Rhythm & Muse

Cinderella meets Cyrano in this pitch-perfect YA contemporary rom-com about a Black teen boy who has resigned himself to pining for his dream girl from afar, until his romantic verse to her, written in secret, becomes the front-runner in a theme song contest for her popular podcast. Now in paperback!

Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon, Elise Bryant, and Kasie West!

Darren Armstrong lives in his head. It’s nice in there—safe from others’ unsolicited opinions and critiques. Surrounded by talkative family and showboat friends, Darren’s always been happy to play the role of observer. Until Delia Dawson comes along—transfer student, host of the Dillie D in the Place to Be podcast, and total dream girl, in Darren’s opinion.

His friends are all convinced he’s going to do nothing but pine away for Dillie in silence. But when Dillie puts out a call for listeners to make a theme song for the pod, one of Darren’s secret side projects—anonymously submitted by his meddling friends—catches her ear.

As Dillie sets out to uncover the mystery singer behind the track, Darren has to decide: Is he ready to step out of the shadows and take the lead in his own life?

India Hill Brown is the author of the NAACP Image Award–nominated middle grade novel The Forgotten Girl and The Girl in the Lake. She graduated from Claflin University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a concentration in print journalism. She lives in Elgin, SC, with her husband and two sons. Rhythm & Muse is her first young adult novel.

"Featuring caring friends and loving family, this story centering Black characters and narrated by Darren is one of normalcy, introspection, growth, and love. It shows a more tender, vulnerable side of Black American teen males that is not portrayed enough in YA literature. Absorbing, humorous, and honest, the novel ends on a satisfyingly high note." -Kirkus Reviews