First book i have read by this author. It was a fast passed young adult thriller. I liked the dual point of view as it allowed you to see mystery unfold and different view points. This also allowed for deeper character development. Would be interested in reading other books from this author, would recommend

Up in smoke was a quick thriller that I couldn't put down. It was such a page turner. I have never read anything from this author before but absolutely would love too.

When I requested this, I was thinking it was something similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. In a way, it is, but it is decidedly different as well. The Hate U Give was also mentioned, and I think it more follows that line than AGGGTM.

This book is set in pretty current day DC in what is obviously not a well off black neighborhood, and our main characters are a few young black men and women trying to make their way in life. There’s riots and protests and violence in the streets, and they end up tangled up in a murder investigation. This is a very racially charged book highlighting how difficult it is for a young black adult to make any headway in life, especially when the government defunds critical outreach programs. I don’t pretend to understand how it really is, but I do enjoy reading different perspectives, and this is certainly something I won’t ever have to experience as a white female. It’s a fairly linear plot line without a lot of bells and whistles, but I think that’s mostly because the author is more highlighting the struggles of the kids.

The female main character is a little one dimensional for me personally, but the MMC has a lot more POV chapters, so it makes sense that he has more range. There’s a blooming romance between them as well, but it certainly isn’t the main point of the book.

The writing is very easy to follow, although I did come across a typo or too (remember, this is an ARC, so that will likely be fixed upon publication), and the language lines up pretty well for our characters. I really enjoyed Mo’s poems as well.

I enjoyed this well enough, but it did take me a few chapters to really invest in it. The last half of the book reads very quickly though, mostly because there is just so much action involved. It isn’t something I’d normally pick up, but I have no regrets about reading it. 3.75⭐️

Cooper King finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation when his best friend Jason, who is like an older brother, is arrested for the murder. Jason's sister, Monique, is determined to figure out who really pulled the trigger, and asks Cooper for his help. Cooper battles his loyalty to Jason and lying to Monique, his longtime crush, as they investigate what really happened the night of the murder. One of the blurbs said Up in Smoke is perfect for Karen McManus fans, and I agree with this statement. Readers will enjoy the thrill of this young adult mystery.

Cooper, really a pretty good guy, keeping his head down, but this changes one night. A woman is shot during a looting spree and his best friend Jason is the prime suspect. Cooper teams up with Monique, Jason’s sister, to uncover the truth but the case becomes more and more complex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for the gifted ARC. While the storytelling style of this book was very accessible and bingeable, I (unfortunately) do not feel I will be able to recommend this book to my audiences. For one, why is there a clear moral agenda being imposed on the reader? There were several points where the protagonists reference the “right” way to protest, resist, and engage in the fight against systemic racism. Who is determining what is considered right or wrong? Additionally, I found it curious to quote Fred Hampton in the dedication of this book while actively writing a narrative that is both counterrevolutionary and quite literally the opposite of Fred Hampton’s ideology toward US criminal Justice systems. I was deeply disappointed by this book.

This quick read gets you hooked right away. There’s a rally/protest for an unjust racial shooting. Mid rally, shots are fired and someone else dies. One of the main characters and his buddies are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and are caught up in the chaos. What follows is a predictable plotline of racial profiling by the police and how can innocence be proven in such circumstances. Told in two viewpoints, one male and one female, the teens try to override the police in order to get to the bottom of who the real shooter was. Even though this isn’t a new plotline, it is still recommended for reluctant high school readers. 3.5 stars rounded up for the reluctant readers

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy of Up In Smoke. At first glance I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to proceed given the subject matter, but the more I read I quickly saw Nick’s approach and continued. This book is very chilling and thought provoking! You’ll be asking yourself questions such as what would you do to challenge injustice? Would you join in on the side of chaos or do as you were told and stay home? How far would go to help a friend? I honestly enjoyed this book so much and I couldn’t put it down! It has a Scooby Doo feel to it and you will be hooked from the very first chapter! The action, drama, tense decision making, with a sprinkle of romance will have you on the edge. Each chapter is more explosive than the next as the two main characters uncover the truth and the deeper they look, their friendship will be tested! I was in disbelief at the ending! Wow! I look forward to reading more books by Nick Brooks in the future!

I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is a fast-paced and great read. I enjoyed the author's previous work, and I also really enjoyed this one. I love the way Brooks explores the topics in this book in an interesting and nuanced way. I also love the exploration and development of the characters' relationships. I loved how Cooper and Monique's relationship changed, but I also love their dynamics with other characters. Overall, this was a fantastic book, and I can't wait to see what else the author writes in the future.

⭐⭐⭐

✨His attention to her. In that moment, I was prepared to lose my life. ✨

📖
After a woman is murdered during a protest in Washington, two teenagers' team up to find the real shooter before someone they care about takes the fall.

My Thoughts:
I liked it! I enjoyed the thriller of piecing the puzzle together. Monique and Cooper were a great team. I thought they had a great dynamic, and their romance was cute. I felt it to be predictable for sure, but the pace of the book was great—it was a fast-paced thriller read.

