MUTED

Denver Lafleur, along with friends Shak and Dali, is out to achieve her dreams while being pulled into the dark side of the music industry by a conniving, exploitative, male R&B superstar.

Readers are introduced to the wonderful harmonies of these three girls of color as they win $50 at a Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, corn festival. They hold on to each other, their love for music a refuge from the racial tensions of their mostly White home, far away from Denver’s Brooklyn roots. They know all too well that they are bigger than this place and, after sneaking off to Newark, manage a chance meeting with king of R&B Sean “Mercury” Ellis. Merc notices their talent and provides a platform for them to reach an audience, but red flags appear, pointing to his controlling behaviors. Something more sinister is at play, and with the teenage girls away from familial support in Merc’s world, who will protect them? Charles, herself a former young R&B artist, draws upon themes from the still-unfolding criminal investigation of R. Kelly. The powerful, smoothly flowing text will drive readers to seriously challenge the societal vulnerabilities and toxic ideologies that leave girls of color open to sexual violence and harm. Themes of friendship, family, cultural inheritance, and taking a stand are strong throughout.

This novel ripped from the headlines is a necessary reckoning that amplifies the voices of Black and brown girls.