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Powell's Staff: New Literature in Translation: November 2023 (0 comment)

Here we are, with our final literature in translation round-up of 2023! And what a year it’s been, full of great books from around the world, all enthusiastically recommended by Powell’s booksellers. We’ll be back with a new post in January 2024, but until then, we hope you enjoy these eight new titles, released in November. On this list...

Powell's Staff: Best Books of 2023: Fiction (0 comment)
Powell's Staff: Best Books of 2023: Nonfiction (3 comments)

Promise Boys

by Nick Brooks

ISBN13: 9781250866974
ISBN10: 1250866979
Condition: Like New

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying in Nick Brooks's Promise Boys, a trailblazing, blockbuster YA mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal's murder to clear their own names — for fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Karen McManus.

"A brilliant pulls-no-punches mystery with bruised hearts at its core." — Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End.

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

"Heartbreaking and riveting in equal measure." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Review

"Brooks excels in creating protagonists worthy of applause and truly foul villains, whose presences linger long after this atmospheric read ends." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Review

"Breathtakingly complex and intriguing." Kirkus (Starred Review)

Synopsis

The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying in Nick Brooks's Promise Boys, a trailblazing, blockbuster mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal's murder to clear their own names--for fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Karen McManus.

"A brilliant pulls-no-punches mystery with bruised hearts at its core." --Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End

"Thrilling, captivating, and blade-sharp. Promise Boys will stay with you long after the last page." --Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ram n, 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.

Synopsis

A blockbuster 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.

"Thrilling, captivating, and blade-sharp." --Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

"A brilliant pulls-no-punches mystery." --Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End

The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ram n, 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.

About the Author

Nick Brooks is an author and award-winning filmmaker from Washington, DC. He is a 2020 graduate of USC's TV and Film Production program. His short film, Hoop Dreamin', earned him the George Lucas Scholar Award and was a finalist in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Film Fest. He is currently in development for his first feature film, We Were Born Kings, with Mandalay Pictures. Before becoming a filmmaker, Nick was an educator working with at-risk youth and many of his stories are colored by his experiences with the children and families of his community.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating 4 (7 comments)

`	bookchik , May 08, 2023 (view all comments by bookchik) One of my favorite books of 2023! I absolutely love how this book put us in each character's shoes and explored how all the different characters were thinking and feeling. It reminded me of Wonder by R.J. Palacio, in that it took the time to make us see things from everyone's point of view not just the main three boys. This was a fast-moving story, that grabbed my attention and never let go. I enjoyed how the author explored issues of race, poverty, and inequality in our school systems and our nation's justice system. It felt very authentic, in how people rushed to judge the boys and how Principal Moore was upheld as this savior of young men. I liked how we saw that the school shifted over time until it was an unrecognizable prison holding these male students hostage instead of nurturing them into men. The characters were really well written, and no character was a stand up cardboard cut out. All characters were explored and it made for an excellent novel. I am looking forward to seeing what else this author creates in the future.
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`	TheLadywithGlasses , April 25, 2023 (view all comments by TheLadywithGlasses) The book switches POVs from one boy to another and various other people. The character voices ring clearly from the page as each manifests their inner thoughts. Parents or guardians are staunch in their defense (predictable statements like “not my kid” are rife). Others have their doubts about the system in which the boys find themselves. Internal pressures (like stress nosebleeds) and external ones (gang members hovering too close and the ever-present poverty line) contribute to the tension rising in these pages. So why the two-star rating? It’s because of the tired trope of the kids deciding to solve the mystery by themselves. Yes, their opinions on the way cops typically treat blacks mean that they dare not go to the police with their findings. But, as their discoveries get more concrete, their alibis become more solid and outside circumstances (like a mis-taken firearm) become apparent, you’d think at some point these adolescents would go to the cops and present what they know. This “meddling kids” shenanigans are ever so tiring to read and nerve-wracking as well. It was a good story. It’s just not great enough for me to recommend wholeheartedly.
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`	lurkykitty , February 03, 2023 (view all comments by lurkykitty) Urban Promise Prep School is a school for the "lost boys" of the DC school system, founded by its strict, rigid, authoritarian principal, Kenneth Moore. During a Friday night basketball game, Moore is found shot dead in his office. There are three primary suspects, J.B., Trey and Ramon. All are students, two are Black, and the third is Latino, each facing their own challenges. They were all supposed to be in detention at the time of the murder. None have an alibi, and all have a motive. Promise Boys is cleverly written, made up of a compilation of chapters from the perspectives of key characters, as well as articles and interviews with witnesses, other students and parents. The story is intense, fast-paced and hooks the reader right away. More than just a murder mystery, Promise Boys explores some serious issues such as racism, poverty, abuse, gun violence, incarceration, urban gangs, and the failure of the educational system. It's clear to J.B., Trey and Ramon that black and brown boys get no benefit of the doubt and no presumption of innocence. Promise Boys is gripping, powerful and deserving of all the hype. It would also make an amazing film. Thank you to BookishFirst for a copy to review.
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Product Details

