And the Stars Were Burning Brightly

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Born in Manchester, Danielle Jawando’s previous publications and broadcasting credits have included a short story Paradise 703, which was published by DeadInk in 2012 (longlisted for the Finishing Line Press Award in 2011). She has also had several short plays performed in Manchester and London. In 2015, she worked on Coronation Street as a storyline writer and in 2017, her short story The Deerstalker was selected as one of the six finalists for the We Need Diverse Books short story competition. 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. And the Stars Were Burning Brightly highlights the cruelty of social media and also the beauty of Art. In the words of Al 'Art speaks when you're unable to' - only too true as we find that Al felt he was unable to talk to anyone and expressed himself through his drawings. And The Stars Were Burning Bright is a book I'll recommend to anyone and everyone. It's a beautiful book about grief, depression, escape and life in the age of social media.

When fifteen-year-old Nathan discovers that his older brother Al, has taken his own life, his whole world is torn apart. 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. 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 also 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 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. Al was a talented artist. He was going places. An offer for Cambridge University, the support of his family and teachers. Then it all ends.Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... Ultimately though, Danielle Jawando manages to make this uplifting and hopeful – a story of loss and love and finding your place in a life now off kilter – where possibilities like the stars, burn brightly. This was beautifully written, Nathans voice is quirky, honest and strong, taking the reader into his heart and into the heart of his lost brother. As the reality of Al’s struggle emerges it is horrifically sad and massively thought provoking, making you wish so many things about our world were different. 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.

In today's social media life, this is played out on social media meaning that there is no escape for the victim.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. I actually found it surprisingly easy! I worked as an English teacher in an FE College for a long time (and have also spent a lot of time running workshops in secondary schools) so writing from the perspective of a teenager was almost second nature. The MM Agency is a dedicated and passionate literary agency with a global outlook, specialising in launching debut writers, international rights and book to screen adaptations.