-Dual POV
- YA
-Mystery/Thriller
- Mild language
- Death of parent
- Ch 22 (at the end implied sexual innuendo)
- Child death

As always thank you to Net galley and and Nick Brooks for the ARC review stay Blessed everyone 😊

This book gripped me from the first chapter and didn’t let go. The tension, the stakes, the heart—it’s all there. I flew through it because I had to know what would happen next, but I also found myself lingering in the emotional moments between Monique and Cooper. Their chemistry is so real, and I loved how the story gave space to both the thrill of the mystery and the weight of what they were up against.

There’s a lot packed into this one—social justice, loyalty, family, guilt—and it never feels heavy-handed. Just raw, real, and so well done. Cooper’s internal struggle was especially compelling, and I found myself rooting for him even when I was frustrated by his choices. And Monique? She’s a powerhouse. Determined, fearless, and totally unforgettable.

If you're into thrillers with big emotion and sharp social commentary—this one hits all the marks. It’s intense, fast-paced, and full of heart. Nick Brooks is officially on my auto-read list now.

A story set in Washington DC about a Black Teen, Cooper, that gets in over his head helping out friends in a heist. His friend, Jason ends up getting arrested and charged with murder. Cooper does not believe Jason is guilty, so Cooper with the help of Jason's sister attempts to solve the case. This turns into a love story intertwined in a who dunnit mystery. It hits at some hard gut wrenching points on the struggles black teens face every day. This is a page turner that kept me up late into the night reading.

As a big fan of THUG, I was really excited to be approved for this one. While I don't know that it was completely up to par emotionally, the book was well done. I think this would be popular with the teen/YA crowd. I loved the dual POV.

It was a good book. It had a lot of potential but lacked situational realism. The police would not let go of a colored child after they confess and a 17 year old cannot overpower an adult. But the cultural realism was epic and I could feel that I live that life because of that book. It was beautiful and heart breaking. The lives of the colored people need improvement. Period.

Nick has done it again with this one! I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nick Brooks does it again with another fast paced, timely mystery. I liked the dual point of views. Brooks tackles some heavy subjects in this book. For the majority of the book the pacing fit the story until the end. I think the end was rushed and could have been flushed out a little more. I will be purchasing this for our library. Our students will love it.

Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks is starts off strong and finished even stronger. The story itself is engaging focusing on important issues in society dealing with racial injustice. There are so many great discussion topics you could use to discuss if you read this with high school students. There is some violence and a little romance, but nothing super inappropriate for teenagers. Overall, this is a great book to read for someone wanting to discuss racial injustice with young adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of the book. These opinions are my own and I really loved the book because of the many themes in it.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks in exchange for an honest review. This was a good murder mystery set during human rights protests. I enjoyed the love story that bloomed during the investigation and the corruption that can happen in any job.

3 stars
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. It felt very predictable and hyper focused on certain things that were not important parts of the story. I found myself putting the book down and not being super interested in picking it back up. The dual POVs were bland to me and didn't add anything.

Thanks to NetGalley and crew for the ARC!

The highly anticipated second YA novel from Nick Books did not disappoint. I loved Nick's first YA novel, PROMISE BOYS, so I'm absolutely honored to read an early copy.

It happened again. Another young unarmed black man was murdered by a police officer in Washington DC. And now, the politicians of DC have suspended summer youth programs. What are the kids supposed to do now?! The black community stands together at a peaceful protest downtown. Cooper King had a job lined up for the summer till the program suspension. His mother recently passed away and his dad has been picking up extra shifts at his job to afford things. Cooper needs money not for himself, but so his dad doesn't have to work so hard. His big brother figure, Jason Simms, has the answer. During the protest, they're gonna loot a high trending clothing store and resell the items to make up their cash flow. But nothing ever goes right in a large crowd. Gunshots are fired and all hell breaks loose. Cooper made it out, but he learns the next day that Jay was arrested and charged with the murder of a female. Oh, and that female just turns out to be a police officer. This leads to him reaching out to Monique, Mo. They were childhood best friends till Coop became distant in the aftermath of his mom's death. Mo is beyond shock, angry, and scared that her big brother was arrested for something she deeply believes is untrue. In light of this unfortunate situation, Coop and Mo rekindle their friendship to investigate the truth of the event to free Jay. As the summer heats up, so does their romantic feelings for each other begin to finally unravel. The only thing is, Coop is holding back a big secret from Mo about the day of the protest. Cooper King needs to find out the truth, not only to free his big brother, but to free himself, and hopefully he can still win his girl.

Nick has a way of blending a murder mystery thriller while simultaneously tackling important topics of today's crazy world. Being a kid is hard, but being a colored, poor kid is even harder in this world. It seems like everyone is out to get you, even the people who are supposed to help. PROMISE BOYS and UP IN SMOKE are books our youth needs to have as a different way to learn, as well as to know they are not alone in how they feel. I hope one day we no longer have to worry about issues like this, but till then, voices like Nick's need be to spread. We need to do better for future generations.