Flew through this! My second novel by this author and he is becoming one of my favorite YA thriller writers. The heavy themes of systemic injustice and the danger in reviling the truth makes this so realistic.

Up in Smoke is a gripping, high-stakes ride that blends mystery, tension, and raw emotion. Nick Brooks delivers a powerful story about loyalty, survival, and the search for truth in a world that’s quick to judge. Bold, timely, and impossible to put down.

“If there was ever a time to use my words, it was now. Things needed to change in this city. No, in this country. Better yet, around the world.”
No truer words were spoken in this powerful story about justice, loyalty, and the urgency of speaking up. When an innocent Black teenager is killed by a plainclothes police officer and the city of D.C. scrambles to cover it up, tensions boil over. Protests erupt, and friends find themselves on opposite sides of the peaceful vs. violent resistance debate—until one of their own is wrongfully accused, forcing them to unite.
Brooks keeps it real, emotionally and socially, with twists that hit hard and loyalties that get tested at every turn. A timely and thought-provoking read that definitely sticks with you.

This is an engaging and well-rounded dual POV YA mystery! The publisher compares it to The Hate U Give, which feels right. The main characters are grappling with the issue of police brutality corruption along with other social issues in a similar way.

My favorite thing about this book is how complex the characters are. Despite the fact that it’s YA, Brooks doesn’t simplify tricky moral issues to talk down to his audience. I also so appreciated how he modeled a healthy teen dating relationship without sermonizing or sacrificing romantic tension.

Highly recommend!

Secrets, suspense, and bad decisions… this multi-POV mystery will keep you guessing. A multi-layered story of social justice woven in with a light romance, Cooper and Monique have to solve a crime before Monique’s brother takes the fall. Cooper has kept a major secret from Monique, however, that keeps him very motivated to figure out the real criminal. Much like the author’s other book, the reader finds out details as the POV switches and more is revealed from each perspective. A riveting quick read sure to be a hit with reluctant readers and mystery fans alike.

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC! I am always looking for books for my school book club, and this one will definitely make the cut. It's timely, engaging, and the characters are spot-on. The action, plot, and narration kept me on the edge of my seat. Our only issue might be NOT reading the whole book in a week!

UP IN SMOKE by Nick Brooks tells the story of a sister trying to clear her brother’s name.

When Cooper King is convinced by his friend, Jason to join in a looting expedition during a demonstration, shots ring out and a young woman is dead. When Jason is arrested for her murder, his sister Monique decides that she needs to clear his name. She enlists Cooper’s help, but he is harbouring the secret that he was actually there when the shots were fired, although Monique believes he was long gone. Cooper is also trying to hide his attraction to his friend’s sister as this goes against the ‘bro code’. As their investigation intensifies and takes them into the underbelly of their town, they learn that they live in a world much different than they thought.

I really struggled with this one. While the plot was good, I seemed to have trouble staying focused and found I was dragging myself through in places. I kept wondering how old these kids were anyway. If it said so in the beginning, I missed it. The writing was clear and concise, it just didn’t hold my attention for long periods of time.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Publishing for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an early copy in exchange for a review.

This story had a good outline and plot, but it just wasn’t executed well. The beginning was slow. The middle was starting to get good, but then it just kind of ends pretty unrealistically. Just take them home to their parents? That’s it? Ok.

After reading Promise Boys a couple years back, I was so excited for Up in Smoke, and it did not disappoint!! This is an amazing genre mash up that I just ate up! The Hate You Give meets Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. I will be recommending to my students and teacher friends and you!

We follow Monique and Cooper after their friend/brother is wrongfully arrested for a murder he didn’t commit and the only way to prove it is to find the real murderer themselves! I lived watching their investigation take shape as they navigated the other aspects of the journey including their own relationship. Brooks does so well writing YA that doesn’t feel too YA, but is still accessible to teen and adult readers. I just loved this story!

Thank you netgalley and henryholtbooks for the advance digital copy. All opinions are mine.

I loved The Promise Boys, so when I saw there was another book by Brooks coming out I was hella excited! And sure enough, this one was just as good as the other one. This mystery had me hooked, I was yelling at the MC like I was his librarian IRL, and I obviously had to try and solve it before they did lol

Ok so the mystery in this one stressed me out. I had to take a couple breaks here and there because I was mad af at him for some of that shit he was doing. Like I didn’t like how he ended up there at all. And I had to keep reminding myself they were just children because they made some DECISIONS. The house? The “field trip?” Lordt my heart was going a mile a minute. And then when it all came out and the enemy was the enemy, I was impressed with the way Brooks did that.

The romance was cute. I always find it hilarious when a romance sparks up in the middle of a murder mystery because it always seems so out of pocket lol But this one was actually really organic. I thought it worked so well because they were originally friends and they had a connection through a previous crush already. I thought they transitioned pretty easily into their new roles. Which made it all the worse for me when that third act break up hit. This is another one of those times when I had to take a break because I was cringing so hard about what he did. That was a pretty bone headed decision Cooper and I was glad you got some push back about it because why in the world would you do that, do THAT, and then think it was ok to not say anything?! I wanted to pop him lol

The ending was the only thing that I had a bit of trouble with. It felt a little abrupt. I think I wanted more about the person behind it. I knew their story because he gave us the run down, but it was so fast and sort of info dumpy. And then they were already trying with the safe. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was a little more spread out.

