Anyone that knows me knows that I love YA books! So starting this new life of a book reviewer, I of course had to start with a UK YA Diverse book. Danielle Jawando was meant to come and speak at The Author School (www.theauthorschool.com) until they banned social gatherings and we had to postpone the event. I had brought a copy of her book to read and was going to buy another to donate at the event. Plus, I'm a sucker for a gorgeous cover. Well, I had a chance to read it and I was not disappointed!
Themes: Grief, suicide, family, bullying, mental health
Age: 14+
And The Stars Were Shining Brightly is about a boy called Nate who finds his older brother Al has hung himself and Nate doesn't know why. He goes on a journey to figure out why his smart, artistic brother would do such a thing. Their family wants to accept that Al has died and not dig into it but Nate feels like he has to solve the mystery because he blames himself for Al's suicide.
This book is told in split narrative and I LOVE books in split narrrative. So you hear from Nate and Megan who is sort of popular and had a secret friendship with Al. They bonded over their love for art but she didn't want people to know that she was friends with him. Why? Because Al was different. If anything he was very confident in who he was and what he wanted to be and some people don't like that. Megan also blames herself for not standing up for Al.
I love that this book was set in Manchester and that it had a diverse cast. I really liked the journey Nate and Megan go on in learning more about who they are and standing up what they believe in. I did find myself wanting Saul to beat someone up! Trust me a few of these characters deserved it! I wanted to feel bad for Lewi but honestly his behaviour was just too messed up for me. I think Danielle does a great job in showing grief and breaking it down in such a way that you feel it yourself.
This is such an important book. Not just for the suicide, mental health angle but also the obsession with social media and how that affects people in so many ways. I'm always around teens like Tara who are comparing their bodies to the surgically enhanced ones and wanting to look like them. Then acting out because deep down they're super insecure.
It's definitely a book that I will tell all my teens to read. It's a great reminder to be kind and not to be afraid of how bright you shine.
#BurnBright
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