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And The Stars Were Burning Brightly

(And The Stars Were Burning Brightly #1)

Danielle Jawando

4.43 · Rating details · 447 ratings · 169 reviews

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

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Published March 5th 2020 by Simon & Schuster

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· 447 ratings · 169 reviews

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Start your review of And The Stars Were Burning Brightly (And The Stars Were Burning Brightly, #1)

Oct 03, 2020 Alice Oseman rated it it was amazing

Such a beautiful and powerful story about mental health, grief, and bullying. The characters felt so real. Gonna be thinking about this one for a long time.

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Feb 08, 2020 Irena BookDustMagic rated it really liked it

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

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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 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.

This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities. ...more

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Aug 15, 2020 Hollis rated it really liked it

Recommended to Hollis by: Bookphenomena (Micky)

Shelves: book-buddy-recs, contemporary, finished-in-august-2020, own-voices, ya, 2020-reads, all-the-feels, made-me-cry, mental-health-rep, overdrive

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

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Oct 23, 2019 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing

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

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Feb 15, 2020 Elvina Zafril rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pansing

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

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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

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Feb 15, 2020 Elke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Oct 06, 2019 Gemma F rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: advanced-reader-s-copy, 2020-books, contemporary-books, ya-lit, stand-alones, male-pov, suicide, paperback-books, pansing-books

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.

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Jan 31, 2020 charlotte, (½ of readsrainbow) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aoc-et-al, just-read-it, ya-or-mg-lit, im-dead-and-dying, 4-point-5, favourites, uk-and-ireland, review-copies, disabilities-disorders-illnesses, ya-or-mg-contemporary

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

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Dec 29, 2019 Annette rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bookboxarc

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

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Sep 15, 2019 Ben Oliver rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Apr 23, 2020 Lauren rated it it was amazing

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 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 find her place and passions. She also struggles with friendships, guilt and body image.

Both Nathan and Megan share guilt around Al but also anger and frustration around their classmates. You really see the cruel side of school students.

The chapters are dual narrative and go between Megan, who wishes she would of been a better friend, and Nathan, who blames himself partly but is determined to find out why Al killed himself, and who was involved? He won't rest until he has answers.

Bullying is a key theme in this Book, and the more you read the more you learn.You see the horrible side to people, you see how grief affects people differently. The cruelty of social media, friendships being destroyed, physical and mental abuse, judgements and prejudice.

As the story goes on, you see how important it is to talk about mental health and bullying, and you never really know what is happening inside of another person's head and the struggles they face. I know from my experience how hard school can be, and how things that happen in this Book are a reality for others. It's heartbreaking. You learn so many messages from this Book. It's so important to be kind to others and to talk to people around you with how you are feeling.

Megan and Nathan go through huge character development throughout the book and in the end they try to deal with their grief in healthy ways and ultimately try to find a way for Al's memory to live on. Megan and Nathan vow to try to live better lives and be better people, they reevaluate friendships and their behaviours and try and build a better future. The book tries to give a message of hope.

Overall, I haven't cried in a long time when reading a book, but this one really got to me, I think with my own personal dealings with being bullied, and when I saw the Authors notes. It's always hard to write about personal experience and she writes with pure honesty and the writing was exceptional. This book burns bright in my heart.

*Trigger warnings*.The main themes of the book are suicide and bullying, includes physical violence and catfishing.

Full review to come on my Blog.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Danielle for my Ecopy in exchange of an honest review* ...more

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May 30, 2020 Adele Shea rated it it was amazing

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

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Apr 01, 2020 Lily rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-releases

3.5 stars!

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Apr 19, 2020 Berith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, owned

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

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Dec 05, 2019 Karen Barber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

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

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Apr 19, 2020 Paul rated it it was amazing

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 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 blurb before going into as I feel the topics discussed in its pages will be very difficult for some to deal with.

I suppose that when someone we love takes there own life, we all set off on a journey to try and find out why. The burning million dollar question, How could we have not seen it coming. Surely we would have done something to try and stop it. It is a mixture of shock and this dirty little selfish feeling of how could they. But too often we cannot begin to understand those feelings if we have not been in those footsteps our selves. For Al, his mind is so full of such thoughts that nothing can shut them out. a constant downpour of self-loathing and hatred all directed inwards. As I read these passages I could feel the walls closing in around me this dark world envelops everything it touches. For me, it was so remarkable how the author captured those feelings. It is both a scary and dangerous place to find yourself in. Nathan and Megan, they are left with that question a burning hole at the center of Al's life. Their grief and loss are like a puzzle without a box, how can you start to put it together not knowing what the whole picture looks like. Their feelings became mine as I was pulled with them from one gut-wrenching moment to the next. These are characters you can truly connect with and take into your life. They live and breathe every moment of the existence shining so bright in the darkest of times.

As you can imagine this is a book that lives in some of the saddest and darkest moments of anyone's life. There is such raw honesty to be found coming from these people it is hard to look away. Yet at times I had to, it becomes so overwhelming as we delve it to the events leading up to Al's suicide. It's strange thing to say but for all its brutalness, the author writes with such care and beauty. The emotions that her charters go through are made real for us to become one with, Nathans's anger, Megan's loss, and Al's suffering pour off the page with such ease, that it is wonder how she manages to make it seem so effortless. This for me was a book that took on a very difficult subject and did not play it for effect. Rather she gives it to us in real terms. These are events people go through every day and keep to themselves. This is for sure a journey that will take its toll on you as a reader. I was left feeling battered and bruised by my experience with this book. It is, however, one I would not give up on. This is one of those books that is so important to read. And I think in part this is also down to its characters. The act and behave as people of there age should. Their emotions are left bare and they act on instinct.

There is so much more I could talk about when it comes to And The stars Were Burning Brightly, But firstly I could never take that away fro a prospective reader and secondly even now I'm still trying to put my own emotions into place when it comes to this book. It is a beautifully honest book about a subject none of us really want to talk about. But it is something we should and maybe this book might just start a few conversations along the way and save a life here or there? ...more

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Feb 28, 2020 Amy Rush Da Silva rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 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. ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Karen Farrow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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May 17, 2020 NiennaMarie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars

I’m going to write a proper review on this one when I’ve collected my thoughts. Right now, I’m red-eyed and blotchy from crying so much.. but I just wanted to let everyone know right now just how OUTSTANDING this book is. I’m truly broken right now.

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Jan 27, 2020 Alexandra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, black-brits

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

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Feb 17, 2020 Nic rated it really liked it

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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

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Feb 25, 2020 ClaireJ rated it it was amazing

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

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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!!!!

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May 01, 2020 D rated it it was amazing

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

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Mar 27, 2020 Kirsty Procter rated it really liked it

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

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Mar 30, 2020 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fiction, 2020-read

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

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Feb 17, 2020 Nom rated it really liked it

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

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May 14, 2020 A. Bello rated it it was amazing

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.

Fu ...more

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