another book and not knowing what to read next and I am so glad I did. I actually ended up reading this whole book in about three hours because I could not stop reading. When I decided to pick this book up, I actually could not remember any of the synopsis but I actually really enjoyed finding out the plot of this book whilst reading as it is a YA thriller.
This book follows three boys who have been accused of the murder of their principal as they were all in detention when the murder occurred and one of them was found covered in blood.
I really enjoyed the way that this book was written, as this book is written from all three of the boys perspective but you also get to see the perspective of other characters who were there when the murder happened and you get to see their opinions of who they think committed the murder.
I actually didn't end up guessing the plot twist or the murderer as I was so caught up in reading the book that I never tried to work out what was going to happen next.
I think 'Promise Boys' was a solid YA thriller and a perfect quick read if you want something fast to read but still has some hard hitting topics throughout.

School-set murder plot, with contemporary issues and realistic relationships.

An atypical structure, with reports and changes in perspective every couple of pages, this gives the reader an all-encompassing overview of the murder of a school headteacher, with the three potential perpetrators all narrating their points of view. But family members, other students and teachers, police reports, they all flesh out the background and make the reader a detective.

At Urban Promise Prep, underachievers and those not succeeding elsewhere get a chance to learn, thrive and get a step up. If only they stay in line. It's a tough school, punishments for the slightest infraction are heavy. And for some, it might be too much. As one afternoon, the principal is shot to death. Three young men in detention are the instant suspects. But who did it? And why?

The reader sees behind the scenes of each of their worlds - one is on the cusp of a gang world but with aspirations to be a chef, one is a sports star whose home life is fractured and violent, the other talented academically but struggling in the harsh environment. All are seen as stereotypes by their peers and communities, all are seen as guilty. It doesn't take long before they each decide they need to work together to find out what really happened, to save all their futures and prove they didn't commit a crime besides being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Realistic portrayal of an unforgiving system and cross-section of backgrounds, issues young people of colour face, and a great murder mystery story that you may or may not guess. Loved how the structure gave clues along the way and let you play detective.

For ages 13 and above.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

'Promise Boys' by Nick Brooks has an intriguing premise: the narrative revolves around a tyrannical headteacher who is known for his extreme methods of discipline, murdered in his office with three students as suspects. At Urban Promise Prep, students experience the Principal Moore Method which includes silent corridors and mealtimes, demerits for minor infractions and other extreme discipline. This is not too dissimilar to schools in reality, including in America and the UK, and so viewing these types of rules from the student perspective as an educator was discomforting but enlightening.

The first half of the book introduces the reader to the three student suspects, JB, Ramon and Trey, all with a grudge against Moore and in detention nearby the office at the time of the murder. This section includes excerpts from newspaper clippings, police interviews and perspectives from side characters which are a nice way of sharing a lot of detail with the reader. The second half of the book is where we really start to explore the crime in an attempt to expose the perpetrator (one of the students or someone else?!).

There are powerful messages about race, class and restriction within the narrative. The mystery was intriguing. However, the pacing of the novel (waiting until the second half to investigate and get any new information) was off, along with the fact that I felt the identity of the murderer was obvious quite early on. Brooks manages to get the reader to examine their own racial bias but at the expense of a plot twist which could have been juicier.

A good read but not surpassing the namesake books in its blurb quite yet. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Urban Promise Prep School is a charity school in Washington DC that takes boys from poor neighbourhoods and subjects them to a punishingly strict daily routine in an attempt to instil the discipline required to surpass expectations and make a success of their lives. (It reminded me of the Michaela School in London.) But when the Principal is shot in his office, three students find themselves in the spotlight of a murder investigation.

JB, Ramon and Trey were all in detention together, had motives to kill Principal Moore and initially suspect each other but soon decide to work together to find the real killer and expose what is happening behind the scenes at Promise. The story is told in bits of testimony from members of the community and from the perspectives of the three boys themselves.

'Promise Boys' combines a hard-hitting contemporary story about the expectations and prospects of Black and Latinx boys in the US, with a gripping school murder mystery. I really enjoyed this compelling and redemptive story - definitely buying this one for the school library. An excellent read!

Promise Boys was right up my street from the very beginning. I knew I needed to read this from looking at the synopsis and was thrilled to be approved for an early copy. A murdered principal and three main suspects all of whom have motive but maintain their innocence. The premise is great but the book is even better. The first half of the book is told via snippets of character testimonials for JB, Ramon and Trey from friends and family members which are added to with snippets from the news and circulations. This is followed by seeing the day before the murder and the day of the murder in the eyes of our three suspects JB, Ramon and Trey. I loved how this started off the book as it meant I was really invested in each of them by the second half and was then desperate to figure out who the real killer was. As a reader, getting to know the three suspects and understanding why they are suspects but from their POV really helped you to root for them in this story. The second half is the real mission: finding out who the real killer is from a whole plethora of options.

