A review by blossomjin
Muted by Tami Charles

challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

 I am a huge fan of verse novels because they are such fluid mediums and give authors a chance to tell a story in a less linear way. In the case of Muted, verse worked perfectly to enhance the lyricism of Charles’ story. The verse in question was well written and flowed seamlessly building up to the novel’s climax. 

I was so surprised by the novel's ending, however it did highlight an issue I had with how Denver’s relationships with her family were written. The impact of the novel’s climax relied heavily on the complex relationships Denver had with her family especially her father, but I felt like even though she mentioned her family throughout the story I just didn’t know enough about them other than some very basic facts and a very surface level conflict. 

Denver’s main conflict with her family is that she wishes to pursue music professionally instead of taking the same route her parents and her older sister took, namely Stanford. This is not a new concept, but it can be an interesting concept if developed enough. If I knew more about her family it could have been an interesting concept. 

For example, it is heavily implied that her parents who are both people of colour feel a pressure to comply with the strict cookie cutter image of the perfect family set by the small town standard even as their marriage is crumbling. If I knew more about her parents it would all matter, but I could count what I knew about them on one hand. 

I felt like I didn’t know her family enough to care about how they felt. I could not imagine how Denver’s father was feeling in the ending. He was the one who apparently inspired Denver with music when she was younger, yet all I know about him was that he was a pilot who knew how to play the piano. Even with her mother and sister there was little development with a few small anecdotes which didn’t leave a lasting impact. 

Overall I did find this a powerful read. The manipulation of young women, especially young women of colour, in the music industry is a deep rooted issue which is sadly still pervasive to this day. Denver and Dali’s story was powerful and needed to be told. This novel deals with a number of sensitive topics including rape, grooming, manipulation, fatphobia and many more.  


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