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And The Stars Were Burning Brightly
(And The Stars Were Burning Brightly #1)
by
An emotionally rich and current story of suicide, mental health, bullying, grief and growing up around social media.
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 was full of passion and light…so why did he do it?
Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan begins ...more
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 was full of passion and light…so why did he do it?
Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan begins ...more
Published
March 5th 2020
by Simon & Schuster
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Start your review of And The Stars Were Burning Brightly (And The Stars Were Burning Brightly, #1)

And the Stars Were Burning Bright is such a wonderful, heart wrenching story with important topic (bullying) more people should talk about.
It explores the dark side of human beings and the ways to recover from loss.
I have to admit, I didn't know about And The Stars Were Burning Brightly before it was READ NOW on Netgalley, but as I noticed it, and the premise sounded interesting to me, I couldn't help myself. I had to read it.
And I am so glad I did give it a shot. I read it few months before it' ...more
It explores the dark side of human beings and the ways to recover from loss.
I have to admit, I didn't know about And The Stars Were Burning Brightly before it was READ NOW on Netgalley, but as I noticed it, and the premise sounded interesting to me, I couldn't help myself. I had to read it.
And I am so glad I did give it a shot. I read it few months before it' ...more

Feb 25, 2020
Bookphenomena (Micky)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
arc-read,
emotional,
2020-read,
death,
grief,
ya-contemporary,
all-the-feels,
pback-owned,
signed-books,
pback-arc
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 ...more
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 ...more

Despite what this book made me feel, and the tears, I'm happy I read this book. Not just because it helped to haul me out of a slump but also because this story is so important to read, particularly for teens, and was done so beautifully.
I went into this read pretty unaware, as per usual, and knew only that Micky, blog buddy extraordinaire, has been raving about it for what feels like ages now. I'm so thankful she put this on my radar.
When you're angry, it takes you away from the pain somehow. ...more
I went into this read pretty unaware, as per usual, and knew only that Micky, blog buddy extraordinaire, has been raving about it for what feels like ages now. I'm so thankful she put this on my radar.
When you're angry, it takes you away from the pain somehow. ...more

Oh what a beautiful, heartbreaking novel this was, every layer of it hugely authentic and genuinely devastating.
Nate has lost his brother to suicide- through the grief, anger and self blame he starts to dig into Al’s life in the hope of finding answers. Through this quest he meets Megan, mourning not only loss of life but the loss of chances- together, maybe, they’ll find a way to move on.
This was beautifully written, Nathans voice is quirky, honest and strong, taking the reader into his heart a ...more
Nate has lost his brother to suicide- through the grief, anger and self blame he starts to dig into Al’s life in the hope of finding answers. Through this quest he meets Megan, mourning not only loss of life but the loss of chances- together, maybe, they’ll find a way to move on.
This was beautifully written, Nathans voice is quirky, honest and strong, taking the reader into his heart a ...more

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is a heart wrenching story. It was an emotional ride for me. This book is about loss, grief, bullying and suicide. It might trigger some readers. And here I'm warning you, some parts are heavy and this wasn't an easy read. I liked the story-line and the topics mentioned in this book.
I couldn't imagine how people with mental illness cope with their lives. I respect them. I don't really understand why people are so mean to others just because they have disabilit ...more
I couldn't imagine how people with mental illness cope with their lives. I respect them. I don't really understand why people are so mean to others just because they have disabilit ...more

Feb 03, 2020
mwana
marked it as to-be-continued
I requested this arc a few days ago. I just got approved but considering the subject matter, I don't think I'm in a good place to read this at the moment.
...more

This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me. As a person who not too long ago tried to commit suicide myself, this story hit me close to home but I was amazed at how accurately the characters feelings were written. I know that the author has tried to commit suicide herself so she knows how it feels to reach that point in your life but it's hard to portray that well in a story but she did it.
There were times where I didn't think I could finish this book. I started it in a time where I wasn't ...more
There were times where I didn't think I could finish this book. I started it in a time where I wasn't ...more

Oct 7, 2019
Got a surprise ARC in the mail today! 😍
April 6, 2020
Emotional, raw and filled with so many powerful emotions about grief and acceptance.
Full review to come.
Got a surprise ARC in the mail today! 😍
April 6, 2020
Emotional, raw and filled with so many powerful emotions about grief and acceptance.
Full review to come.