ISBN:: 9781250866974
Binding:: Hardcover
Publication date:: 01/31/2023
Publisher:: HENRY HOLT & CO
Pages:: 304
Height:: 1.05IN
Width:: 6.29IN
Age Range:: 14 to 17
Grade Range:: 9 to 12
Author:: Nick Brooks

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`	alliep , January 31, 2023 (view all comments by alliep) I love how this book is constructed, half like a regular book with POVs from the three main characters, and half like a documentary. Those parts are short chapters from a variety of characters who give their perspective on J.B., Trey, or Ramón, and what they think happened to Principal Moore. The writing flowed really well, and I pretty much flew through the entire book. My favorite part is the last quarter, where the characters all come together to solve the mystery. There wasn't a big sort of reveal or shocking twist, but the conclusion was satisfying.
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`	Mallory , January 31, 2023 (view all comments by Mallory) This is one of those books that you just devour in a matter of hours. I loved the format. The book is made up of various articles and interviews by witnesses in addition to some chapters from key characters’ perspectives. The writing is excellent and the story just flowed keeping me glued to the pages. Urban Promise Prep school for boys seems like the perfect DC alternative for families in neighborhoods with poor public schools. But there are secrets lurking inside it’s walls. And nothing brings out secrets like a dead body. When the principal Mr. Moore, is found shot the three boys that had detention are the prime suspects. Trey, Ramon, and J.B. each are determined to figure out what happened. The characters are all very interesting and I was quickly invested into knowing if one of the boys did (and hoping not) and what was going to happen to them (which was good because I cared a lot less about Principal Moore receiving justice).
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`	bostieslovebooks , January 31, 2023 (view all comments by bostieslovebooks) When the principal of an urban prep school is murdered, three students are named as suspects. Can the boys work together to figure out who the real killer is… or is it actually one of them? I had read a sample of PROMISE BOYS weeks ago and wasn’t sure if it was going to be the right YA book for me. I love a good mystery; however, the synopsis didn't catch my attention in the way that other books have. Even so, I decided to give it a chance when I saw it available at my library. I liked that there were multiple narrators as that can make a book very interesting when you get to see multiple characters' perspectives. The problem I found was that many of the narrators sounded too similar. Additionally, some of them were inconsistent within their voice. The concept of having numerous characters tell their stories combined with transcripts of police interviews and text messages of the main characters was cool but ultimately wasn’t enough to hold my attention sufficiently. I found myself feeling bored during parts and wanting to get to the end just to find out what happens. It took a significant portion of the book to finally get to the boys investigating the murder themselves. The ending felt too fast and seemed like it resolved things almost too nicely. A great part of this book though is the keenly observed social commentary sprinkled throughout. This wasn’t a favorite read of mine, though I think PROMISE BOYS will hit better with a young adult audience.
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`	solenophage , January 28, 2023 (view all comments by solenophage) Promise Boys uses the premise of a murder mystery to explore the biases against and unfair expectations of Black and Latino boys as well as the corruption and cruelty often present within the educational system. The structure of this book worked in its favor both in developing the discussion of these issues and building up the mystery. The book is split between the POVs of the three main characters and a mixture of articles, interviews, and perspectives from other members of their community. The variety of perspectives gives a full view of the different ways the three accused boys, their murdered principal, and the school system are viewed. It was often painful to see how the main characters' struggles and emotions became ammunition against them. However, the pacing could have used tweaking. A lot of the book was spent on set-up, with less time for the investigation and unraveling of the mystery. I would have liked to see more of the boys and their allies working together and putting the clues together. The ending too felt a bit sudden and almost too neatly resolved.
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