"You know, for a star to be born, there's one thing that has to happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse. The star must compress in on itself, the atoms must squeeze and react before they can create something new. So collapse, crumble, and remember this is not your destruction. This is your birth."

This book. Everything about this book is magical and perfect, in the most heartbreaking way. 
The entire thing feels SO real, I felt like I was about to open up Twitter and see stories of Al, to just bump into Megan in a shopping centre, I think this realness is explained in the author acknowledgements, Al's story could have quite easily been Danielle Jawando's story and there is something SO powerful about that.

The book deals with a suicide of 15 year Al, of his family, of his friend, of love, of enemies, of that moment that I'm sure we all felt as teenagers, where you have to decide to stick up for what you know is right or for going along with the cool crowd. It really is a horrible horrible story and subject and I think I cried through more chapters than I didn't but there's this hope, throughout the whole thing, that just keeps you going. It's so hard to describe. I do know that there are all these things that I want to take away from it.: I want to be as resilient as Saul. I want to be as strong as Megan. I want to be more Al.

I've never read anything like it and I don't think there is another book that is quite like this one. I loved it., truly truly loved it. #burnbright,

This will surely prove to be one of the most important books of the year. It certainly ought to be. 

Danielle Jawando has beautifully channelled her own trials as a teenager into a heartbreaking book for the teens of today. Her perfect understanding of the risks of social media in the 2020s make it relatable and believable. 

And yet, amongst the horror and heartbreak, there is hope. There is a way through, a way out, and no limit to what you can accomplish.

Danielle Jawando also manages to bring in character growth in the form of owning up to your true self, moving away from toxicity and bad self-image but in a way that feels natural, not preachy. There have always been standards set by a select few that the rest of the world uses to judge themselves with. However, the prevalence of social media and the was our lives our so connected means these standards are reinforced to everyone day in, day out. Some excellent people are pushing forward with body positivity movements, mental health awareness, belief in one's own value, and every single thing we can do the combat this toxicity is valuable. And the Stars Were Burning Brightly is an important part of that movement.

I often have difficulties writing reviews but this one wrote itself. I didn't need time to think I just had to sing praises for a transformative story.

Wow, what a moving and poignant novel for our times.  It had me from the very start - the story is told from two perspectives Nathan and Megan.  It evoked so many feelings of deep aching sadness, anger and a little hope.  A well constructed novel and written from the heart.  Make sure you have some tissues at hand as it  is certainly a book that will make you cry from the very start!  I will be buying this book for my library and share it with as many young people as possible - highlighting the very real dangers of social media.  However, it not a book just for young adults but a book that everyone should read.  Well done Danielle for bringing this to our attention.

Everyone should read this book especially children. People need to know the influence they can have over their peers and the consequences. A slow start but stay with it as it has an explosive end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This was a powerful story, and so necessary when children and teenagers are now subjected to online abuse on a regular basis. The characters were very identifiable and I'm sure young people reading this book would see themselves. The one thing that rankled me slightly was the way the dialect was written, but that may be a personal preference. The story itself was clear and engaging, and I can't wait to see what Jawando does next.

A quick enough read, but it didn't hold my attention.  I wanted to enjoy it, and I started off doing so, but my mind was soon wandering,  Perhaps a book you need to read at a certain time?

When fifteen-year-old Nathan discovers that his older brother Al, has taken his own life, his whole world is torn apart.
 
Al was special.
 
Al was talented.
 
Al had so many dreams ... so why did he do it?

Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan decides to retrace Al’s footsteps. As he does, he meets Megan, Al's former classmate, who is as determined as Nathan to keep Al's memory alive.
 
Together they start seeking answers, but will either of them be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when they eventually discover what happened?

I loved this book from the beginning.  It helped that I know the area where Al and Nate lived, so it became very relatable.  

