We Promise

I had bought some books for my classroom that I thought my students might enjoy, but it turns out that I enjoyed them as well! I typically like to read the books in my classroom before I put them on the shelf so that I can make good recommendations to my students, and I was pleasantly surprised with the mystery and heart that I encountered in Nick Brooks’ book, “Promise Boys.”

“Promise Boys” is the story of three teenagers, all of whom are often looked down upon by society, as they navigate the tribulations of an elite urban preparatory school designed to make them successful, college-ready young men. Urban Promise Prep is a school designed to take boys from more disadvantaged neighborhoods in the metropolitan DC area and give them the opportunity to engage in rigorous academics and a strict behavior code of conduct to mold themselves into the pinnacles of prestige. However, the methods employed by the faculty and staff at Urban Promise Prep, under the cold-hearted principal, Kenneth Moore, are far more abusive than they are merciful.

With a strict dress code and immaculate grooming standards, a blue line to walk on with hands firmly behind your back, and a strict no talking policy, the boys of Urban Promise often feel as though they have entered a prison instead of a school. As demerits and detentions are handed out relentlessly, and an expulsion can happen at any moment, Urban Promise becomes an institution of punishment, not of learning.

As a mysterious tragedy strikes the school, and Principal Moore is found dead, three students, J.B., Trey, and Ramón, are all marked as primary suspects. Each boy had an unsavory encounter with Moore shortly before his murder giving them all a motive, but as these boys call on their friends and one another to solve the mystery of this murder and identify the true culprit, they find out that this mystery runs deeper than they ever imagined.

What I liked the most about this book was the way that the chapters changed perspectives. For me, this can sometimes be a hit or miss depending on the approach that the author takes, but I thought that Brooks did an incredible job at weaving together the different voices of the characters and sharing their intimate thoughts, feelings, and histories with the reader. This book had a truthful, honest, quality to it that was displayed in the way that the different characters spoke and acted and the dialogue that was used throughout. I thought that the overall presentation of the characters was well done, and I think that it was easy for me to become invested in the struggles and unfair circumstances that these boys were given.

One of the things that I didn’t really care for while I was reading this book was the pacing. There were moments when I found myself devouring chapter after chapter, but then there were moments where I felt like the narrative stalled a little bit, or threw in some unnecessary elements that delayed the more thrilling narrative elements.

Another significant thing that made this book difficult at times was the treatment and abuse of these characters at the hands of the people who are supposed to care for them the most. As a teacher, it was hard reading about the way that Principal Moore and the “educators” at Urban Promise Prep treated their students, and it really made me think about the lengths some people will go to for optics, success, and money–especially when that comes at the expense of children.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend “Promise Boys” to anyone looking for a school-based mystery filled with well-written characters, multiple perspectives, and hints of optimism.

⭐⭐⭐