An Interview with Nick Brooks, Author of Promise Boys
January 17, 2023 | 12:00 PM
An Interview with Nick Brooks, Author of Promise Boys
By Team Fierce Reads
Do you love books like The Hate U Give and One of Us Is Lying? Nick Brooks's Promise Boys is a trailblazing, blockbuster mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names. We promise this book will keep you up late into the night, but if you need some extra incentive to pick this one up, be sure to check out this interview with the author!
What makes J.B., Ramón, and Trey fierce?
J.B.’s passion makes him fierce.
Ramón’s loyalty makes him fierce.
Trey’s perseverance makes him fierce.
If you could give the boys of Urban Promise Prep one piece of advice, what would it be?
To love themselves and one another, be their authentic selves and follow their dreams. Sorry, I know that’s more than one!
What's the most interesting thing you learned while researching Promise Boys?
One of the most interesting things I’ve found is a historic 2020 court ruling recognizing literacy as a constitutional right, which deviates from the traditional understanding that education is NOT a right. This blew me away because it sets a precedent that can be used to hold schools legally accountable for ensuring an adequate education for ALL kids. This is a case more people should be talking about. (Gary B. v. Whitmer)
What's your favorite part of being an author?
So far my favorite part has been getting back into classrooms and talking through my work with students.
What 3 words would you use to describe Promise Boys?
Suspenseful, Heartbreaking, Illuminating.
ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
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?
ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
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? 
