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cinnamoncharlotte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Suicide
horrorqueen's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant debut by an assured new writer, this was an incredibly moving portrait of a family in grief, and a devastating expose of the cruelty of social media.
At first, the text being written in a text-like dialogue style was very off-putting, but it is testament to how gripping the storyline is that I quickly forgot about that stylistic device and just became completely enthralled.
The ending was raw and gut-wrenching. I don't often (if ever) read young adult books, so perhaps others wouldn't be surprised by how real, unflinching and horrifying the author made the 'reveal', but I certainly was. It was very well done and the characters felt so well-drawn that their stories felt even more real. A really fantastic read made all the better by the fact that it takes place on a council estate and many of the characters are from disadvantaged backgrounds - it was wonderful to see people like this represented.
Although I'm certainly not the target audience for this book, I'll be eagerly anticipating anything else that the author writes!
At first, the text being written in a text-like dialogue style was very off-putting, but it is testament to how gripping the storyline is that I quickly forgot about that stylistic device and just became completely enthralled.
The ending was raw and gut-wrenching. I don't often (if ever) read young adult books, so perhaps others wouldn't be surprised by how real, unflinching and horrifying the author made the 'reveal', but I certainly was. It was very well done and the characters felt so well-drawn that their stories felt even more real. A really fantastic read made all the better by the fact that it takes place on a council estate and many of the characters are from disadvantaged backgrounds - it was wonderful to see people like this represented.
Although I'm certainly not the target audience for this book, I'll be eagerly anticipating anything else that the author writes!
cutepatzie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
So glad we have a book to show how hard is to face suicide from the perspective of a family that never expects this hard situation. Many characters are amazing. Love the dynamic. Such a sad story but with an amazing massage. Just beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Cursing, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Self harm, Racial slurs, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Suicide attempt
charlottelizabeth94's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
ohbookisme's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kellysrambles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. I am speechless. A heart breaking novel about grief, mental health, bullying and social media. Make sure you’re ready to read this one, it packs a serious punch! 💫
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Suicide
maitaylor01's review against another edition
5.0
Every now and again a book comes along that just feels so important that it should be compulsory reading in all secondary schools, and this is one such book.
Told from the dual points of view of Nathan and Megan, interspersed with snippets of insight from Al himself, and written using the vocabulary each of them would naturally speaking in, I did find the writing style a little tricky to get used to (especially at first as I had assumed the book was written by an American author for some reason and it isn’t), but once I had settled in to it, it was actually rather perfect for the story being told.
From the blurb, I had expected this book to reduce me to tears, but what the author does in fact is capture that numb, empty feeling you get when you lose someone, the feeling that spreads right through your body until it consumes you, the raw pain of a death, in a way that I don’t think I have experienced in a book until now.
And The Stars Were Burning Brightly raises some very important questions about whether being alone is worse than being surrounded by people but feeling lonely because you can’t be yourself. As an adult I know what my answer would be, but back when I was a teenager I am not so sure.
Reading this book, I was once again reminded of how grateful I am that social media was not around when I was growing up so I could escape my bullies at the end of the day. In this book, Danielle serves a devastating reminder of the damage that can be caused by social media and the heartlessness of kids (and adults for that matter) hiding behind their screens. The fact that the events of this book were inspired by the author’s own horrific experiences of bullying at school and attempted suicide just serve to make this book all the more hard hitting.
And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is a painful read but is a book that I would urge everyone to read.
Told from the dual points of view of Nathan and Megan, interspersed with snippets of insight from Al himself, and written using the vocabulary each of them would naturally speaking in, I did find the writing style a little tricky to get used to (especially at first as I had assumed the book was written by an American author for some reason and it isn’t), but once I had settled in to it, it was actually rather perfect for the story being told.
From the blurb, I had expected this book to reduce me to tears, but what the author does in fact is capture that numb, empty feeling you get when you lose someone, the feeling that spreads right through your body until it consumes you, the raw pain of a death, in a way that I don’t think I have experienced in a book until now.
And The Stars Were Burning Brightly raises some very important questions about whether being alone is worse than being surrounded by people but feeling lonely because you can’t be yourself. As an adult I know what my answer would be, but back when I was a teenager I am not so sure.
Reading this book, I was once again reminded of how grateful I am that social media was not around when I was growing up so I could escape my bullies at the end of the day. In this book, Danielle serves a devastating reminder of the damage that can be caused by social media and the heartlessness of kids (and adults for that matter) hiding behind their screens. The fact that the events of this book were inspired by the author’s own horrific experiences of bullying at school and attempted suicide just serve to make this book all the more hard hitting.
And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is a painful read but is a book that I would urge everyone to read.
tocarra's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
freyawhale's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5