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ynit_g's review against another edition
- 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
And this book is absolutely heart wrenching like finishing I feel like throwing up more than I did while reading it
Do love when they include the social media posts
Not to much to say besides it's a must read imo but one where you have to take the trigger warnings very seriously
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Gun violence, Vomit, and Murder
dhwani's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit
introvertinterrupted's review
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Grief
readingwordsmith's review
- 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
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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Gun violence, and Racism
betweentheshelves's review
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse and Kidnapping