And the Stars Were Burning Brightly was an absorbing contemporary novel tackling issues such as cyber bullying, suicide and the grief felt by those left behind, and the darker side of social media. The author dealt with all of these topics in a compassionate and realistic way, perhaps because of her own experiences.

The book begins and ends with a note from the author on her own experiences with bullying and suicidal feelings, both of which appear to have influenced her writing.

Al was a bright and talented young man with a loving family so what caused him to think that suicide was his only option? That is the question playing on fifteen-year-old Nate’s mind after the death of his big brother Al.

Struggling with his own feelings of guilt and anger Nate desperately feels like he need to find out what drove him to do what he did.

During his search he meets Megan, a friend of Al’s who is also suffering with her own feelings of guilt. Together they try to ensure Al is remembered in the right way.

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly was a real tear-jerker. I lost count of the times I welled up. I didn’t feel like the author was making it emotive for the sake of it though. I think the reason it was such an emotional read is that it was so easy to empathise with Nate and Megan.

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly was written from multiple POV – Al, Nate and Megan. I liked that the author chose to include Al’s thoughts at the beginning of each chapter, I felt this helped the reader keep him in the forefront of their mind.

“I thought of me and Nate on the boxing-gym roof. Me and my little bro up on that roof, and my chance to tell him everything, but not being able to find the right words.

Then I sat back and prayed that the ride wouldn’t stop. Because I knew that when I did it wouldn’t be a neutron star anymore. I’d just be Al.

Al who was nothing.

Al who wanted to disappear.

Al who wanted to be up there instead…where nothing can touch you and all you know is helium and nitrogen and dust.”

One thing I thought the author captured accurately was the pain, anger and regret Nate felt after Al’s death and was unable to express.

“I turn over in the dark and wait for it to stop hurting. Not the kinda hurt when someone gives you a dead arm in school and you laugh your head off, pretending it doesn’t sting, even though it kills. This is a different hurt. One that seems to come from inside and pull down on me. Like all these different parts of me slipping away, and I can do nothing to stop it. It’s this hurt that takes over. That splits me right down the middle. That reminds me every minute that Al aint here, and there’s nothing I can do to change it.”

One of the very best things the author did in writing And the Stars Were Burning Brightly was to emphasise the need for young men to talk.

Another issue that was brought to light in this book was the way people negatively react to certain things, such as living on a council estate.

“People are always saying how much of a dump Wythenshaw is. That it is chavvy or proper rough and how you can’t even go to the shops for milk without getting stabbed. Which is a load of rubbish. Al would always say that, if anything, he felt lucky to be from one of the biggest council estates in Europe ‘cos it also had so much history. Looking at his Insta makes me think that maybe I’d taken it for granted. Cos Al was able to look closely and find all this good stuff and capture it. People only ever talk about the bad things around her. No one ever talks about how green it is, or how people look out for each other, how everyone on our estate helped pay for dad’s funeral.”

Despite the topics covered I felt it was ultimately a hope filled book. I think it is going to be massive and deservedly so.

CW Suicide, Suicidal ideation, bullying, homophobia, violence.

The Stars Were Burning Brightly is my first read for Black History Month. It’s a UK YA novel, inspired by the authors own life. There are beginning and end author’s notes about bullying, with resources, which is important in a novel such as this.

The story is told from two points of view. Nathan, a fifteen-year-old boy from Wythenshawe, Manchester. Nathans’ brother Al had recently committed suicide. The second point of view is from Al’s friend Megan. We even hear from Al as each chapter opens with a short paragraph of his writing/voice messages.

Nathan is angry and guilty, feeling he’s let down his brother and wanting to find out what happened. He’s determined to find out what drove his brother to suicide.

Megan is struggling because Al’s death reminds her of her father’s. Her best friend is also changing and acting with selfishness and cruelty towards her.

This is a heavy and emotional book with important messages about mental health and grief. I did knock off a star for how Lewis subplot (no spoilers) as it wasn’t the most delicate of handling. Still, this is an important book with a vital message and I hope plenty of young people read it.

And the Stars were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando is a devastating read! Initially I struggled with the vocabulary, culture and time of the narrative. Once you get past the urban “youth speak” however, you are into a twisted story of desolate loss and cruelty, told in a very insightful way. Nate and Megan go through a traumatic and life changing experience after losing Al and their awakening to the impact of the social media and “belonging” culture is powerful and tragic yet ultimately inspires hope. This is such a vitally important subject with stark messages for friends and peers to be brave and live their “best Al’s life”. The overall topic and the unfolding of the extent of Al’s struggle is a message that needs to be heard. Perhaps this is one for the social studies curriculum in our schools (and even, dare I suggest it, our workplaces).

I really couldn't get into this book as the written language style was so poor and I found it rather annoying.
The book has so many 5 star reviews so I may pick it up when my expectations are lower but right now it wasn't for me.

