Wow. Honestly I prefer the sequel in this duology much more than the first book! In my opinion, this successor was a much more well rounded experience than the first in that the story was a bit easier to follow. There were still a lot more characters than I would have liked to keep up with, but, that aspect didn't take away too much of my interest. I enjoyed being able to explore more depth within each of the main characters while still gaining a deeper understanding on how all of their stories/relationships intertwined together throughout the book! The writing felt beautiful and youthful and very "grown up" all at the same time. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between the entire community, the world felt very steeped in it's southern roots and they make a lot of nods to black southern culture that I came back to appreciate time and time again! One thing I was really hoping and wishing for after I read Pritty #1 was more insight into Will's backstory and a TRUE POV from his perspective and this second book definitely delivered in that department, it was eloquently put together. The characters in this world are nuanced, complex and don't necessarily fit into any specific box so it adds some great layers. Great read truly, I usually don't care for coming of age stories but we definitely need more black and queer stories like this! 4⭐️

Keith F. Miller Jr. is first and foremost, a beautiful writer. The craftsmanship between the pages of this book and curation of each sentence is evident. I have been strongly invested in Jay and Leroy's story and Togetha picks up right where Pritty left off. In preparation, I reread Pritty (not a hard feat considering I adored it) and couldn't wait to dive back into minds of Leroy and Jay. Surprisingly, one of my other favorite characters, Will, also had a POV and I was ELATED. Not only was this one of my top reads from 2024, I thin it'll be one of my top reads of 2025 as well. I love that Keith was able to make the differences in POV for all three boys so distinct and individual.

Since receiving this ARC, I have reread the story 3 times. The exploration of love in all forms is what really keeps me coming back. The romantic love between Leroy and Jay, the brotherly love between friends and family, and the halting familial love in both traditional and non-traditional forms. There is no "love triangle" but feelings are hardly linear and hard set. Jay is not above feelings, which is what makes these characters feel so real yet unreal. The expectation from reading about males in books is that they are usually hypersexual and unfeeling. Despite some of my frustrations with Jay and Will and their feelings, I appreciate that they are soft and multidimensional.

My absolute favorite part was that some of the trauma that the adults in the series has experienced is explored more here. It's still YA, so there's reservations, but it's very much explored more than Pritty. While it was still very much centered around the kids, the adults were also fleshed out characters rather than vessels of obstacles and blame for the kids to put on.

The community within this book is achingly strong but the thing about a community is that people aim to tear it down. Jay and Leroy get involved in a resistance fight back in order to protect their community. This book contains a varying amount of multitudes that blend together in the most beautiful story of healing and love.

The pacing was more even than Pritty and I found myself ending the book and immediately wanting to pick Pritty back up just to experience the changes the characters have gone through and understand the deeper meaning behind their initial decisions again.

Overall, this book still reigns high as a book about black love and happiness but it does not shy away from the fluctuations of life and feelings. Thank you for the absolute pleasure of sharing your work with me again Keith, I'd read your grocery lists.

I really enjoyed how Miller complicated the story line and moved away from the HEA trope as we dive further into the conspiracies in Savannah. The character development was the most appealing as each character grew, for better or for worse. I went through a torrent of emotions as the love/war relationship with Jay and Leroy continues and new and old friends make their lives way more than it was when we first met them in Pritty.

This is the sequel to “Pritty” as a supporter of the queer community. I recommend this book for young queer folks looking for representation and relatable stories. This is basically a love letter to queer black bits wrapped in a beautiful cover and literary language. This is a story about discovering queerness and being comfortable in it-choosing to love while fighting obstacles that challenge the safety of their neighborhood and healing after trauma. You get beautiful descriptions of southern living and community that may not always be related by blood. Ther is even a little plot twis

Let me just say that I was super excited about reading this book, especially with the cliff hanger we were left on from Pritty. If you plan on reading this duology, it is imperative that you start with Pritty, as Togetha picks up right where Pritty ends. It is hard for me to explain everything I loved about this book without spoiling things that transpired in the first. After reading, I was truly invested in the story and started Togetha immediately.

One of my favorite things about Togetha is that we got the POV of Will, who is detrimental to the story as a whole. It was important to see how he was able to unpack his unresolved romantic interests with Jay, and how they were able to handle it. I think it played a significant role in the development of the characters. Along with that, we are still following Jay and Lee in their romance, and we get to see them navigate their feelings for each other, while simultaneously trying to save their community. I loved the sense of community depicted in the story, and how they all really came together as one to save what they have built.

