whitneydaniell

by: Nick Brooks
published: Jan 31, 2023
genre: Young Adult, Murder Mystery, Fiction
304 pages, Hardcover
GoodReads Link

GoodReads Synopsis:
The prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students―J.B., Ramón, and Trey―emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive . . . and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them?

Final Thoughts: It was a cute short read. Characters were, meh. Writing was, what to be expected of a young adult book – not a lot of slang or mention of TikTok or the like, which I appreciated. The plot was a little bit out of the realm of reality but again, nothing short of what I expected. The ending does leave a few questions, none that I can mention here without spoiling the book. There are a lot of characters to throw you off but, if you’re savvy and thriller/mysteries are your “thing” (like me) you figure it out very quickly. Each boy had a decent backstory – one that is not unlike stereotypical inner-city boys. I do wish the plot was more throughout out; the characters more fleshed out with more of a compelling story; and I would have cut back on some of the characters and side chapters.

There were whole chapters that I did not read. The sections of transcripts of the police interrogation; skipped. The sections from “nobody” just reiterating rumors; skipped. Side characters giving “character references” for the promise boys; skimmed through.

2.5 stars because I’m always going to read and support black writers and black stories. It wasn’t terrible but, I wouldn’t pick it up to read it again.