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Danielle Jawando

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And the Stars Were Burning Brightly Paperback – 5 Mar. 2020

by Danielle Jawando (Author)

4.6 211 ratings

for school years 1–9

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An extraordinary novel about loss, understanding and the importance of speaking up when all you want to do is shut down. From a multi-award-winning author, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer Niven and Nikesh Shukla.

Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize
Shortlisted for the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize
Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award
Longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal

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 when they eventually discover what happened? #BurnBright

Praise for And the Stars Were Burning Brightly:

‘Jawando’s 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. Passionate, committed and shines a ray of light into the darkest places - the YA novel of 2020!’ Melvin Burgess

Warning - this novel contains themes that some readers may find upsetting, including suicide and intense bullying.

From the Publisher

Product description

From the Back Cover

An extraordinary novel about loss, understanding and the importance of speaking up when all you want to do is shut down. From a multi-award-winning author, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer Niven and Nikesh Shukla.

About the Author

Danielle Jawando is an author and screenwriter. Her debut YA novel, And the Stars Were Burning Brightly, won best senior novel in the Great Reads Award, and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, the Jhalak Children's & YA Prize, the Branford Boase Award, and was longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the UKLA Book Awards and the Amazing Book Awards. 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. Danielle has also worked on Coronation Street as a storyline writer. Her second novel, When Our Worlds Collided, won the 2023 Jhalak Children's and YA Prize and the 2023 YA Book Prize.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Children's UK; 1st edition (5 Mar. 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1471178773
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471178771
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.7 x 2.5 x 13 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 170,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer reviews:
4.6 211 ratings

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Customer reviews

211 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the writing style as brilliant and thought-provoking. They find the book interesting, special, and worth reading. The characters are well-developed and relatable. Many readers describe the content as important and special for young adults. Opinions differ on the sadness level, with some finding it heartbreaking and emotional harrowing while others consider it tragic.

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Writing style Readability Value for money Character development Adult content Beauty Importance Sadness

14 customers mention ‘Writing style’12 positive2 negative

Customers find the writing style engaging and poignant. They describe the story as realistic and thought-provoking, with a raw veracity that makes it moving. The topic matter is also raw, which some readers find emotionally harrowing.

"...alongside Jennifer Niven & Jandy Nelson - weighty storytelling communicated through poignant prose - yet it's distinctly British...." Read more

"This is an amazing, realistic book. Very sad and upsetting in places, but it feels like a true picture of what teens sometimes go through...." Read more

"...with me for a long time , sadly it's a tragic , but ,too often , true story , I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves , a few copies need..." Read more

"...With the topic matter being so raw, I almost feel guilty picking it apart, but I did find that the narrative dragged a bit and was slower than it..." Read more

11 customers mention ‘Readability’11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and special. They describe it as an impressive debut from the author and hope to read more of her work.

"Good read" Read more

"...This author is such a talent and this is a very important and special book." Read more

"...So in some ways an important book, but it's also one that didn't click with me the way I thought it would." Read more

"...This is an impressive debut from this author and I hope to read more of her work in the future." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Value for money’6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money. They say it's a fantastic and gritty discussion on the aftermath of suicide.

"This is an amazing, realistic book. Very sad and upsetting in places, but it feels like a true picture of what teens sometimes go through...." Read more

"Worth all the stars there are, and more. A brilliant, but emotionally harrowing book. The characters were so well written...." Read more

"A fantastic and gritty discussion on the aftermath of suicide and all the stages of grief...." Read more

"...And, by reading this wonderful book. Thank you Danielle, for your bravery, your words, and your heart." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Character development’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters. They find the plot engaging and the characters well-written. Nathan is considered the strongest character, but all characters are portrayed fairly.

"...It's gripping & moving with a dynamic plot & characters you care about...." Read more

"...Nathan is perhaps the strongest character, but everybody else felt fairly lack lustre...." Read more

"...The characters are richly drawn and you are left caring deeply about the two main protagonists...." Read more

"...A brilliant, but emotionally harrowing book. The characters were so well written...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Adult content’3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's adult content. They say it's written for young adults but is worth reading by older readers as well.

