I finished Promise Boys in two days. That’s how badly I needed to know the ending. Additionally, Fierce Reads sent me an audio book which made the whole process – of listening while knitting and before bed – so much easier! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
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?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
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.
But Promise Boys was impossible for me to put down, especially at the end. It’s about the rocks that lead to a landslide. The people, forces, and circumstances. It also paints a picture of an education system which sees kids as people to break, to impart obedience, and not knowledge or guidance. It takes ‘guidance’ and thinks they know best. Part of what made Promise Boys so utterly readable as the audio book which was phenomenal. Not only was it full cast, but it also included sound effects which gave everything a cinematic and tense feeling. If audio books are your thing, I highly recommend it! I listened to half the book on audio alone!
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Promise Boys will sweep you away. With everything on the line, it’s a story expertly examining the dominoes falling. Brooks asks us who we are as whole people, not just the uniforms we wear or halls we walk. Find Promise Boys on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org, The Book Depository, Libro.fm, and Google Play.