Promise Boys

Description: J.B., Ramâon, and Trey, students of the Urban Promise Prep School, must follow the school's strict rules, but when their principal is murdered, the three boys must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested.

Brief description: Nick Brooks is the critically-acclaimed author of Promise Boys and Up in Smoke, as well as an 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. Before becoming a filmmaker, Nick was an educator working with at-risk youth, and many of his stories are inspired by his experiences with the children and families of his community. He is also the author of the middle-grade series, Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont.

Review Quotes:

A 2024 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Young Adults
A 2023 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honoree
Named to TWENTY State Awards Lists!
A NY Public Library & Kirkus Best Book of 2023

"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

"I was at the edge of my seat trying to figure out if I was reading a story about boys becoming men or boys becoming killers--you will be too. 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

"I can't wait to see this expertly crafted mystery take the world over." --Nic Stone, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Dear Martin

"Nothing short of astounding. A spellbinding, propulsive mystery while simultaneously presenting a searing critique of structural injustice. I recommend it to anyone who loves books or doesn't." --Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of The Serpent King and In the Wild Light

"An edge-of-your-seats, street-smart, exploding-with-talent novel." --Francisco X. Stork, author of On the Hook

* "A top-notch page-turner and deep character study . . . will grip readers, who won't want to stop reading." --Booklist, starred review

* "Breathtakingly complex and intriguing." --Kirkus, starred 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

* "This cinematic thriller deftly entertains readers while leveling a sharp indictment of society's mistreatment of Black and Latinx teenage boys. A tense and urgent mystery that can help break the cycle it condemns." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

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

"Builds to an exhilarating crescendo." --Horn Book