"Although this is a work of Young Adult Fiction, it deserves to be read by a much wider audience...." Read more

"This book is written for young adults. I am 58 years old...." Read more

"Must read for teens.." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Beauty’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing style. They find it sensitive and heartbreaking, evoking a true picture of what teens face.

"...Very sad and upsetting in places, but it feels like a true picture of what teens sometimes go through. Extremely well written." Read more

"...It's beautifully and sensitively written, evoking the heart breaking sorrow, pain, grief, confusion, anger and above all the question - 'why?'...." Read more

"Beautiful & Necessary..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Importance’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book important and special. It's a hard read but necessary, dealing with important topics.

"I thought this was a hard read but a necessary and brilliantly written story...." Read more

"...It's a heavy book that deals with important topics, and by and large it handles them sensitively...." Read more

"this book is amazing and needed. it shows dark themes and brings them to light. a beatiful book, i totally recommend you try it." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Sadness’3 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it sensitively written, evoking heartbreaking sorrow, pain, grief, confusion, and anger. Others say it's a tragic true story that succeeds in leaving a message. While some find the story moving and emotional harrowing, others feel the narrative drags a bit.

"This is an amazing, realistic book. Very sad and upsetting in places, but it feels like a true picture of what teens sometimes go through...." Read more

"...read this book and then I picked it up as he said it was brilliant but very sad. I found myself weeping. Fantastic book and such wonderful writing...." Read more

"...own life , This book will stay with me for a long time , sadly it's a tragic , but ,too often , true story , I hope this book gets the recognition..." Read more

"...almost feel guilty picking it apart, but I did find that the narrative dragged a bit and was slower than it needed to be suggesting that the book..." Read more

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Sammii-Louu
Beautiful & Necessary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2020
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Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan decides to retrace Al’s footsteps. He starts seeking answers but will he be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when he eventually discovers what happened?" Having read AND THE STARS WERE BURNING BRIGHTLY in October, I've been sitting with it for a while. Partially because I felt it was important not to rush to review, & partially because I was entirely in my feelings. I had just watched the new season of TOP BOY (Ats' storyline was mirroring my work life in ways I wasn't prepared for) & as an educator the pairing of TOP BOY & STARS gave me lot to think about. I teach lots of Nathans & I have taught many Als. Our education system fails boys like them every day. The dismissed bad boys & the overlooked good boys. Nathan's narration allows us to see beyond the behaviour he exhibits, past his rage & coldness, through to his pain & vulnerability. Each chapter also starts with a vignette of Al's perspective; this is genius & you'll see why. Megan's voice highlights that empathy isn't enough if it's not paired with action. For me, this novel sits perfectly alongside Jennifer Niven & Jandy Nelson - weighty storytelling communicated through poignant prose - yet it's distinctly British. It's gripping & moving with a dynamic plot & characters you care about. As someone who isn't from Manchester, I enjoyed the mancunian setting details Danielle weaves into her writing as much as I love encountering specific corners of Brixton market or roads in Stockwell in the novels I read. It's unsurprising that Melvin Burgess has written a blurb for this book because in writing STARS, Danielle has written within a tradition of authors who understand that if teenagers can live through certain experiences, they are also capable of reading & deserve the opportunity to read about them too. A lack of censorship does not have to mean a lack of care. Buy this for your classrooms & your libraries. Read the author's letter.

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Pep A
Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 January 2025
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Good read

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Bernie Hazel
Important read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2020
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I thought this was a hard read but a necessary and brilliantly written story. I very much appreciated the author's letter at the beginning and the end, and the links included at the back of the book. Crucially important to talk more about mental health, especially young male mental health, and suicide prevention. This author is such a talent and this is a very important and special book.

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Mary Mary
Amazing book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 April 2024
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This is an amazing, realistic book. Very sad and upsetting in places, but it feels like a true picture of what teens sometimes go through. Extremely well written.

