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A review by ellareads2
Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is my first ARC I have ever read + reviewed and I am so glad it was Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr.! Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for a digital copy of this ARC.
Pritty primarily follows two young black boys-Jay and Leroy-who live in a black neighborhood in Savannah. Jay is very insecure about himself as he's been bullied with homophobic and colorist comments. In Jay's eyes, he will never measure up to his brother, Jacob, or boys like Princeton and Leroy; boys who everyone likes because of their confidence, athleticism, and lighter skin. After the murder of a young black journalist, Faa, territory tensions start to heat up. It is placing Jay and Leroy's life at risk, and so Leroy leaves, not willing to put Jay in harms way. It turns out that both of their families are involved. They begin to work with the Black Diamonds, a group whose mission is to protect the black neighborhoods of Savannah, to uncover who is trying to take them and their home.
This has to be my favorite book of 2023 so far, if not the whole year. The main thing I really enjoyed was Miller's beautiful portrayal and description of black life: food and families; elderly and youth; queerness and masculinity. This felt really important to me as a queer, black young adult. The representation didn't feel forced, and it wasn't the conflict either; it was simply the character's lived experience, some of which I could relate and some not. Either way, it felt real and genuine, so I really appreciated how immersive that made the reading experience.
My main complaints are with the last third of the short novel. The separation between Jay and Leroy at first was unbearable, but then--
*will finish review later*
Pritty primarily follows two young black boys-Jay and Leroy-who live in a black neighborhood in Savannah. Jay is very insecure about himself as he's been bullied with homophobic and colorist comments. In Jay's eyes, he will never measure up to his brother, Jacob, or boys like Princeton and Leroy; boys who everyone likes because of their confidence, athleticism, and lighter skin. After the murder of a young black journalist, Faa, territory tensions start to heat up. It is placing Jay and Leroy's life at risk, and so Leroy leaves, not willing to put Jay in harms way. It turns out that both of their families are involved. They begin to work with the Black Diamonds, a group whose mission is to protect the black neighborhoods of Savannah, to uncover who is trying to take them and their home.
This has to be my favorite book of 2023 so far, if not the whole year. The main thing I really enjoyed was Miller's beautiful portrayal and description of black life: food and families; elderly and youth; queerness and masculinity. This felt really important to me as a queer, black young adult. The representation didn't feel forced, and it wasn't the conflict either; it was simply the character's lived experience, some of which I could relate and some not. Either way, it felt real and genuine, so I really appreciated how immersive that made the reading experience.
My main complaints are with the last third of the short novel. The separation between Jay and Leroy at first was unbearable, but then--
*will finish review later*