This is a heart breaking book. It one which should be read by every teenager as a lot of them think that it is “just a laugh” to bully people without a thought for their mental health. I went through every emotion, happiness, joy, sadness, despair, anger, shock etc, the list is endless. As with any good book, the characters become very real and you feel each of their emotions so I wanted to hug them, shout, scream, slap and yell at them. To me, the sign of a great book that you become so embroiled with their lives and stories, you forget they aren’t real!

An absolutely brilliant book.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  

What a rollercoaster of a book this is.   Nate has lost his brother Al, who committed suicide.  This just doesn't make sense to Nate, he can't understand how he didn't know that his brother was struggling, he sincerely felt he had everything to live for.  He was talented, smart, unique and going places, he had dreams and aspirations.  Nate tries to uncover what provoked his brother to end his life.  Prepare to be wrung out reading this, get yourself a comfy spot, a box of tissues and put your phone on silent.   It is epic! Think Wonder with attitude and the gritty backdrop of northern England. It is heart-wrenching, honest and every teen should be made to read it. It unashamedly tackles suicide, but also isn't afraid to tackle other issues too (like watching events escalate and not saying anything), I am sure we have all been guilty of this.  Please be sure to read the author's notes too, so honest, well done Danielle for having to courage to write this story.  I hope with all my heart that this books gains the recognition it so surely deserves.

15 year old Nathan’s life is torn about when he finds out his big brother Al has taken his own life. Al was a talented young man who was so full of passion, and Nathan wonders why he would have done this? Convinced Al was in trouble, Nathan begins to investigate meeting Al’s former classmate Megan on his quest, who like Nathan wants to keep Al’s memory alive. However, when Nathan eventually finds out the truth, sparks are set to fly.

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly, firstly, was a gritty, emotion packed, heartwrenching read that did tug at my heartstrings several times throughout my time reading it. It did, you could say take me on an emotional rollercoaster ride, one where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get off or not. It was so beautifully written and I did find myself hypnotised by the almost poetic like prose.

The way the story was told really resonated with me, and I found it to be a rather unique way to telling such a harrowing tale. We see the story through the point of views of Nathan, Al’s brother and Megan, Al’s friend and former classmate. I really enjoyed how we got the differing views from Nathan, who used violence and anger to show his grief and Megan, who used Al’s memory to change her life and create something amazing. The contrast between these two characters was utterly remarkable and the voices of both characters seemed so vivid and lifelike. What I also found interesting was the sections at the start of each chapter in Al’s voice. This helped me to understand him as a character a lot more, and they were probably some of my favourite bits of writing from the whole book. The plot, also kept me on my toes and every time I guessed the conclusion, something would happen to change my mind. When I did get to the end, I was, as you can guess, in great shock.

The subject matter within And the Stars Were Burning Brightly is rather heavy, especially the topics of suicide and bullying. I’ll admit that some scenes are quite troubling to read, but they bring to life the fact that this does happen in real life and I commend the author for bringing these topics to our attention. The way that the dark side of social media was perceived was also commendable and it really did get me thinking about how despite how good social media can be, it can be very distressing for some people to use with regards to online bullying etc.

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly was an emotional, moving read that really did touch me. The way it brought topics such as suicide, mental health and online bullying to the forefront was inspiring and I can honestly say, it will stick with me.

It’s been a strange time to read And The Stars Were Burning Brightly, a book about suicide in England. While February got incrementally weirder with Brexit, Coronavirus and the tragic passing of Caroline Flack, I could be found hiding away from the world with a cup of tea and Danielle Jawando’s latest young adult novel about the suicide of a brilliant and beloved straight-A student.

Nathan’s brother Al has committed suicide. There was no warning and the only note, if you can call it that, was a drawing of Al surrounded by ominous, threatening figures while he desperately cries for help. For Al was everything to those who knew him: a talented artist, an older brother, a kind friend and a fascinated star-gazer who could tell you any one of a million factoids about space and the universe.

Yet while Al’s gaze was focused on the skies, his world was falling apart around him.

Nathan’s shock at the death of his brother knows no beginning and no end. He can’t begin to understand the reasons why but as he works through his own guilt surrounding Al’s suicide, he becomes determined to find out the reason why.