This was a bit scary because it really felt like something that could actually happen. I really felt like this was something that I might see on the news. And that is pretty scary. All of this to say, read this if you haven’t already!

Okay, this one grabbed me fast. Up in Smoke is sharp, smart, and full of heart. The characters feel alive — messy, real, and fully themselves — and the pacing was perfect. I tore through it in two days.

Brooks has a way of weaving weighty, current event themes without making them feel heavy. There’s grit, but there’s also warmth in the story. I was invested in the plot and the straight forward writiing.

Can’t wait to see this one out in the world.

Up in Smoke is Nick Brooks' second book after Promise Boys. Like Promise Boys, Up in Smoke is a mystery told in alternating points of view. Cooper is good friends with his long time best friend and crush's brother, Jason, but when Jason asks him to be a part of a robbery Cooper is conflicted: Cooper has just lost his summer job and feels compelled to help his father with his mother's medical debt after her death. When Jason assures him he'll just be a lookout and won't actually steal anything Cooper reluctantly agrees, but as Cooper and Jason's crew start looting during a protest that Monique, his crush, is leading, things don't go as planned. Cooper flees the protest and makes it home only to discover that Jason has been arrested for murder. Can Monique and Cooper clear Jason's name and prove that something larger is happening? Or will Jason go down for murder and will Cooper be caught up in it? I really liked that the characters in this were nuanced. Cooper and Jason both made mistakes but there was a lot more to the story than an outsider might have seen -- and both were trying to learn from their mistakes and better themselves. The larger mystery and suspense of trying to figure out the murder was engaging and will keep readers invested in the story. I really liked how everything came together in the end and enjoyed reading this one. If you like mystery or Brooks' other novel, pick this one up! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Up in Smoke was an absolute page turner full of racial reckoning, potentially dirty cops, and propulsive mystery. Plus, the fact that Nick Brooks created a rap playlist with a third POV to accompany the text is such a genius choice!

As soon as I read Nick Brooks' debut novel, "Promise Boys," I knew he was destined to be a powerful new voice in young adult fiction. "Up in Smoke" only further solidifies that fact.

This is such an incredibly propulsive read, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat because it has a little bit of everything: mystery, suspense, action, romance, and poignant social commentary. While the story may ask you to suspend a little disbelief as its two teenage leads constantly put their lives on the line to investigate a police shooting on their own, it also resonates for that exact same reason, because it's giving two Black teenagers agency to actively fight back against injustice — agency and opportunity that so many Black kids are not actually afforded in real life.

There's also a complex moral struggle at the center of the story, especially with Cooper, who was actively being an accessory to crime when the shooting initially took place. I appreciate how the story doesn't condemn Cooper and his friends for the choices they've had to make, but rather attempts to give the reader the full context of them to show that our ideas of "good" and "bad" a) aren't mutually exclusive, and b) don't exist in a vacuum. None of us are inherently good are bad; we are simply the choices we make next.

I thought this was a high-octane YA thriller that puts a refreshing spin on the genre. It's action-packed, but also tempered by moments of tenderness and slow-burn romance between the two leads, who are both earnestly fighting for their own futures in different ways. This was great, and I'm super excited to see what Nick Brooks does next in this space!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was not my favorite thriller I have ever read but it wasn’t my least favorite either. I definitely enjoyed parts of it, it was fast paced but felt a little too predictable for me. But probably would be good for a YA thriller!

Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks is a compelling and timely YA mystery that blends social commentary with a gripping whodunit. When a high school is rocked by a shocking fire and the death of a popular student, suspicion quickly falls on a group of Black teens with a reputation—but the truth, as always, is more complicated.

Brooks does an excellent job exploring themes of systemic bias, identity, and justice, all while keeping the plot moving at a solid pace. The multiple POVs offer different perspectives that add depth, especially as the mystery unfolds and the stakes rise.

The novel delivers a strong message without sacrificing entertainment, making it a standout in the YA mystery genre.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed One of Us Is Lying or The Hate U Give but want something that thoughtfully blends both.

A powerful story of what people can do if they have the passion and persistence to right wrongs. I could have been ripped from the headlines; the killing of young men of color, the incarceration of young men of color for crimes they didn’t commit, and police corruption blend together and tell a compelling story. And in the middle of it all young love blooms.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

Well done! A powerful and gripping read! This story tackles serious issues like police corruption, systemic injustice, and the vulnerability of Black and Brown youth in a way that feels both raw and heartfelt. The characters are well-developed, especially Cooper, whose internal conflict and voice stayed with me long after finishing. The pacing kept me hooked, and the emotional depth added weight to the mystery. YA read but I recommend it for E for everyone! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan publishing for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Nick Brooks, and Macmillan Children's Publishing for the eARC. This was such an emotional and heavy read—it really got to me. With everything going on in the world right now, the story hit even harder. It’s one that’ll stay with me for a while.

What a great mystery in the backdrop of a powerful narrative. This was my first book by Nick Brooks and I thoroughly enjoyed his exploration on poignant topics such as police brutality, systemic oppression, and racism. I liked that there was a mystery but appreciated the focus on the tough topics and the relationships between the two main characters. Both of the main characters were well developed and easily came to life. I particularly loved the addition of Monique’s poems. If you’re looking for a fast paced YA thriller, definitely check this out! 4⭐️