You can spend all your life tryna work out why someone does summat. Tryna find answers and, in the end, none of it matters. That’s just people.
On my blog.
Actual rating 4.5
Rep: mc with PTSD, Black mcs, gay side character
CWs: suicide, bullying, assault, homophobia, racism
Galley provided by publisher
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 boo ...more

And this, this is the reason I have the Book Box Club and refuse to let go of it. The books they include are always outside my comfort zone and are nothing like the books I usually pick, but the girls have great taste. I got this as one of the possible 10 ARCs we could get and I couldn't be happier that this one crossed my path. It was an amazing, impressive, heavy and lovely read.
The story is as heavy as the blurb makes it sound. The theme is far from easy and watching the characters deal with ...more
The story is as heavy as the blurb makes it sound. The theme is far from easy and watching the characters deal with ...more

I was lucky enough to read an early version of this novel, and I can honestly say it's going to be massive, it deserves to be massive!
It's an important, thought-provoking, heart-breaking but hopeful book about loss, mental-health, suicide, bullying, and growing up in the age of social media.
The first thing that struck me was the voices of Nathan and Megan, the main characters. So vivid and real, and the language used by Danielle Jawando to bring all of the characters to life is beautiful. Dialo ...more
It's an important, thought-provoking, heart-breaking but hopeful book about loss, mental-health, suicide, bullying, and growing up in the age of social media.
The first thing that struck me was the voices of Nathan and Megan, the main characters. So vivid and real, and the language used by Danielle Jawando to bring all of the characters to life is beautiful. Dialo ...more

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly cannot be described in just a few words, when the amount of emotions you feel are endless. This book is raw, heartbreaking, infuriating, bright, powerful and so many more words that I cannot form right now.
After an intelligent and insanely talented boy named Al commits suicide, his younger brother Nathan is determined to find out why he killed himself, alongside Al's friend Megan who faces her own challenges in this book dealing with peer pressure, trying to ...more
After an intelligent and insanely talented boy named Al commits suicide, his younger brother Nathan is determined to find out why he killed himself, alongside Al's friend Megan who faces her own challenges in this book dealing with peer pressure, trying to ...more

This book broke my heart and opened my eyes.
Unfortunately, I have experienced bullying in both my childhood and as an adult, in some form, but I believe bullying today is 100 times worse, with smartphones and social media.
To know that the Author herself experienced bullying to the point she wanted to end her life makes this book more real.
This book is not just about bullying and suicide, it’s about hope and love, and how, when you feel your life is over, there is always a light to be found. #Bu ...more
Unfortunately, I have experienced bullying in both my childhood and as an adult, in some form, but I believe bullying today is 100 times worse, with smartphones and social media.
To know that the Author herself experienced bullying to the point she wanted to end her life makes this book more real.
This book is not just about bullying and suicide, it’s about hope and love, and how, when you feel your life is over, there is always a light to be found. #Bu ...more

I finished this yesterday at 1 AM and considered putting it on my favorite shelf immediately. I didn't do it, because I was tired, emotional and overwhelmed, and I wanted to sleep, even though I couldn't sleep for another hour because my mind was still boggled by this book.
This morning, after 6 hours of poor sleep, I realized it did belong on my favorite shelf, and that I also wanted to write a review.
I read this book in one day and it left me emotionally broken. It was so raw, so emotional, so ...more
This morning, after 6 hours of poor sleep, I realized it did belong on my favorite shelf, and that I also wanted to write a review.
I read this book in one day and it left me emotionally broken. It was so raw, so emotional, so ...more

Beautiful.
Set against a backdrop that many find less than pleasant, this story covers so many emotional highs and lows...and forces us to confront some pretty unpalatable truths about people.
Our main focus is Nathan, the younger brother of Al. Al was a straight A-grade student who killed himself. Nathan found him. Nathan is also having to come to terms with the guilt he feels over ignoring a call from his brother on the night he hung himself.
Alongside Nathan we have Megan, a friend of Al that fe ...more
Set against a backdrop that many find less than pleasant, this story covers so many emotional highs and lows...and forces us to confront some pretty unpalatable truths about people.
Our main focus is Nathan, the younger brother of Al. Al was a straight A-grade student who killed himself. Nathan found him. Nathan is also having to come to terms with the guilt he feels over ignoring a call from his brother on the night he hung himself.
Alongside Nathan we have Megan, a friend of Al that fe ...more

And The Stars Were Buring Brightly is a book that will stay with me long after I turned the last page. It has taken me a good long while to put all my thoughts into some sort of order to be able to even write this review. Given the subject matter, I would be surprised if you came out the other side lightly. It is fair to say that this book above and beyond any other I have read this year took me on such a heart-aching journey as that of Nathan and Megan. It is also one that is worth reading the
...more

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, emo ...more
And the Stars Were Burning Brightly, firstly, was a gritty, emo ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

