A review by whatjaninareads
And The Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando

4.0

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly is a beautiful, touching story about a teenage boy who is trying to come to terms with his brother‘s suicide. It speaks of so many important topics - mental health, bullying, sexuality... Both Nate‘s and Megan‘s views were so relatable and heartfelt. I understood Nate‘s wish to find a meaning to Al‘s death just as much as the people who told him to just let it go, and just as much as Meg‘s wish to exhibit Al‘s art in order to remember him. It showed beautifully how everybody deals with grief differently. I really liked how Meg, Nate and Lewi all grew throughout the book and were able to kind of take Al‘s death as a reminder to be yourself even if that makes you stand out. What I didn’t like about this book too much was the love story between Nate and Meg. It didn’t add to the plot, was fairly subtle anyway and the story could just do without it and they could be friends instead.