Megan was one of Al’s closest friends but you wouldn’t know it given how rarely they were seen together in public. As Megan reaches out in the wake of her grief, she finds herself in Nathan’s orbit and his search for the truth.

In a book that explores the devastation of suicide, the depths of grief, the complexity of being an LGBTIQ teen, the trickiness of social media and the ever-present scourge of bullying, there is also time for beauty and wonder as we discover Al’s writing about the universe, stars, hope and his love of art.

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is set in Manchester, and the reader is ”proper” aware of this as Jawando has captured the local accent perfectly. I grew up not far from Manchester in Rainhill and the characters could be my cousins. While this certainly made the book feel closer to my heart, it is the source of my only (minor) complaint about the novel being the abundance of “wot” and “cos” on the pages. It’s something we see more in British YA novels than American or other countries but I definitely prefer to see proper words.

It won’t impact my rating though because I was crying big, ugly tears on a train to London as I finished this book last Saturday.

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is a beautiful novel with lyrical writing. Despite its heavy subject matter, Jawando has captured perfectly that moment when the clouds begin to part on grief and we let life back in. It definitely made me want to grab all my loved ones and hold them close to my heart because you never know when tragedy is around the corner.

I give And The Stars Were Burning Brightly a superb five out of five stars and recommend to fans of superior British young adult fiction.

Thank you very much for this wonderful read NetGalley.

This is a story about love, loss, family and friends. I loved that it was set in Manchester and I already knew of many of the places mentioned. Although I've never been keen on writing a dialect with an accent.

I love that each chapter starts with a note from Al to either Nate or Megan with links into what happens in the chapter. 

I was sad to hear that this was based on what the author has to go through during her time at school and although I was never bullied to that extent it certainly brought some feelings back. It's also made me think of my friend's suicide in a different way and that's a good thing. 

I would certainly recommend this book not just to YA readers but I think a lot of school aged children as it shows that all actions have consequences.

AND THE STARS WERE BURNING BRIGHTLY is the kind of book you do need a snapshot of insight into before you enter, in this case I do recommend reading the blurb. This is a story about suicide, grief, bullying and social media. It is powerful and painful, chilling and stunning. I think it’s a really important book and it’s 100% worth the emotional investment.

The book started and ended with an author note, I had the privilidge of hearing the author read the beginning note and the first chapter at a publisher event. There wasn’t a whisper in the room and I fought tears listening to her. The reading experience is pretty much like that, the story and the characters plunged me into their worlds, wrapped me up in their fraught emotions and spat me out a bit of wreck.

Nathan was the brother, grieving his older sibling and questioning everything; he needed the why to these events, some reason and he was determined. Alongside Nathan were family, other siblings, his mother, his friend, Al’s friend Megan and some nasty characters. This was a intricately woven story, where as the reader you were alongside Nathan, searching for answers.

“My chest goes all tight, knowing that I’ll never see him for real again, that he’ll only ever be this person in a photo.”

Eli’s character was tangibly written, believable in his cruel manipulations and plain bullying. Tara and Lewi were more subtle in their connections to the situation and how events finally wove together was pretty shocking. Social media was the weapon wielded in this book and some of the elements took my breath away.

The picture of grief was palpable, I could feel the anger, despair and sadness rising out of the pages, I’m not an easy crier at books but I was an easy crier at this book. Nathan’s emotions had the power to affect me deeply as did Al’s short chapter starters.

For me, as a Mancunian, this book was gift in dialogue and narrative. It was written as Mancunians speak, quite literally and I found it easy to sink into. I don’t think this element will be difficult for any other readers, but you might wonder for the first few pages as you settle into this.

Danielle Jawando captured the issues in this book with honesty, she didn’t hold back on the difficult stuff, this was an absolute strength of this book. These issues shouldn’t be diluted to make it more palatable, your heart should break as you navigate this with the characters. I am beyond impressed with this fictional debut and I will be watching avidly for more from this author.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this early review copy.

