Muted

Muted is a compelling verse novel for young adults, following seventeen-year-old Denver and her friends Dali and Shak as they pursue their musical dreams. When they catch the attention of a major R&B star, Sean 'Mercury' Jones, their lives are transformed with promises of fame and success. However, the glittering facade soon crumbles, revealing a world of manipulation, exploitation, and painful sacrifices. The book fearlessly explores how young artists can be trapped and silenced, forcing Denver to choose between her big break and her integrity. It's a 'ripped-from-the-headlines' story, inspired by true events, making it a powerful read for discussing ambition, self-worth, and standing up against injustice.

A ripped-from-the-headlines novel of ambition, music, and innocence lost, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Jason Reynolds! Be bold. Get seen. Be Heard. For seventeen-year-old Denver, music is everything. Writing, performing, and her ultimate goal: escaping her very small, very white hometown. So Denver is more than ready on the day she and her best friends Dali and Shak sing their way into the orbit of the biggest R&B star in the world, Sean "Mercury" Jones. Merc gives them everything: parties, perks, wild nights -- plus hours and hours in the recording studio. Even the painful sacrifices and the lies the girls have to tell are all worth it. Until they're not. Denver begins to realize that she's trapped in Merc's world, struggling to hold onto her own voice. As the dream turns into a nightmare, she must make a choice: lose her big break, or get broken. Inspired by true events, Muted is a fearless exploration of the dark side of the music industry, the business of exploitation, how a girl's dreams can be used against her -- and what it takes to fight back.