Promise Boys
Welcome to Urban Promise Prep high school, a place where hundreds of Black and Latino boys are given the tools to achieve their goals and strive for success. At least, that’s what they want you to believe. Sooner or later the truth is bound to come out. Whispers don’t tend to stay quiet for long, after all …
These are the facts: Principal Moore, of Urban Promise Prep, was murdered; three students have been accused of committing the crime; Trey, J.B. and Ramón must prove their innocence or face prison; nobody knows exactly what happened.
This novel openly and unflinchingly discusses the damage caused by the false narratives and assumptions that society creates about Black and Latino teenage boys. These reputations follow the characters around in their public and personal lives. Everyone in town judges the morality of Trey, J.B. and Ramón based on rumours and hearsay. In school, they are praised or vilified by authority figures who are entrusted to guide them through their studies.
This emphasis on reputation is reflected in the attention-grabbing cover illustration. The reader is immediately drawn into the world of Promise. Trey, J.B. and Ramón appear on the cover with neutral expressions beside a height measure. Only one character is facing forward, while the other two are shown from the side – as if they have already been convicted. A fast-paced read filled with twists, turns and lies, Brooks’s début novel is a powerful addition to the thriller sphere.
