Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Muted by Tami Charles

12 reviews

cranedphoenix's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-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

5.0

Read this because I had read Tiffany D Jackson's "Grown"
And this book is absolutely heart wrenching like finishing I feel like throwing up more than I did while reading it

I cannot believe that Denver got murdered though like I wasn't expecting that ending it's absolutely heart wrenching especially when you just want Denver and Dali to be together and safe

Do love when they include the social media posts

even though Denver never got to see some or most of them

Not to much to say besides it's a must read imo but one where you have to take the trigger warnings very seriously 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Murder, Gun violence, and Vomit

graciffer's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Toxic friendship

library_kb's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

It took me a long time to read this book--I started it a couple weeks ago, got 50 pages in, then took a break from it for weeks until I finally picked it up and finished it in a day. It reads a little bit like a thriller in verse, but its a hard read because of its current event connections--it was hard to keep it as a fictional story in my head (that is a credit to the author for sure!). It is a story about grooming and abuse, and I just felt so much for our main character. Recommended for high school and up, but check content warnings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Gun violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Violence

yeojinqueen's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Death

thetealdeal's review

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Violence, Sexual assault, and Rape

nefari_'s review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

It’s just too much trauma for me.

Not only do you have the main character who is a black young girl who is not only abused sexually, physically and mentally by her grown ass mentor who exploites her you also have to deal with the fact that this main character is a QUEER BLACK WOMAN who is questioning and who has yet to identify these feelings that she’s having and has has gotten no validation of these feelings from herself nor those who are close to her, has experienced homophobia and fat phobia from people she’s supposed to have faith in and trust with her growth, not only do you have that but you have to deal with the fact that she does not make it in the end, that she dies and we are supposed to be satisfied that oh she’s avenged in the end because everything comes to light and he’s punished like no I’m not satisfied with that at all I’m HURT you put me through all of that traumatic experience of reading that and expect me to be satisfied with that ending no I’m not I’m hurt I’m sad I’m upset and I don’t like this book because it it’s too much it’s too much trauma for me to justify what’s in here as someone who is a queer black “woman” I don’t want to read a book in which “I“ don’t make it, in which death is the end for me no.

Plus, that teenage communication was horrendous don’t nobody talk like that💀.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Drug use

introvertinterrupted's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Rape, Murder, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Body shaming, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Vomit, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Gun violence, Grief, Death, and Biphobia

mdemanatee's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I legitimately don’t know what to make of that ending. This book is and rough and raw. Well done but lots of warnings. But it also feels like it meets YA readers at both the hope and horror. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual violence, and Violence

mitzybitzyspider's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, and Sexual content

readingwordsmith's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to Scholastic Press for the free ARC copy of Muted. Before diving into my review, please note that it is based on my opinion of the book. As you consider my thoughts, remember that you are allowed to have different feelings about this book. I was sent a free copy by the publisher Scholastic Press as an early review copy, however, that does not affect or influence my review of the book. If you haven't read it yet, feel free to pick up a copy and form your own opinion on it.

Synopsis: 
Muted by Tami Charles is a YA novel following Denver and her two close friends, Shak and Dali who are trying to fulfill their dreams of becoming famous singers. Inspired by the R. Kelley events, this book explores the dark, hidden side of the music industry. It shows how a young girl’s dreams are used and exploited against her.

Content Warnings: Sexual Assault, Emotional Abuse, Eating Disorder, Body Shaming, Rape, Grief, Murder, Toxic Relationship

Note: This book contains mature and alarming content, please proceed with caution.


Review:
Muted by Tami Charles takes place over the span of a short two-hour plane ride. The entire story is told in flashbacks after all the events have occurred. I loved that we get some good character development on Denver, Shak, and Dali before things start to happen. It really helped me understand their motivations and what really drove them to seek success in the music industry.

I love that the side characters were well fleshed out and developed. I really felt like I could empathize and understand where Denver’s, Shak’s, and Dali’s families were all coming from. There are subtle clues throughout the entire story that I picked up on before any of the main cast that revealed the true nature of Sean “Merc” Ellis. I was surprised it took Denver SO LONG to see what was actually happening. She just closed her eyes to reality because of her DESPERATE desire to become famous which is understandable but frustrating. 

One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the fact that it was written in verse. It didn’t feel like flowery poetry which was what I feared going into the book. Instead, it was a brilliant way of telling the story. I also loved that the songs that were written in the story, were included and it really helped immerse me into Denver’s world. The format that the story was written in was really consumable and easy to read which also helped to immerse me into the story and the events that were occurring.

The entire plot was leading up to a climax and an UNFORGETTABLE ending. There were a few moments of shock leading up to the main reveal in the story, but they did NOT prepare me. I bawled my eyes out for a good hour after reading the last 30 pages of the story and discovering where the airplane’s final destination was. This book really illustrated the problems with relationships that feature a MAJOR imbalance in power. It also showed the corrupt nature of the music industry in a way I’ve not seen anywhere else. I will continue to reflect on this story and recommend this book for a long time to come.

Rating: 5/5 stars (also 5/5 in terms of tears)
Author: Tami Charles
Genre: YA, hard-hitting contemporary
Publisher: Scholastic Press

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Drug abuse

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Racism, and Cursing