Proceed With Caution:
This book contains rape, isolation, forced dieting, mental and physical abuse, drugging, and kidnapping.
The Basics:
Muted is narrated by seventeen-year-old Denver as a letter to her father. It's also written in verse. Denver dreams of making it big as a singer with her two best friends and it seems to finally be happening when they meet R&B sensation, Sean "Mercury" Elllis. Things quickly start falling apart, but perhaps that's just the cost of fame?
My Thoughts:
Muted was intense! it reminded me a lot of Grown, but without the murder mystery element on top. Both have young Black girls taken advantage of by older men under the guise of mentorship and advancing their music careers. They deal with very similar themes, but in completely different ways. I wouldn't suggest skipping either of them, even if you've read the other. There's always more than one way to tell the same story.
I loved the writing style of Muted. I'm a huge fan of verse novels and I think it was an especially good use of the format here. Denver writes her groups lyrics so it's a fitting narrative style for her. I also liked that it's directed at her father, although it's never clear why that is. He was pretty in and out of her life, so why not write to her mother or sister? I still liked the extra personal touch though.
The plot is pretty crazy. Although I think it's pretty obvious what's going on from the very beginning, it just took Denver a bit longer to realize it for herself. Which makes perfect sense, as she's a teen girl caught up in this huge journey to stardom which is not at all how she imagined it. She's isolated from her family and even from her girlfriends who are suppose to be in this with her. It was heartbreaking to see Denver fall apart as Muted moved along.
I can't say more about Muted without giving anything away. Yes, you'll see through Merc's charms easily from the start, but the way things unfold are pretty sickening. I also was not expecting that ending at all. It's brutal, and if you're looking for something happy about good overcoming evil, this is not for you.