Do You Keep Your Promises?

 Promise Boys by Nick Brooks

The principle of Urban Promise Prep School has been murdered.  Three boys happened to be in detention that day and all three had a motive.  With everyone willing to believe that any or all of them could have done it, can they trust each other enough to work together to clear all their names?  

This book grabbed me from the beginning.  I like the way it is told from different perspectives.  I think I got to know the characters more by hearing them all speak in their own voices.  I also liked how you got a different piece from everyone, and you got to try to piece them together like a puzzle.  The writing was good.  Everyone had a unique voice so they didn't all sound alike and they were all believable.  You could meet these people.  You could also feel the frustration as, even in a school that is supposed to be helping them, the deck is stacked against them.  They feel powerless: against the school that feels more like a prison, against the principle who has a wonderful reputation but is not always just, and against the instant belief of almost everyone that they could have done this.  The only issue I have with this book is they try to solve the crime themselves.  I understand that they could not trust the police but sneaking around, breaking into places and confronting possible murderers do not seem like actions that should be condoned as a solution to your problems.  But I liked it all the same.  I like how the characters drew me in.  I like how it explored some weighty issues with honesty but was still able to fit it all into an engaging and entertaining story.  I liked how it kept a good pace and never dragged and how I liked all the different perspectives the same and didn't find myself suffering through someone's story just to get back to someone else's.  There is a lot to recommend this book and I hope to read more by Nick Brooks.

I got a free copy of this book from Bookish First.