Reviews

Trigger warnings: suicide (shown on-page in graphic detail), bullying, harassment, catfishing

Simply put, this is an absolutely phenomenal book.

I very rarely cry in general in my life, but this book brought me damn near close to tears several times throughout the story.

From the author's note, I immediately knew that this book would not pull its punches. It was instantly heart-wrenching, relevant and required reading. This was my first book of 2020 and boy, was it a good way to start the year. Honestly, this was one of the easiest five star ratings I've ever given and it's already a strong contender for one of my favourite books of the year.

Jawando's writing is stunning - raw, lyrical and overwhelming emotional. It's so powerful and beautiful in the way that just captures grief so completely and accurately. Since I read this book back in January, I've unfortunately lost a member of my family and I found myself returning to these words again. They seemed to reflect my experience so perfectly and that is something that I cannot praise highly enough. Jawando just seems to understand the complexity, messiness and differing reactions grief brings to people. She is definitely an author to keep your eye on.

The story is told through two distinctive narratives - Nathan and Megan. Here Jawando showed off brilliant character growth, as both characters stumble through the dark fog of grief to try and make sense of a world that no longer has Al in it. They're flawed, complex characters trying to heal, which is of course a messy path and isn't complete by the end of the book, but it's an ongoing process. Both of them struck such a chord with me and have truly heart-breaking moments that punched me in the gut. Yet, this is ultimately a story of hope.

Discovering the truth behind Al's struggle is horrendous to read and there's a graphic scene where Nathan discovers his body that destroyed me. What makes it worse is that this is reality for so many people, with bullying still being a huge problem and making many people's lives living hells. We need to shout about bullying and mental health because it leads to tragic stories like Al's if we just ignore it.

Truly, this book lives up its name and burns bright with stunning writing and an intensity that means I won't be forgetting it any time soon.

banh89's review against another edition

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5.0

This stunning novel has been burning brightly for me. It’s an absolute triumph. I’m a 31 year old woman, so not exactly the target audience...but I’ve not been able to stop reading about Nate, Megan and Al these past few days. Danielle is an incredible talent. She’s created these characters who are so real. The themes explored in this book are very challenging. Suicide, bullying, racism, classism etc. She has not steered away from them but she has helped to shine a light on these things through the eyes of young people. And she’s written a gripping, beautiful, heartbreaking story. I’m honestly blown away and so thankful that I came across this book. I also live in Manchester (where the book is set) so this was an extra treat. I can’t wait to read Danielle’s future novels.

niennamarie_'s review against another edition

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5.0

I’m going to write a proper review on this one when I’ve collected my thoughts. Right now, I’m red-eyed and blotchy from crying so much.. but I just wanted to let everyone know right now just how OUTSTANDING this book is. I’m truly broken right now.

rebecca_hedger's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars but rounded down.
An emotional, powerful read that had me tearing up at the end. I liked the alternation between Nate and Megan and how well the writing deals with such a difficult topic.

zoska012's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

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