I absolutely loved this book. At once devastating yet full of hope, it follows one teenage boy's journey of coming to terms with his big brother's tragic death. It's a difficult read, especially if you have personal experience with depression, bullying and suicide, but it's by no means gratuitously dark. In fact, it's balanced with moments of genuine warmth and humour.
The book explores heavy themes that are all too present in teenage lives (the pressures of social media, mental health, struggli ...more
The book explores heavy themes that are all too present in teenage lives (the pressures of social media, mental health, struggli ...more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 heartbreaking stars
This was such a well written book, the jargonistic and slang language used, really told the story from the hearts and minds of the main characters.
It’s such a tragic tale of what young people face these days and the devastating impact it can have on their lives.
A book like this should be on school curriculums to help young people see the damage that can be done.
This is a book about mental health, bullying & teenage suicide so please be aware before you start reading ...more
This was such a well written book, the jargonistic and slang language used, really told the story from the hearts and minds of the main characters.
It’s such a tragic tale of what young people face these days and the devastating impact it can have on their lives.
A book like this should be on school curriculums to help young people see the damage that can be done.
This is a book about mental health, bullying & teenage suicide so please be aware before you start reading ...more

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
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 maybe not to read this yet. Otherwise this is a must read for everyone no matter wh ...more
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 maybe not to read this yet. Otherwise this is a must read for everyone no matter wh ...more

Jul 30, 2019
leo | 飛べ
marked it as to-read
I read the sampler and sobbed the whole way through it 👌.
The only thing I’m worried about is the relationship between the two POV main characters... please don’t make them fall in love but fall in friendship!!!!
The only thing I’m worried about is the relationship between the two POV main characters... please don’t make them fall in love but fall in friendship!!!!

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC for an honest review.
This book takes on the dangers of social media to mental health, and the darker side of the on-line world - fuelled by dislike, jealousy, the need for likes, or someone being different. It discusses how our relationships/ friendships change as we grow and become ourselves, and the challenges this presents in a world of shame culture and on-line bullying. On the other hand, Jawando celebrates our differences and how they make us special. T ...more
This book takes on the dangers of social media to mental health, and the darker side of the on-line world - fuelled by dislike, jealousy, the need for likes, or someone being different. It discusses how our relationships/ friendships change as we grow and become ourselves, and the challenges this presents in a world of shame culture and on-line bullying. On the other hand, Jawando celebrates our differences and how they make us special. T ...more

This has to be one of the hardest hitting books I've read for a long time. Seriously, it made me sob.
A sad, heart wrenching and emotional story about the serious implications of bullying.
I would say the first half of this book is a bit of a slow burn, there's alot of distributing backstory and defining characters. In the second half the story line starts to come through and the emotion sets in.
There was no sugar coating in this book, it really screamed out some truths about grief, mental heal ...more
A sad, heart wrenching and emotional story about the serious implications of bullying.
I would say the first half of this book is a bit of a slow burn, there's alot of distributing backstory and defining characters. In the second half the story line starts to come through and the emotion sets in.
There was no sugar coating in this book, it really screamed out some truths about grief, mental heal ...more

A brilliant debut by an assured new writer, this was an incredibly moving portrait of a family in grief, and a devastating expose of the cruelty of social media.
At first, the text being written in a text-like dialogue style was very off-putting, but it is testament to how gripping the storyline is that I quickly forgot about that stylistic device and just became completely enthralled.
The ending was raw and gut-wrenching. I don't often (if ever) read young adult books, so perhaps others wouldn't ...more
At first, the text being written in a text-like dialogue style was very off-putting, but it is testament to how gripping the storyline is that I quickly forgot about that stylistic device and just became completely enthralled.
The ending was raw and gut-wrenching. I don't often (if ever) read young adult books, so perhaps others wouldn't ...more

SPOILER FREE REVIEW!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children’s books for the free eARC of this book.
TRIGGER Warnings for Suicide and Bullying.
So with these trigger warnings the subject matters in this book are not the easiest to read about. It’s raw and honest and kinda brutal in some ways. However I really enjoyed this book! I loved getting to know the characters and their relationship and how they were dealing with really difficult circumstances. It flowed well and I enjoy ...more
Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children’s books for the free eARC of this book.
TRIGGER Warnings for Suicide and Bullying.
So with these trigger warnings the subject matters in this book are not the easiest to read about. It’s raw and honest and kinda brutal in some ways. However I really enjoyed this book! I loved getting to know the characters and their relationship and how they were dealing with really difficult circumstances. It flowed well and I enjoy ...more

I love that this book was set in Manchester and that it had a diverse cast. I really liked the journey Nate and Megan go on in learning more about who they are and standing up what they believe in. I did find myself wanting Saul to beat someone up! Trust me a few of these characters deserved it! I wanted to feel bad for Lewi but honestly his behaviour was just too messed up for me. I think Danielle does a great job in showing grief and breaking it down in such a way that you feel it yourself.
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