How do I begin to describe how much I loved this book! It is such a beautiful, heartbreaking story that really has left me with tears rolling down my cheeks. 
This is in no way an easy read, it talks about loss, suicide, bullying and the impacts of social media in teenagers lives. 
I would advise that if you are in a fragile state of mind at the moment, not to read this yet as it may trigger you. Otherwise this is a must read for everyone no matter what age.  

The book is about 15 year old Nathan whose 17 year old brother Al took his own life. Al was going places, he was a talented artist who was soon to be studying at Cambridge University. 
Nathan wants to work out why his brother would take such drastic measures without asking him for help. Nathan has to deal with all kinds of emotions such as guilt, anger, despair and grief to try to try to understand why Al did it. He meets Al’s friend from school Megan who too wants to find out what happened and is desperate to keep Al’s memory alive. The book switches between Megan and Nathan’s POV. There is at the start of each chapter a short monologue from Al which was written so beautifully that you will want to keep rereading each passage over and over again. 

The amazing author, Danielle Jawando was bullied at school and attempted suicide. She has written this book to pass on hope that things can get better and to stop the stigma surrounding mental health. This powerful, thought provoking story most definitely should be given to all children in High School as it shows you the severe consequences bullying can do to peoples lives and how “only banter” can leave people in a very dark place. 

I think I will be thinking about this book for a very long time and this most definitely should be a major seller!!!

Written for young adults, but a book that should be read by everyone, this shows how dangerous social media really is.
I have 2 small children and can't contemplate giving them any access to things like insta, fb etc until policies are put in place to stop things like what happened to Al (and Danielle after reading the authors note)
Such a powerful and thought provoking tale told through the voices of Nate, Megan and Al which was a really good touch. 
This had me up well into the early hours, will stay with me forever and will be recommended to everyone.

******TW Suicide, bullying, self harm, abuse*********

Nate is a 15 year old boy living just outside Manchester City centre and trying to fit in at school when her world is torn apart. He comes home one day to find his brother Al has  committed suicide, Nate blames himself for not being there, for not noticing, and ultimately not being a better friend to his big brother. However he finds things from his brother that Nate knows was Al's was of saying something was wrong, his version of a suicide note and so is determined to piece them all together to figure out why.

Along the way he meets Megan, Al's friend from Art class. Megan is dealing with her own guilt for not being a better friend to Al, as well as the reappearance of feelings from when her dad died and her best friend Tara being more interested in Elis who's nothing but bad news. However, her and Nate soon become friends and get comfort from the fact they can both remember Al and knew the real him.

This was a heartbreaking, though provoking, beautiful story about some horrible issues but which are so relevant today.

The book also starts with a message from the author who explains that she was Al once and couldn't see a way out which makes the book all the more hard hitting. It is written from both Megan and Nates points of view with a short section at the start of each chapter from Al which really helps you to understand all the characters. 

I would definitely recommend this book to all teenagers, to read about what can happen, or could be happening around you. Also the importance of saying something if something is happening which you know isn't right.

Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan decides to retrace Al’s footsteps. He starts seeking answers but will he be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when he eventually discovers what happened?"

Having read AND THE STARS WERE BURNING BRIGHTLY in October, I've been sitting with it for a while. Partially because I felt it was important not to rush to review, & partially because I was entirely in my feelings. I had just watched the new season of TOP BOY (Ats' storyline was mirroring my work life in ways I wasn't prepared for) & as an educator the pairing of TOP BOY & STARS gave me lot to think about. I teach lots of Nathans & I have taught many Als. Our education system fails boys like them every day. The dismissed bad boys & the overlooked good boys. Nathan's narration allows us to see beyond the behaviour he exhibits, past his rage & coldness, through to his pain & vulnerability. Each chapter also starts with a vignette of Al's perspective; this is genius & you'll see why. Megan's voice highlights that empathy isn't enough if it's not paired with action.

