And the Stars Were Burning Brightly

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I can't wait for this book to come out because I think it has the potential to change someone's life. 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. The book starts off slow, and the twin perspectives are sometimes difficult to switch between, but it really picked up about half way through. A very emotional read, beautifully written, deals with loss and love in such sensitive and well handled way.

Her previous publications include the non-fiction children's book Maya Angelou (Little Guides to Great Lives), the short stories Paradise 703 (longlisted for the Finishing Line Press Award) and The Deerstalker (selected as one of six finalists for the We Need Diverse Books short story competition), as well as several short plays performed in Manchester and London. Convinced that she didn't do enough to appreciate Al while he was alive, Megan is determined to be a better friend to him now, and to keep his memory alive through the passion for art that they both shared. Danielle Jawanda expertly uses her own experiences as she shows us the ugly side of social media, the uncertainty of todays youth and the continual quest to fit in and not to be seen as different. Though he’s passed away before the book even begins, he feels like a fully fledged character and this only amplifies the sadness I felt at his loss.Because of this, he feels completely present in the story, so much so that I almost expected him to chime in at certain moments. Each chapter starts with a short section from Al’s point of view, and both Nate and Megan think about him constantly. Alongside Nathan were family, other siblings, his mother, his friend, Al’s friend Megan and some nasty characters. But hanging around with people who make you feel bad, who constantly say snide things about you or push you out, that's even worse.

This had me up well into the early hours, will stay with me forever and will be recommended to everyone. Determined to find out what happened to his brother at all costs, Nathan retraces Al’s last steps and connects with Megan, Al’s closest friend, to try and get to the bottom of it. I think it’s a very important story, sensitively told, and I would definitely recommend it to YA readers.BurnBright Praise for And the Stars Were Burning Brightly: Jawandos writing is incredibly raw and real; I felt completely immersed Alice Oseman 'An outstanding and compassionate debut' Patrice Lawrence 'One of the brightest up and coming stars of the YA world' Alex Wheatle An utter page turner from a storming new talent. When fifteen-year-old Nathan discovers that his older brother Al, has taken his own life, his whole world is torn apart. It really put me in a similar place to the two protagonists, of not quite being able to accept that Al was gone, and that was a really interesting experience. Grief, relationships and the impact of social media are topics explored well through careful narration and characterisation.

Her second novel, When Our Worlds Collided, won the 2023 Jhalak Children's and YA Prize and the 2023 YA Book Prize. 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). Megan’s deepest source of shame comes from her relationship with Al – she felt like the time she spent with him was her only safe space, but she refused to acknowledge their friendship outside of their art classroom, even stepping aside as her friends bullied Al on several occasions. 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. It makes me wonder how many more young lives will be lost (currently 4400 a year) or made miserable, before people wake up to the potential dangers of Facebook et al, and the ruthless and cowardly bullying that takes place within its pages.While the rest of his family are grieving and dealing in their own way, Nathan grows more and more troubled by what led up to his brothers death and what could have been going on to lead him to take his own life. It’s a fantastic independent book seller that will actually be responsive and select appropriate books for you. He starts seeking answers but will he be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when he eventually discovers what happened? I think it could be very helpful for someone in a tough spot to read and I think it’s a very emotional story.