And the Stars were Burning Brightly is the debut novel by Danielle Jawando, a YA dealing with the aftermath of a teen suicide for his family and closest friends. The book is told from two perspectives. Nate, Al’s younger brother, and Megan, who was Al’s classmate. One of the things that really impressed me in this book though was that Al felt like the third main character, despite not being physically present. Beyond the investigation and processing of Al’s death, Nathan and Megan have to continue to face everything a teenager does. Nathan butts heads with his older brother, has to deal with school bullies, familial expectations and opening up. Megan struggles with her supposed best friend changing into someone who is cruel to her; she reflects on who she is as a person, how her social media presence reflects that and why the teenagers around her buy into the version of self that is forced upon them by adult beauty brands and celebrity influencers online. The plot was interesting and I moved by the stories of Nathan and Megan. These two characters were likeable and there were some parts where the author wrote about the bullying and I felt so bad about it. I pity Al and all the victim who have been bullied. I just hope everyone has an awareness of bullying and try to take actions if this is happening to your friends or family. I would recommend this book, and I would like to read more novels with the same theme because bullying and suicide is something we should all be more aware about.

The performers use rap and song effectively as alternative ways to deliver the narrative. Dance sequences are nicely used, notably in one scene where Al attempts to convince his online partner to meet in-person, the dialogue mixed with physical theatre as other actors form a circle around the object of his desire to prevent them from reaching each other. There is an avant-garde, surreal element to the choreography, which fits the feeling of the story. Al is excellently portrayed with apt body language and tonal inflections to create the sense of a smart, enthusiastic, but self-conscious and insecure young man who knows his passions could be easily ridiculed. The young actor playing Elijah also does a great job of bringing this hard-shelled, probably deeply wounded and yet undeniably horrible character to life.

Megan also felt incredibly real and provided a wonderful example of positive mental care. I loved her growth throughout the text. Danielle Jawando begins And the Stars Were Burning Brightly by introducing us to Al Bryant, a 17-year-old boy who kills himself. 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? The dark side of social media and the internet play a crucial, devastating role in what leads to Al’s death and reminds us that those growing up in the digital age are experiencing a whole new way of bullying. In one way, And the Stars Were Burning Brightly is very easy to read. It’s written in digestible chapters and moves at a good pace. Yet, because of the subject matter, especially if you have also had suicidal thoughts, it can feel incredibly hard to revisit those feelings, even through someone else. This speaks to the quality of Jawando’s writing, which invokes the thought processes of someone with suicidal thoughts and how someone can appear fine from the outside but be in turmoil and pain on the inside.

I think we have all experienced a sense of loss in some way, whether that’s the death of a loved one, or a friend/person who is still here but no longer in our life. I partly used some of my own experience of loss, but I also did a lot of research. One of the things that Nate realises in the book, is that there is more than one way to grieve, and that it is often quite a messy process, which isn’t as clear cut as you may think. So, Nate sees his older brother grieving in a completely different way to him and doesn’t quite understand it at first. 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. There’s no doubt this story just as I’ve recounted it would have made for a tough read. However, as Megan and Nathan become friends and start to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding Al’s last moments things move up a gear. This book is honestly one of the most heartbreaking stories I have read and is so deeply honest and raw. Danielle Jawando has managed to portray so many serious topics with such grace and power, allowing the reader to really connect with the story and characters. I’d also like to mention that the novel is very much inspired by the authors own life and experiences as a young person going through a very difficult time. I think it’s so admirable that she has chosen to put this experience into her novel and has the courage to do so. I’m certain this will help others who might be in a dark place and show them that there is still hope and light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. I really loved that there were mental health resources listed at the end as well.Mental health issues are not an easy thing to deal with and nor is the loss of a family member. This book was very hard hitting, and I found that it was an excellent book to read. Jawando really emphasises the fact in her book that if you have a lot of emotional thoughts then you should talk to someone - “it’s OK not to be OK”. What really made the purpose of the book clear to me though was how the book was based on Jawando’s own experience, and how the characters in the novel reflected her own life. I also found that this book shows you a first-hand experience of how the victim of bullying feels, and how the people around them cope with the loss.

This book could, however, be quite unsettling for certain people who have a connection to suicide or depression. I would highly recommend this book for young adults as some scenes can be quite graphic. The ending left me content but I didn’t want the story to finish; I wanted to read more about how Megan and Nathan deal with the death of Al after the funeral. After reading And the Stars Were Burning Brightly, I was left in a feeling of astonishment by how much I connected with the characters and the story as a whole. The story was very intense from start to finish which made it impossible for me to put the book down. The book is written from the view of the two people closest to Al, which gave you the different reactions and coping mechanisms of Nathan and Megan. When I read the book, it was an escape from reality and almost like a wake-up call telling me about the effects of suicide. The emotion that is portrayed in this book is brilliant and every scene that is described is intricately detailed. 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.I think it could be very helpful for someone in a tough spot to read and I think it’s a very emotional story. Megan is a beautiful character. One of Al's only friends in school, she struggles to understand why he took his own life and wants to celebrate it by putting on an art exhibition of Al's works, and does this whilst coping with her utter confusion over the actions of her so-called best friend Tara. Megan and Nathan's relationship is tender, perfectly paced and beautifully realised. You also see the impact that Al’s death has on all of his family members, and the different ways that they try to cope with this, which I think helped in terms of relatability. I have an incredible editor, so she did a great job when it came to asking me the right questions and getting me to dig deep, in terms of the range of emotions that Nate experiences. She really helped me to bring out the light and the shade when it comes to something like death and losing a loved one. However drawing breath was the one thing that Al would never do again. It was Nathan who discovered him, who tried to stop him from hanging himself, who shakes at the thought of a school tie. The images of that discovery pulsate alongside his guilt at not being there for Al, who was ‘ one of the smartest people I know- knew’.

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly is a tragic and emotional story about a 17-year-old boy called Al, unexpectedly dying by suicide and leaving his family to cope with the traumatic aftermath. The story is told from the perspective of Nathan, Al’s younger brother, and Megan, who was Al’s only friend.

This stunning debut is haunting, upsetting, raw, brilliant, astute and devastating in equal measure. And the Stars Were Burning Brightly is a beautifully written story about suicide, the perils of social media, bullying, mental health, homophobia and so much more. Every single one of the characters is totally believable as is every single situation they find themselves in. Jawando’s moral of the story - based on her own experience - is made very clear: if you need help, ask for it. Do not bottle your feelings up inside - talk to someone. It is better to talk to someone you trust about how you really feel than to let your mind be affected by the things you are experiencing. Al’s story was very powerful and realistic, and I highly recommend this book to everyone. No matter what kind of stories you like, this is definitely one that you should read. It shows you how important the people around you are, and the kind of things that they can help you with during the times you need them most. 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. This will surely prove to be one of the most important books of the year. It certainly ought to be.