What an incredibly moving novel. Al commits suicide leaving behind a bewildered family, including his brother Nate, who sets out to try to understand why. We hear from both boys, and the story is truly heartbreaking at times as it delves into social media bullying, never being free of it, constantly harassed wherever you are. A timely story that will stay with me.

This book really deserves 2 separate reviews; one of the story itself and one of the profound effect the background to the story will have on the reader.

Al commits suicide and no-one knows why but he leaves behind a devastated family of whom his brother Nate is determined to find out the truth.
Written mainly from the perspective of Nate but with paragraphs from Al at the beginning of each chapter he book delves deep into both the feelings of Al and also those he left behind. As the truth reveals itself the full horror of "social" media bullying is brought to the forefront
Bullies have always existed but at least in my day they could only bully you in person...the advent of a myriad of ways to target young people via the use of media is horrifying as are the consequences.
The story itself is so well written. It captures the voice and experience of the teenagers involved and brings each and every character to life. The well known pressures faced by teens on how to look, how to behave, what to think and who to be friends with are all captured across the characters with plenty of posturing hiding the real emotions of the girls in particular.
The background to the story is heartbreaking. Bullying by social media is an extremely distressing concept for any parent as it is so completely out of any control they may have in terms of getting things removed from sites and the heavy reliance of young people on the varying platforms to maintain their own presence and status is frightening.
The author is extremely brave in revealing that the book is written from personal experience and I hope that reading it will change the viewpoint of teenagers on all sides of the social divides and make them think a little harder about what they do, share and comment on.

Moving and told with a real sense of how the bullied child would feel. The fact that some children, particularly males, feel they shouldn’t cry or show weakness was well put across as untrue and is a stereotype which needs addressing.
The book made me feel that we need to do more for our children and their mental health. To be aware and look for signs of suffering and depression. It’s too easy just to blame social media and sit back and do nothing.
This is a book with a real message.

One of the most powerful books I’ve read in a long time. I know Wythenshawe well and could empathise with the characters. I will be buying a copy of this and adding it to my PSHE reading list. A must read for young people and also their parents or those who work with them. A skilfully crafted and thought-provoking novel.

Brilliant and heartbreaking. This is a thought provoking read which will stay with me for a long time. It is not just for young adults. Adults should read it as well. The story talks about the feelings connected with suicide sympathetically and with empathy. Al’s story is told alongside the story of those who are grieving and also the story of those who bullied Al. The bullying is hard to read about as some of it is horrific.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I don't usually read YA, but saw this on #netgalley and thought it sounded great - and it was!

I appreciated the fact that it was set in the UK (and in Manchester, not London) as most YA books that I have read are American (John Green and Angie Thomas). I was a little bit annoyed with 'wot' etc to start with, but was soon able to ignore it.

I found this book relatable, touching and engrossing. I really wanted to find out what had happened to Al, and whilst there were hints about the actual incidents and bullying, I didn't really work out the full story until the end.

Highly recommended.

This was incredibly well done and properly tugged on my heartstrings. Bereavement is always a difficult subject to talk about and this book addresses it beautifully, along with a series of other heavy issues. It did feel a little slow in places but I felt engaged from start to finish and it's always brilliant to see some class diversity in YA fiction. To often the main characters are privileged in some way and this book perfectly highlighted some of the class issues that young people from working class backgrounds experience.

A blindingly good book.

4 Stars ****

I don't know what to say about this book. Raw, upsetting and I really lived the whole episodes along with the characters. Nathan needs to find answers to his brother's death and won't rest until he does.
I had to dry my tears before being in a position to write this review.

If you're in the mood for a light and easy read, this definitely isn't it. It so much more.

Al is an incredibly talented artist, he's special, an amazing brother and has so much life ahead of him. Nate (Nathan) struggles to come to terms with the fact Al has commited suicide. Grief, anger and blame consume him and he is obsessed with finding out what drove Al's decision.

The book is written how a 15-year-old boy would speak, which adds to the story. It's heart wrenching and the more you get to know the characters, the more painful it is that Al is robbed of so many chances. It's painful at times to read, because whilst this is a work of fiction, for so many this is real and as are the consequences of this.

I love that the main characters are characters of colour and the realism of the story. Nathan and Megan go through so much trying to find the reasons that resulted in Al's suicide. It was refreshing that it was told through two different perspectives and added to the story seamlessly. It showed the true realities of bullying and the impact it can have on a person and those around them. Friends are shown to be not all they seem.

On an unrelated note, the author's note at the end of the book made me cry.

If you're in the right headspace to read this then please do. It's worth reading.

Will also publish to Amazon and my blog on release date.

Do you ever read something and sort of hate it because it makes you so incredibly sad but also incredibly angry at the same time? Well that was And the Stars Were Burning Brightly for me.