I honestly went through every emotion you could possibly think of while reading this book, and that is a tell of a good story for me. Certainly would recommend this duology to practically anyone.

Thank you, HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley, for this ARC!

SPOILER ALERT!!!

This book was part coming of age, part love story, part espionage spy novel. While Jay and Leroy are still navigating falling in love, they’re caught up in the middle of a political plot by Louis Bainbridge to ruin their whole community and bring down the Black Diamonds. Ruin the community might actually be an understatement. They’re trying to wipe it off the map completely to build a prison, a police academy, and a youth detention center (ironic how they were likely gonna use those to negatively impact the people they were trying to entice to give up their homes for the space to build). To do this, they’re offering people a lump sum of money to move into a housing development they’re building that’s so far away, buses don’t even run there. Those who don’t go willingly? Well, that’s what police brutality, false charges, bogus arrest warrants, planted evidence, and gang violence are for. Also, attempted murder and ACTUAL murder aren’t out of the question.

Jay and Lee, along with Taj, Jacob, Rouk, PYT (the hacker extraordinaire), Brown Brown, and the rest of the BDs work nonstop to uncover who murdered Faa and to stop the destruction of their community. Mind you, they’re doing all this while simultaneously exploring love and relationships. Along the way, they also make some unlikely allies. It’s a very beautiful story. I laughed and cried more reading this than I have in a long time. The ending was super satisfying for me. I almost wanna hear more about them, but it really ended in the perfect place.

Wow what a sequel!
Togetha is easily one of the best books i’ve read in 2025 already.
I really loved pritty so I had been looking forward to reading togetha and it did not disappoint.
I feel like the writing was so much more tender and vulnerable in togetha and it made me feel so attached to each one of the characters.
The mystery element was also done really well and I feel like the truth was unraveled at a really great pace!
I definitely recommend togetha for those that love coming of age stories, queer stories, and stories about community/chosen family.

Togetha by Keith F. Miller, Jr. is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of friendship, unity, and overcoming adversity. With authentic, relatable characters and a heartfelt narrative, Miller crafts a story that celebrates the power of coming together despite challenges. A beautifully written and inspiring read that will resonate with readers seeking stories of hope and connection.

I must admit, initially, it was the cover that few my attention to this book. Then when I read the description, I knew I had to read this book. However, I didn't realize until too late that Pritty was the prequel. In spite of the latter, I continued on.
Leroy and Jay appeared to have a relationship with it's share of complexities and ups and downs. They stuck together to solve problems, yet their secrets serve to be a problem to the fostering of their love, after having reunited.
Thank you for blessing me with an ARC copy. I have ordered Pritty, and look forward to rereading Togetha, to get a better understanding.
#Netgalley #lgbtqia #bipoc #Love #Sacrifice

Unraveling the mystery was a detailed and engaging wild ride that seamlessly incorporated themes of betrayal, grief, and community. However, the main attraction was always the male vulnerability–familial, platonic, and romantic–between Jay, Leroy, and their support circle. The author infuses their dialogue and inner monologues with a level of sensitivity that doesn’t make their teen emotions feel trivial but instead feel like there’s something truly at stake. The nostalgic 2000s background and lyrical writing had me comfortably kicked back and rubbing my feet together like a cricket while reading. I liked this sequel even more than the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Look at this cover! It’s just as beautiful as the one from its prequel Pritty and maybe even more beautiful. Pritty and Togetha are part of a raw duology about two soft-hearted boys falling in love with each other despite the harsh world they’re living in.

It’s difficult to say something about Togetha without spoiling anything. The story starts where Pritty ended. It took me a while to get into this sequel because I hadn’t reread Pritty and forgot all those names, so I felt a bit lost at times. But … even though Jay’s and Leroy’s romance had ups and downs, I liked those boys so much together. In Togetha, Will has his own POV, too, and I enjoyed it being in his head as well. He and Jay had some old (romantic) stuff to deal with, and I actually loved that part. What I loved the most, though, was the brotherly love between Jay and Jacob and Leroy and Taj.

Be aware that you really need to read the first book in this duology if you want to read this one. But it’s worth it, I promise!