And the Stars Were Burning Brightly

Product Information

The MM Agency is a dedicated and passionate literary agency with a global outlook, specialising in launching debut writers, international rights and book to screen adaptations. Powerful, gritty and ultimately uplifting, this book deserves so much success. Get it into the hands of as many people as you possibly can - I for one will be championing this novel for a very long time to come. It was also important for me to have both Nate and Megan narrate the story, not just because of who they are, but because of their very different experiences of grief. Megan has already been through the grieving process, so we see her deal with Al’s death in a more positive way, whereas when we meet Nathan, he is consumed with guilt and anger. Megan’s voice is much more hopeful, so I think that they both provide a good balance when it comes to exploring the themes in the book. Nathan was the brother, grieving his older sibling and questioning everything; he needed the why to these events, some reason and he was determined. Alongside Nathan were family, other siblings, his mother, his friend, Al’s friend Megan and some nasty characters. This was a intricately woven story, where as the reader you were alongside Nathan, searching for answers. Nate and Megan tread a path, tentatively, together, to discover the truth, uncovering hate, social media and cyber bullying.

Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks. Home > This story of teen suicide is brutal and frank, like the best Young Adult literature is. It explores the difficulties young people, particularly men, have with expressing their feelings openly and asking for help. As a young, straight teenager, Nathan is an example of the modern teen who doesn’t necessarily care about someone’s sexuality, but recognises that he is living in a world where the expectations put on him about masculinity do affect how he shows affection. The novel is told in dual perspective, so we follow both Nathan and Megan as they deal with the loss of Al and finding out the truth of what he was going through. I thought this was such a good choice as it allowed us to see exactly how both the characters were dealing with their overwhelming grief and guilt as well as the unique relationships they had with Al, as one was a family member and other, his best friend. It’s so clear throughout the novel just how much they loved Al and how special he was to them both, which makes what happens all the more gut wrenching. The relationships between the characters feel so true and I loved the bonds between Nathan and the rest of his family too.

The book follows Nathan, a 15-year-old boy in Wythenshawe near Manchester, one of Europe’s largest council estates, as he recovers from his older brother, Al, committing suicide. Nathan was the one to find his brother, alongside a drawing of Al surrounded by faceless figures adorned only with the words ‘help me.’ Determined to find out what happened to his brother at all costs, Nathan retraces Al’s last steps and connects with Megan, Al’s closest friend, to try and get to the bottom of it. Nathan struggles to cope with the loss of his brother, and we see him experience the complex range of emotions that can present with grief. How did you make sure that you portrayed this in a sensitive and relatable way? An extraordinary novel about loss, understanding and the importance of speaking up when all you want to do is shut down. From a multi-award-winning author, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer Niven and Nikesh Shukla.

In today's social media life, this is played out on social media meaning that there is no escape for the victim.

Publisher

Piss off,' Saul says. 'Your mum asked me to move in, but I ain't sure you wanna new stepdad just yet.' Her first nonfiction book for children (about the life of Maya Angelou) was published by Laurence King in 2019. A powerful coming-of-age story about chance encounters,injustice and how the choices that we make can completely change our future. The second YA novel from the critically acclaimed Danielle Jawando,perfect for fans ofAngie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer NivenandNikesh Shukla.