I listened to this is a full cast audio. The audiobook is incredibly well done. However, the last hour was missing on my digital download. Thank goodness for TBBS as they helped fill in the last hour. I was a tad sad. None of the libraries around me, had Promise Boys on audio! This is a mystery about a prep school that has some very, strict rules. The idea is to teach boys to be “men”. However, this is not a happy go lucky school, which is obvious from first chapter when the principal is shot. The rest of the book is who did it and how. This was an entertaining read that feels real and feels very “now”. Any kid would be able to pick this up and go hey this isn’t my school, but I see things in this that are like my school. That’s why for me this is a book that is what I think you should read. ( )

My thoughts here: https://www.youtube.com/live/F9ituoeIb3U?feature=share ( )

Narrated by a full cast. When the principal of Promise School is shot and killed in his office, the rest of the school sees JB, Trey and Ramón as likely suspects given their proximity in the detention room next door, circumstantial evidence, and mostly because of their school "reputations." In the boys' attempts to figure out what happened and clear their names, readers are kept on their toes as to who the real suspect is. Details unspool about motivations, other parties, and the current state of the school. The full-cast performance will keep listeners tuned in. ( )

Urban Promise Prep charter school in DC gets all the praise for being a place where underprivileged boys are given a chance at success and learning self-worth. But when the principle (and founder) of the school is murdered in the building and three students are the prime suspects, the truth about the toxic culture in the school begins to leak out.

A solid YA mystery with Dark Academia vibes. I enjoyed how the pieces of the solution were slowly unfolded from the viewpoints of several characters, including the three suspected students. And the final reveal was nicely satisfying, if not as twisty and shocking as I’d have liked. ( )

This was an absolutely incredible book! It hooks you in from the first chapter and doesn't let you go until the heart pounding conclusion. It doesn't feel like the story is overly drawn out or overly dramatic it feels real. These characters don't feel like characters the way that they react and their thoughts and feelings make them seem human in a way that only the most talented storytellers can ever hope to manage. This is the perfect combination of locked room murder mystery and the awfulness of high school. These students go through more in this story than many people do in their entire lifetime. This book really asks you to question your place in society and the places of those around you. Is the murder victim of beloved principle or a just bought a king ruling his own twisted prison? This is more than just a murder mystery it's a deep character analysis and I loved every second of it. ( )