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bookdragon217's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Thanks to @scholasticinc and @coloredpagesblogtours for the gifted copy.
Muted by Tami Charles is a timely and necessary read that illuminates the dirty, secret side of the music business and how it preys on young girls of color, steals their dreams and eventually their innocence. The industry perpetuates the impossible beauty standards, fatphobia, violence against women and promotes low self esteem and self hate of being a Black and brown girl in a white washed world. The story is ripped from the headlines but the message will hit you like a ton of bricks. Once I started reading I could not tear myself from the pages. This book grabs you by the throat and suffocates you with raw emotion. You want to yell. You want to scream. You want to do anything to warn Denver of the danger that lies ahead. The ending left me in shambles and I was sobbing unconsolably. I was utterly devastated and my heart literally broke in a million pieces. I'm still thinking about all the girls like Denver and how our society has failed them, silenced them and stolen their dreams by refusing to cast out rape culture, misogyny and patriarchy.
🎵 Black and brown girls need protection. Believe them period.
🎵 Predatory men should be punished, not innocent girls who are the victims.
🎵 Teenage girls are not adults and deserve love, support and nurturing.
🎵 Stop silencing girls. End rape culture.
Here are some quote that stay with me:
🎼 there lived a girl
racked with pain,
drilled down to the none
who suddenly felt
her body was no longer her own
🎼 The body splits itself in two.
The before
and
The after
The before was for me;
an imperfect sculpted
shell of who I chose to be.
The after,
that is for him,
or I guess,
them.
Read this book because we owe it to our girls to do better and stand up for them. Read this book so you can protect future generations. Read this book because you're ready to use your power to help girls regain their voice that may have been muted.
To all the girls: I SEE YOU AND I BELIEVE YOU
Muted by Tami Charles is a timely and necessary read that illuminates the dirty, secret side of the music business and how it preys on young girls of color, steals their dreams and eventually their innocence. The industry perpetuates the impossible beauty standards, fatphobia, violence against women and promotes low self esteem and self hate of being a Black and brown girl in a white washed world. The story is ripped from the headlines but the message will hit you like a ton of bricks. Once I started reading I could not tear myself from the pages. This book grabs you by the throat and suffocates you with raw emotion. You want to yell. You want to scream. You want to do anything to warn Denver of the danger that lies ahead. The ending left me in shambles and I was sobbing unconsolably. I was utterly devastated and my heart literally broke in a million pieces. I'm still thinking about all the girls like Denver and how our society has failed them, silenced them and stolen their dreams by refusing to cast out rape culture, misogyny and patriarchy.
🎵 Black and brown girls need protection. Believe them period.
🎵 Predatory men should be punished, not innocent girls who are the victims.
🎵 Teenage girls are not adults and deserve love, support and nurturing.
🎵 Stop silencing girls. End rape culture.
Here are some quote that stay with me:
🎼 there lived a girl
racked with pain,
drilled down to the none
who suddenly felt
her body was no longer her own
🎼 The body splits itself in two.
The before
and
The after
The before was for me;
an imperfect sculpted
shell of who I chose to be.
The after,
that is for him,
or I guess,
them.
Read this book because we owe it to our girls to do better and stand up for them. Read this book so you can protect future generations. Read this book because you're ready to use your power to help girls regain their voice that may have been muted.
To all the girls: I SEE YOU AND I BELIEVE YOU
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
lettuce_read's review
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Death, Kidnapping, Drug use, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Homophobia
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
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
mrscorytee's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
betweentheshelves's review
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.0
Told in verse, this book is timely and powerful. More in a review to come later this week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Kidnapping and Drug abuse
briwithabook's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.75
Wow. This is a dark, complex, devastating book that I absolutely could not put down. I started it late in the evening, stayed up way too late tearing through it and then finished it as soon as possible the following day. It went by so quickly, I could've easily read another few hundred pages - I was that engaged and wrapped up in the story.
This is a book about the power dynamics in the music industry, and how those in power take advantage of and exploit young girls. What makes this book so devastating is knowing that it's an accurate portrayal of what goes on in today's world (and was, in fact, inspired by true events). Denver, Dali, and Shak (the three female protagonists) are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they are noticed and brought into the studio by an artist that they idolize. They are ready for their dreams to come true, but unaware of the evil lurking around them.
I found Denver, Dali, and Shak to all be likeable characters. Though their judgement was lacking at times, whose judgement wasn't lacking at age 17? I found it relatable and believable. I thought the character development was strong and I felt a connection to each of the girls over the course of the book.
The book is written in verse. This was my first time reading a physical book in verse (I've previously listened to one on audio). What was especially impressive is that through verse, the author also worked in song lyrics, social media posts, letters, and newspaper articles. While I'm sure an audio version would be fantastic, I feel that the way this is written - meaning the way the words appear on the page - add to the story, and for that reason, I would recommend the physical book if it's an option for you.
An important note; Muted is considered YA, but if I hadn't know that, I wouldn't have guessed it from the content. It definitely deals with some very heavy topics and mature content that may be too much for most tweens or younger. I was impressed with all the topics it tackled and seamlessly weaved into the story. I do think it's important reading and I would absolutely recommend it to teenagers and adults.
Thank you to Scholastic for the review copy. All opinions posted here are my own.
This is a book about the power dynamics in the music industry, and how those in power take advantage of and exploit young girls. What makes this book so devastating is knowing that it's an accurate portrayal of what goes on in today's world (and was, in fact, inspired by true events). Denver, Dali, and Shak (the three female protagonists) are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they are noticed and brought into the studio by an artist that they idolize. They are ready for their dreams to come true, but unaware of the evil lurking around them.
I found Denver, Dali, and Shak to all be likeable characters. Though their judgement was lacking at times, whose judgement wasn't lacking at age 17? I found it relatable and believable. I thought the character development was strong and I felt a connection to each of the girls over the course of the book.
The book is written in verse. This was my first time reading a physical book in verse (I've previously listened to one on audio). What was especially impressive is that through verse, the author also worked in song lyrics, social media posts, letters, and newspaper articles. While I'm sure an audio version would be fantastic, I feel that the way this is written - meaning the way the words appear on the page - add to the story, and for that reason, I would recommend the physical book if it's an option for you.
An important note; Muted is considered YA, but if I hadn't know that, I wouldn't have guessed it from the content. It definitely deals with some very heavy topics and mature content that may be too much for most tweens or younger. I was impressed with all the topics it tackled and seamlessly weaved into the story. I do think it's important reading and I would absolutely recommend it to teenagers and adults.
Thank you to Scholastic for the review copy. All opinions posted here are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Child death, Gun violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Drug use, Confinement, and Body shaming
whatskatiereading's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Rape and Kidnapping
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