The book opens a couple of days after Nate’s brother, Al, has committed suicide. The story alternates between Nate’s POV and Megan’s, Al’s friend. Both of them want to find out why Al decided to kill himself, Nate retracing his footsteps, and Megan wanting to memorialise Al.

First things first, this book near about made me cry multiple times. In fact, the first time I picked it up, I couldn’t read past chapter 1 because it was making me cry. A lesson for us all: do not read this book in public. There are stretches where you think, okay, I can do this dry-eyed, and then all of a sudden it hits you again, and you’re bawling. Which should definitely have been evident from the blurb, but there are books that make you vaguely sad about it, and then there are books that have you crying like a baby. This falls comfortably into the latter category.

But to make you cry so much, you have to have the right characters, and boy are these characters excellent. It took me about two chapters for me to be fully invested in them (and also crying over them, as previously discussed). I spend about 90% of the book wanting to hug them. I mean, obviously except the ones who you’re supposed to like less. They made me too angry for hugging. But if books are supposed to make you feel things (and not just frustration when they’re not great), then this book does just that.

I sort of don’t have anything more to say about this book (except. Tears), but if you read any single UKYA book this year, let it be this one.

This is an amazing book, the story is heartbreaking, hopeful and enlightening but there was a part of me, as a mum and grandma with experience of what school life and school friends can do, that didn't want to read it. I knew however that I needed to; if the author can be strong enough and brave enough to relive her own childhood and write such an thought provoking book the least I can do is see things through someone else's eyes and try to understand even a little of their pain.

Al was an artist, he loved the astrological world, the stars above fascinated him, and with university his next big step he had everything to live for so why did he kill himself?

Nathan thought his brother had it all; he was clever, talented, he knew stuff, but now he's gone and all that's left are endless questions and an anger so deep and strong he has no idea how to deal with it. Then he meets Megan who was in Al's art class and there is an instant connection as they try to help each other come to some sort of acceptance of what has happened, something he can't even begin to contemplate doing with his shattered family.

In a world which has become a secretive, vindictive place, if you don't fit perfectly your life can become a nightmare for no apparent reason. My daughter was 'different' which apparently gave her peers the right to threaten her, leave death threats on her desk, to step back and watch as she waited anxiously for it to all start up again. Thankfully she didn't have the scourge of social media to add to the pressures she experienced; the sites Al had to deal with were in their infancy or didn't exist. The rules hadn't changed, the bullying wasn't the 24/7 global phenomenon it is now and vitally she told me about it.

I read this with a horror and ache in my heart for those who, for no realistic reason, will suffer as Al did, who will be unable to lighten the load they have been forced to carry by talking, who know even though they have friends the mob mentality will always win out for self preservation if nothing else.

This book should be available to all secondary school pupils and staff, it should be discussed, considered and referred to, if it prevents one student becoming Al then that is a definite plus. Parents and grandparents might also gain an insight into the pressures our youngsters are under, might be able to spot the small things that might precede the big things and step in before it's too late.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to everyone everywhere who has anything to do with children, for them it should be required reading.

This is a very powerful book which I found quite disturbing. It deals with the power of social media and the internet on our actions and the impact it has on the ‘victim’. It makes you question why you do things and how far you will go to not stand out or up for what is right. It made me as an adult think and I hope it might make it’s younger audience think about the impact of social media on their actions and thinking.

A frightening book in some ways but obviously from the author’s experience realistic. It makes me glad I am not growing up in the current toxic environment.

I will not be able to put it on my library shelves because of the language - it fits the story but is too strong for my readers. A pity as it is an important book.

A YA novel set in Wythenshawe in Manchester, it tells the story of Al and Nate and Megan, and what happens when Al kills himself after a campaign of vicious bullying at his school. That's not a spoiler, by the way. This isn't about the moment of Al's death, but about his life, and his relationships. It's about what happens when something makes a life go so badly wrong that there seems to be no way out. I went through a period of being bullied at school, and I can only imagine how much worse that would have been with social media. And The Stars paints a dark vision of life today as faced by a young person. At times there's a touch of Lord of the Flies about it. But there's hope as well, and love. A difficult read, but who said books should be easy?

A heartbreaking read, but also manages to be uplifting and full of hope. A very emotional read, beautifully written, deals with loss and love in such sensitive and well handled way. A must read and much needed book, not just for YA but all readers. Highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Oh what a beautiful, sad, moving piece of writing.
It covers a difficult subject that is so important to understand, the damage that bullying can cause is immense, the suffering horrific.
This book will make you cry and make you angry but it will also fill you with hope for all the love that does exist.
It should be read by all school children.

I thought this was a hard read but a necessary and brilliantly written story. I very much appreciated the author's letter at the beginning and the end, and the links included at the back of the book. Crucially important to talk more about mental health, especially young male mental health, and suicide prevention. This author is such a talent and this is a very special book.