Danielle Jawando begins And the Stars Were Burning Brightly by introducing us to Al Bryant, a 17-year-old boy who kills himself. 

To Al’s 15-year-old brother, Nathan, his suicide makes no sense. And through Nathan’s perspective, we watch as he deals with his grief and journey with him as he tries to understand why Al would have wanted to end his life. 

Nathan’s grief leaves him angry, confused and aggressive, and like so many young men he finds it hard to discuss his emotions. It’s this stigma that Jawando challenges throughout the story.

The other central character in the novel is Megan, one of Al’s friends. She, too, struggles with his death but seeks to celebrate him and his memory by focusing on his art. Megan and Nathan forge a friendship and she helps Nathan to come to terms with his brother’s death.

As a father and a teacher, I am grateful to authors like Danielle Jawando. Although there is a great deal of darkness in the novel’s story, Jawando’s Al leaves us with a light message that we should all remember: “Even in times of great trauma, of great tragedy and sadness, there is always still hope.”

David Gower is assistant principal at IES Breckland. He tweets @david_gower83

Student reviews

‘The story was intense from start to finish’ 

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.

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.

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.

Gracie, age 15

‘It’s a very emotional read’

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly is a tragically emotional story about a boy learning to cope after his older brother, Al, unexpectedly dies by suicide. It is set in the perspective of Nate, Al’s younger brother, and Megan, Al’s only friend. 

I like how Danielle Jawando explored difficult topics that are very important today and shows how hard it would be for family and friends to cope after someone died by suicide, and how bullying can cause someone to feel alone and scared, and could potentially lead them to suicide. I enjoyed how the story switched between the perspective of Nate and Megan, and through the story you got to see some of Al’s thoughts that led him to suicide while Nate tries to figure out what happened for himself. 

I think it could be very helpful for someone in a tough spot to read and I think it’s a very emotional story.

Chloe, age 14

‘This should definitely be one that you read’

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.

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. 

Jake, age 15

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