Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
Review By: Ellen Pristash
Published: 2023; Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Crime, Suspense
Audience: 9, 10, 11, 12
Triggers: There are swear words throughout the book (mostly the f-word), but probably not much different than what is in The Hate You Give and/or All American Boys.
Goodreads Review: Promise Boys is a blockbuster, dark academia mystery about three teens of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names. This page-turning thriller is perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Holly Jackson. The prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students―J.B., Ramón, and Trey―emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive . . . and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them? Find out who killed Principal Moore in Nick Brooks's murder mystery, Promise Boys ― The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying.
Review: “Rumor has it a student brought a gun to school the day of the murder. You didn’t hear it from me.” This statement creates a bias in your thinking from the beginning. Kenneth Moore was the founder and principal of The Urban Promise Prep School in the District of Columbia. The prep school was created to keep those “boys” off the street, create men out of them, and prepare them for college using strict rules and extreme discipline. The boys at the prep school wore stuffy uniforms, there was no “fraternizing” with other students, no music, no cell phones, no colored shoes or socks, and no way to earn points for being good just demerits. When principal Moore is found shot dead in his office, three boys, J.B. Trey, and Ramon, become the main suspects. JB is being raised by a single mom, lives in one of the poorest housing projects, he’s not dumb but has never had anyone teach him in a way that he could learn. On the day of the shooting, he comes across a gun in the
bathroom, leaves it there, heads back to class, and lands in detention that afternoon for having his phone out before the end of the day. Trey is being raised by his uncle, a former Marine. His uncle is determined to change his bad attitude. On the morning of the murder, Trey was already in trouble and would be serving detention. Rushing out the door so not to be late for school, he picks up what he thought was his backpack but when he arrived at school found it was his uncle’s with his uncle’s gun in it. He panics and doesn’t know what to do. Ramon is always hustling homemade food, getting into trouble at school for it, and is in detention on the day of the murder for just that. Ramon is always watched because he has a cousin in a gang so naturally people think he’s involved, too. They all had reasons for not liking Principal Moore but all of them said they would never shoot anyone. They all proclaimed their innocents but their stories of where they were at the time of the shooting were weak. With the help of some trusted friends, the boys begin to put the pieces together. Though suspicious of each other because none of them were actually in the detention room at the time of the murder, they need to learn to trust each other to figure out who killed Principal Moore. The first half of the book developed each character and the scenario well to make the reader really think about who the possible killer was. The bias is clear throughout the book, and I found myself not liking Principal Moore and a few other adults at the school. The ending felt a little rushed, but I think it worked well enough. There are swear words throughout the book (mostly the f-word), but probably not much different than what is in The Hate You Give and/or All American Boys.
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