And the Stars Were Burning Brightly

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The characters were very identifiable and I'm sure young people reading this book would see themselves.

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.We know that Nate’s mother is drinking a lot, and that his younger sister is being spared the full detail of what happened. Ranging from the negative comments to the sharing of private photos, to abusive videos going viral with endless trolling. This book explores how teenagers feel forced to behave a certain way for fear of not fitting in and how social media means they feel they are never left alone! 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. Danielle Jawando begins And the Stars Were Burning Brightly by introducing us to Al Bryant, a 17-year-old boy who kills himself.

But beyond that, we don’t get as much insight as I’d have liked into how the family is handling things. We collaborate with authors across all adult fiction genres, and also handle children’s books, young adult and cross-over fiction.The play ends with a tearful and genuinely heartfelt plea: one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, and the ensemble break the forth wall to push this point home, openly crying, counting to 40 and beseeching the characters, the audience and each other to hold on, reach out and be mindful of each other.

Gradually we develop a deep and nuanced understanding of their growing relationship and of all the characters involved: be they friends, family or even ‘villains’.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. Thankfully, she survived, and has channelled her own experiences into the book in the hopes that it might help someone else in a similar situation. Al’s world view, as shared by excerpts of his thoughts included at the start of each chapter, is hopeful and considered. 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.

It is a very topical and timely book written for young adults but should be read by everyone, if only to remind ourselves to be kinder. He meets Al’s friend from school Megan who too wants to find out what happened and is desperate to keep Al’s memory alive.The story was very intense from start to finish which made it impossible for me to put the book down. Nate is a 15 year old boy living just outside Manchester City centre and trying to fit in at school when her world is torn apart.