For me, this novel sits perfectly alongside Jennifer Niven & Jandy Nelson - weighty storytelling communicated through poignant prose - yet it's distinctly British. It's gripping & moving with a dynamic plot & characters you care about. As someone who isn't from Manchester, I enjoyed the mancunian setting details Danielle weaves into her writing as much as I love encountering specific corners of Brixton market or roads in Stockwell in the novels I read.

It's unsurprising that Melvin Burgess has written a blurb for this book because in writing STARS, Danielle has written within a tradition of authors who understand that if teenagers can live through certain experiences, they are also capable of reading & deserve the opportunity to read about them too. A lack of censorship does not have to mean a lack of care. Buy this for your classrooms & your libraries. Read the author's letter.

What a powerful and  intense book this is. It is a very topical  and timely book written for young adults but should be read by everyone, if only to remind ourselves to be kinder.  It deals with teenage suicide, grief, guilt and bullying and it will play on every emotion you possess.
The story weaves between Nate, who found his brother Al's body and Megan, Al's friend.  We learn what Al's death means to his family and his peer group and how they deal with it.  As is so often the case Nate cannot understand why his brother, a straight A student and a brilliant artist would choose to end his life. The search for the truth that follows is a difficult and often harrowing journey for them both. Danielle Jawanda  expertly uses her own experiences as she shows us the ugly side  of social media, the uncertainty of todays youth and the continual quest to fit in and not to be seen as different.
 And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is ultimately a book about hope....and acceptance. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers and Danielle Jawando for allowing me to read and recommend this well written novel.
#BurnBright

DANIELLE JAWANDO – AND THE STARS WERE BURNING BRIGHTLY

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is an appalling story. Because although it is fiction, it is a fictionalized version of truth. A truth that the talented young author of this novel went through herself.

The story concerns Al, who as the story opens has killed himself, and is written alternately by Nathan, one of his brothers, trying to make sense of his death and discover what drove such a talented young person to make such a decision, and by Megan, a girl Al befriends, who shared his passion for art, and their coming together, joined as they are by their anger and grief.

Coming at a time when the papers have been full of the suicide of tragic Caroline Flack, this story seems even more relevant. It makes me wonder how many more young lives will be lost (currently 4400 a year) or made miserable, before people wake up to the potential dangers of Facebook et al, and the ruthless and cowardly bullying that takes place within its pages. And, perhaps even worse, how friends, not wanting to be singled out for similar treatment themselves, go along with this obscene bullying, by their likes and emojis and thoughtlessly cruel comments. 

University research has shown that people who expose themselves frequently to social media sites are unhappier than those who don’t. And if this is anything to go by, small wonder. Even women I know who are in their twenties and thirties pout and pose and filter their images so much that you wouldn’t recognise them if you passed them in the street. This obsession of how people ‘should’ look, which in reality is to compare yourself to a photoshopped fiction of whichever celebrity happens to be your icon, is so sad. Sad that life has become such that people can’t be happy with who they are.

Though this makes for very upsetting reading, this is a book every school library should stock in droves, and every parent should read. It is that important.

Wow! This book is so relevant, it was beautifully written, with the memories & the reactions of both Nathan & Megan. To take something that must have been very traumatic and bring it to life so wonderfully, to help others. I think this is a book that should be part of the school curriculum. To make people realise that words do hurt, that there is always hope & that suicide is not always the only option. I am blown away and I think this is one of those books that is going to forever stay with me. I will be recommending my children read this when they are older. Danielle - you should be so proud, you are amazing.

Al is an outsider, he doesn’t fit in at school as has fallen out with his best friend Lewi, feeling like there is no way out he comits suicide. 

The book follows Nathan, Als brother and Megan Als friend as they navigate the loss of a brother and friend. Nate is obsessed there is a reason Al killed himself and is determined to find out why while Megan is the steady calming presence in Nates life. 

Hard to understand at first as it is written in a Mancunian dialect, but a good book discussing a hard and often avoided topic