A review by thenovelmaura
Muted by Tami Charles

dark emotional 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

3.5

Please review the intense content warnings before picking this one up, but this book is worth the read if you can stomach it! I would describe this novel-in-verse as "Grown" crossed with "Clap When You Land" (two faves of mine), and it also has sapphic representation.

I love a good novel-in-verse and it was an apt stylistic choice for a book centered around music. Denver's love for her music, lyrics, and friends shone through every page. Friendship and love were so integral to this story that is otherwise filled with manipulation and deceit, appearing as bright spots in an incredibly dark novel.

To that end, this is also a book that leaves you frantically turning pages to try to outrun the sinking feeling in your stomach. When I say this reminded me of [book:Grown|49397758] by Tiffany D. Jackson (and I know I'm far from the first person to make this comparison), I mean they had similar themes and plot points. I don't say this to be negative; Jackson and Charles have very different writing styles and, honestly, the similarities just go to show how these predators have the same tactics and use them over and over. This is more of a heads up for my fellow Jackson fans who might be interested in reading this one (I found the similarities to be distracting at times)! It's a stunning book and should be judged on its own merits as a heart-wrenchingly powerful novel.
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