I really liked the characters in this book a lot. JB is described as a gentle giant, he wants to do well to help look after his mama and is desperate to impress the girl he likes with his lyrics. Trey is your up and coming basketball star living with an ex-army Uncle and looking to make it big in the sporting world. Ramon is related to members of the local gang but deep down wants to pursue his dream of being a chef. Alongside our three main suspects there are a whole other host of characters some of whom are brilliant and others of whom are very questionable.

Promise Prep itself seems like an absolutely hellish school. The boys aren’t allowed to talk to one another, they must walk on the blue line in the corridors, there are hand signals that are used to dismiss classes which must be done perfectly in time or it starts over again. It certainly didn’t feel very ‘school’ like but added to the tension aroudn the murder – surely there are plenty of people at Promise who would like to kill the principal?

I did really enjoy this book. It was fast-paced but you didn’t miss out on getting to know the characters. I didn’t guess who the killer was going to be either which was a bonus. The only slight downfall for me was that the end felt like it was over as soon as it started. I would have quite liked to see a bit more of how it all went down when the killer was revealed!

Promise Boys is an exhilarating YA thriller that will have you rooting for its characters and desperate to reveal the truth.

This book has had so much hype, and I kept hearing about it and seeing the cover everywhere. When a book is so hyped, I'm always dubious to read it. However, this book deserves all the hype!

Firstly, I was gripped from the first chapter! The writing of Nick Brooks was just so engrossing. I also have to say the style/format of the book is super original too.
The overall plot kept me guessing, but this book was so much more than a murder mystery. It has such deep and meaningful themes - so much to discuss and so much to think about. So many different levels to this book!

It's a gripping read, but it is so much more than that! The hype is so real with this book - will be urging everyone to read this one! Very special book!

Thank you to MacMillan Children’s Books and NetGalley for the arc of The Promise Boys by Nick Brooks in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Receiving a mail from MacMillan is always a wonderful thing and just over a month ago I received an offer to read The Promise Boys. This was a step outside of my fantasy and Sci Fi boundaries, and definitely not an offer to decline, and I’m so glad I didn’t as this was a read that totally pulled me in.

There’s no doubt that this book grabs you from page one, and if you’re a fan of Karen M McManus and Angie Thomas then you'll love this book. It starts with a gunshot and is told from the POVs of three boys who all attend The Promise school after they’re accused of murdering their principal.

This book will have a huge impact in 2023, absolutely no question. It challenges race, predjudice, society, the police and education systems and pulls no punches. This powerful story goes beyond a whodunnit murder mystery and will have far wider ramifications. 

My only disappointment was how quickly and suddenly this book ended but, otherwise it was a brilliant whodunnit and had me guessing to the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Promise Boys' by Nick Brooks.

'Promise Boys' was given to me by the publisher so I was eager to see what it was about: especially that stunner of a cover. The concept is fascinating to me and Nick Brooks executed it flawlessly. Every page I read, I was invested and I felt like I was in the story. It highlights what teens of Colour go through, and especially with the plot - I feel like it didn't sugar-coat the struggles. I'd definitely recommend people read this because it is worth it.

This is an AMAZING book that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. It is so engaging and completely hooks you in, I couldn't put it down as I had to know what happened so I read it in one sitting.
The writing is incredibly powerful and I loved that you got perspectives from practically everyone in the novel. the characters are well developed and I became very invested in them very quickly and the the storyline is riveting.
I loved it and I will definitely be looking for more from this author in the future

This is superb! It is a very clever concept for what is essentially a murder investigation but offers readers a great deal more. Based in Washington DC, the Promise school is a charity college for boys of colour from impoverished neighbourhoods and dysfunctional backgrounds. The mastermind is the headmaster Mr Moore but he is not all he seems. Rather than encourage the boys to go on to greater things, he is obsessed by the details of discipline. Then, during one normal school day, the head is murdered. The assumption, of course, is that given the type of boys at the school, it will be one of them who is the killer. The three main suspects, with the help of their girlfriends from another school set to and solve the case. This is a murder story leaving you desperate to know who fired the shot but it also has important messages about assumptions about the behaviour of children of colour. This book is an outstanding achievement and I strongly recommend it.

Promise Boys is a gripping mystery, narrated by a whole host of different and engaging characters.

The central premise of this YA novel is that the headteacher of a prestigious high school is murdered, and three of the school’s students are the main suspects. Most of the story is told from their POVs, constantly alternating between each of their perspectives, but a significant amount is told by other characters too, some of whom are only heard from once. Whilst this may sound confusing (and it definitely made me panic at first as I wondered how on earth I’d keep up with the ever-shifting perspectives) it works brilliantly. The reader is given the ability to peer into the mindsets of other students, as well as the suspects’ family members, in order to see how they’re affected by the murder and the consequent allegations.

Trey, Ramón and J.B are the names of our main three, but Keyana and Omar also stand out as particularly noteworthy characters. That’s not to mention the people who make up the school’s faculty, who were also interesting to hear from. I liked following each person on their respective journey as the plot progressed. Every character earnt their place in this irresistible, quick to read book too, and so many of them surprised me as I read more about them. I enjoy being able to accurately predict what might happen when reading a story, but Promise Boys proved to me that I enjoy being at a complete loss too. It certainly had me desperate to find the answer to who killed the boys’ principal.