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Jackie
Outstanding ,thought provoking book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2020
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I don't usually leave reviews but I have just finished reading this book and I feel I must , I was drawn in from the beginning , I was up all night reading , I just couldn't stop , at times I was brought to tears , real , heart wrenching tears and other times I was so angry that my blood boiled . Nathan is the one who finds his brothers lifeless body, he struggles to make sense of it and is determined to find out what had affected Al so much that he took his own life , This book will stay with me for a long time , sadly it's a tragic , but ,too often , true story , I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves , a few copies need to be in every school library , teachers should use it as a class study/ project , to make young people aware of the hurt , pain and harrowing consequences of bullying . I look forward to reading more from this author .

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Alyssia Cooke
Didn't click with me
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2023
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This is one of those books that I really wish I had liked more than I actually did. It's a heavy book that deals with important topics, and by and large it handles them sensitively. Nathan's brother Al took his own life and Nathan is now struggling to comprehend a world without his brilliant brother in it. In his quest for answers, he finds that Nathan was hiding some troubling secrets. The novel is clearly trying to educate on how damaging bullying - even cyber bullying - can be and the long term effects it can have. It also depicts the effects of suicide on those closest to the individual.

With the topic matter being so raw, I almost feel guilty picking it apart, but I did find that the narrative dragged a bit and was slower than it needed to be suggesting that the book really could have done with being edited down. The first hundred and fifty pages just dragged and whilst things did click together as Nathan discovers more about Al's life and his final days, it took a long time to go anywhere. The message when it finally comes is important, but it's not as impactful as it could have been given tighter pacing and framing.

The writing style also didn't really work for me. The two character perspectives had the same 'voice', which is always problematic when they are meant to be very different characters. I also struggled with the dialects used; the overuse of 'wot' and 'summat' for example just grated on me. The characterisations felt fairly thin with few of the characters really leaping off the page at you. Nathan is perhaps the strongest character, but everybody else felt fairly lack lustre.

So in some ways an important book, but it's also one that didn't click with me the way I thought it would.

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Fin C Gray
An extremely bright debut
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2020
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Although this is a work of Young Adult Fiction, it deserves to be read by a much wider audience. Teachers, parents, social workers, youth workers et al will benefit from reading this moving story of a young man trying to make sense of his older teenage brother’s suicide. Danielle Jawando doesn’t pull any punches and brings a raw veracity to the story. The characters are richly drawn and you are left caring deeply about the two main protagonists.
Although the book is extremely sad and moving, it succeeds in leaving a message of true hope. This is an impressive debut from this author and I hope to read more of her work in the future.

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Mia
Nice book
Reviewed in Canada on 27 March 2022
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I’m about half way threw, it’s not a fast moving book and not a ton is happening fast

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Book Lover
A very necessary read!
Reviewed in the United States on 30 August 2020
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This book pulled me in instantly. It was realistic and descriptively covered what many adolescents experience regarding bullying, suicidal ideations, attempts and completions. It also touched on the stigma of getting help for mental health issues, especially amongst males. I recommend that teachers, school counselors, social workers and therapist all read this book along with adolescents and parents because it would be an eye opener for many and could help bring about positive change regarding suicide prevention and seeking help for mental health issues.

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iiteajits
Bemerkenswertes Buch
Reviewed in Germany on 30 May 2021
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Schockierend ung gleichzeitig sehr schön und voller Hoffnung. Ein großartiges Buch für Teenager

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Esther
Great book! Fantastic Story!
Reviewed in France on 29 October 2020
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This YA novel starts with a punch in the stomach before it slowly opens your eyes to what prejudice can do to teenagers... Great read!

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And the Stars Were Burning Brightly Paperback – 5 Mar. 2020

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5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful & Necessary

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book

4.0 out of 5 stars Important read

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding ,thought provoking book.

3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't click with me

5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely bright debut

Top reviews from other countries

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice book

5.0 out of 5 stars A very necessary read!

5.0 out of 5 stars Bemerkenswertes Buch

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Fantastic Story!

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Beautiful & Necessary

Good book

Important read

Amazing book

Outstanding ,thought provoking book.

Didn't click with me

An extremely bright debut

Nice book

A very necessary read!

Bemerkenswertes Buch

Great book! Fantastic Story!