Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Promise Boys

I enjoyed the story, and the killer wasn't who I was expecting, though plenty of hints were dropped as to who it might be. I liked the focus on who these boys weren't bad kids they were just seen that way because of the color of their skin and the neighborhoods they were from. I also really liked the epilogue and seeing where they ended up.
Also the full-cast audio really drew me into the story and was amazingly done!

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lybrarie's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's difficult for a book with less than 300 pages to do everything it sets out to do effectively, but I think this book did it perfectly. It was fast-paced, interesting and just a great read. I loved the structure of the book - with the rumours and opinions of other characters tied in with the boys' perspectives. I can think of nothing wrong with this book, I had a great time reading it and I think it did a great job of highlighting how people are profiled just because of the way they look.

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bookswithca's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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caseythereader's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thanks to Macmillan for the free advance copy of this book.

- I blew through PROMISE BOYS in one sitting. The format of the book - switching between the three boys' perspectives along with commentary from others in the community, news clippings, etc. - made the book move super fast as I was eager to gather the clues with the protagonists.
- You'll find yourself wanting to shout at the book as each boy's story is told, wanting to grab the adults and make them pay attention to what is actually going on in these kids' lives. It's a really heavy book, despite the speed at which it moves.

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