Speaking of Principal Moore, I wasn’t expecting to be so engrossed in his characterisation! Nick Brooks did a fantastic job of making him a hateful, unlikeable person whilst also ensuring he was complex and made up of intricate, perplexing layers. Learning more about him towards the end of the novel was exciting for me, and honestly I did just enjoy hating him the whole time as I continued to root for Trey, Ramón and JB to get justice for themselves.

Brooks explores a number of themes in this book, from racism to classism, to friendship to solidarity, and each of them work very well in carrying the story forward. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys realistic, entertaining mysteries about strong believable teen characters. Make sure you read the author’s notes at the end too! They might just help you appreciate the story even more.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. It’s such a great YA mystery read. The story is told mainly from the pov of three boys who are suspected of killing their principal but also gives snippets of other characters thoughts. This does a really good job of building the plot and adds a nice bit of unreliable narrator which I always enjoy too. It’s clear from the beginning that although these three boys are the main suspects that their principal was not a likeable man and many others could have motives for his murder. The book builds suspense and is a gripping read whilst also highlighting some of the injustices that young black men face with the criminal justice system.
This was a brilliant read which I recommend to anyone who is a fan of YA mystery.

Promise Boys is an expeditious, explosive book. Brooks is onto an absolute stunner of a book here.

I loved the multimedia aspect of this book. It is woven from interviews, newspaper articles, snippets from side characters and the voices of the central three boys. This helps create the full picture of a corrupt system determined to put down men of colour before they get a chance to succeed. You watch the villainisation of these boys spread from the first page and also peek into the racism built into the entire process. It encourages you to question every little detail and interrogate where it really stems from.

Ramon, J.B. and Trey are such nuanced characters and when actually given a chance to speak, come across so strongly and fold into your heart instantly. Each of them is trying to thrive and live up to the expectations pressing down on him. They have dreams and desires that the school and society wants to drive out of them, but they cling to them anyway. The way family and friend connections are explored as well is fantastic. Also, this is such a taut and well-written murder mystery. The way the narrative also moves forwards and backwards in time belies some potential motivations for actions, but also slowly explains the truth behind other moments previously glimpsed. This is a tantalising thriller, with a real sense of time ticking away and tension building. We are presented with multiple clues, red herrings and some shocking twists and turns. Your foot stays on the pedal throughout, with impeccable pacing and revelations flying at you thick and fast. The system of this school is so unnerving and becomes increasingly so, as more details are unveiled.

Promise Boys is one of those books that will completely devour you and keep you captivated until the very end.

If you are a fan of Karen M McManus and Angie Thomas then you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down and read it until 2am. I love a good mystery and sometimes wish that I could share books like this one with the children at my school (but, being primary, they're too young). The characters are well written and you end up routing for all of them. As a teacher, I found the description of the behaviour management at Promise Academy worryingly realistic. I really enjoyed the way it was written from so many different characters' viewpoints and using text messages, emails and news reports interspersed between the prose. I also loved that there was a post script telling us what happened to the different characters in the end as I often find myself wondering.

I'm definitely going to be hunting out Nick Brooks' novel, Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont to see if it's more suited to the age range I teach. And I'll be sure to check out any future YA books for my own enjoyment.

Urban Promise Prep School opened with great principles for educating boys to young men. However, some years later it felt more like a prison to the students with a culture of toxic masculinity among many staff.
Given detentions because of totally unfair regulations J.B., Trey and Ramon are all in school when Principal Moore is shot, although only one remained in detention at that time. But all find themselves as suspects. All are black. All from families fighting poverty and judgement.
The writing is fast moving, introducing more and more characters, many of whom could be suspects.
When questioned by detectives it is an interrogation of each boy trying to pressurise them into admitting guilt. But all protest their innocence. So as they’ve been labelled as troublemakers and if the Police are assuming they all or one of them was guilty, they know they must try to find out who did kill Principle Moore.
With family support and good friends to help they start to investigate, moving from one suspect to another, uncovering more and more suspicious activity.

The formatting of this book was so interesting. I think it would also make a good audiobook because of it. I think this would be a great introduction to the mystery genre for young adults.

4.5 stars

Oooh this was so good! It's immediately intense and hooks you in right from the get go. Easily readable in one sitting, with perspectives from not only the three boys suspected of murdering their principal, but also perspectives of every single person around them, shining a light into the lives of Ramon, J.B. and Trey. This is a truly powerful story, with implications stretching far beyond a whodunnit murder mystery.

I did find that the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for me - there's quite a long introduction of perspectives and newspaper articles and interviews before you get into the actual chapters from the three main characters, and so with the ending wrapping up like 10 pages before the end of the book, I couldn't help but wished that had been slightly more fleshed out just for the book to feel better balanced.

However, that being said, this was still such a great read, and holds a really important message despite being quite short, and I would definitely recommend picking this up!