PROMISE BOYS is a mixed format YA mystery thriller that starts off with the death of a neighborhood's beloved principal of an all-boy's prep academy that gets pinned on three of the young men who attend. Right off the bat, through a series of documentary-style side-character insights, interview transcripts, and traditional narration, we're introduced to this neighborhood, the school, and the tension. PROMISE BOYS interrogates how men (not young men, but GROWN men) perpetuate toxic masculinity and pass it on to younger generations.

We follow three dynamic and distinct young men who are not perfect and simply want to clear their name of a crime they did not commit against a man who was also less than perfect. PROMISE BOYS keeps you wanting to know what happened and piece together the events; we already known the end result, so the fun is finding out how we got there. There's a strong mix of complex main characters and fully realized supporting characters with a nice variety of personality that create and fill in this community. Side-note: I was roting for JB and Keyana the entire time lol. I highly recommend the audiobook; it's a full cast and the production value is impeccable. 

Okay, first of all: THIS COVER. Like wow. Moving along…Right from the start of the book, you know this is going to be a wild and funny ride. Dasgupta’s writing is hilarious and descriptive, and she makes it so easy to imagine the world she’s created for these characters. The friendship that grows between Kiranmala and Neel is honest, sometimes awkward (in that adorable way a 12 year can be lol), and, eventually, so full of trust that it warms your heart. Kiranmala, even though she’s scared out of her wits, never backs down from any challenge presented to her, and she’s a heroine I’d want any little girl to read about and admire. I will definitely be continuing with this series, and I’m so glad I already have Game of Stars on my shelves!

First things first: I desperately NEED a movie based on this novella. Full stop. Hire Jordan Peele, cast an up and coming bunch of actors, and give it the budget it deserves. Ness Brown’s writing in this novella is soooooo creepy — I was able to envision everything! There’s lots of tension and jump scares, surprising answers to questions brought up in the beginning of the story, and perfect pacing. The descriptive writing plunges you into the story and grips you until the very end. I literally found myself saying aloud several times “nope nope nope” because I was getting CHILLS whilst reading. I loved the scientific horror in this compact and powerful punch of a story, and I’m looking forward to more of Ness Brown’s writing.