This review contains a discussion of suicide. Nathan's life is falling apart, his brother Al has committed suicide. Nathan discovered him and is understandably broken because of it. There were no signs that this was going to happen, or were there? Nathan starts to dig further into his brother's life and ends up going down a dark path. However, it's a path that he hopes will lead to the truth as to why someone with as bright a future as Al would do something like commit suicide. What follows is a devastating, beautifully written and raw story about mental health, bullying, the dark side of social media, homophobia and much more. Danielle Jawando has written what is in my opinion required reading for high school students. All of these characters are fully realised, Nathan's brother Saul is tough on the outside but underneath lies someone who is shattered and caring. Nathan's mum has separated from her husband and is struggling to put one foot in front of the other, her bereavement is real and pours off the page every time she appears. Megan, one of Al's only friends in school, is torn between her desire to do something great for Al as a memorial and her confusion over her so called friend's attitude toward Al. Then there are the villains of the story, Eli and Cole and the mysterious Lewi. Eli is a truly terrifying character who is all to real, an alpha male nightmare fuelled by drugs and booze and testosterone. As Nathan digs further and further into his brother's death, he begins to think that he can't trust anyone in his life. He starts to unravel, to lose his cool and to blame himself for what happened. This story hit me hard for several reasons, I could not put it down. And the Stars Were Burning Brightly will tear your guts out, it's a tough read but a necessary one. I cannot recommend it enough, it deserves a huge audience, I guarantee it will be hugely popular at Glenthorne's Library, I can't wait to get it into the hands of our students.
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