This is a heart wrenching novel about a young Edward who finds himself tied to a past of loss, but with a drive to continue life beyond the tragic crash that lost him his family.

The book is utterly emotional and a true test of spirit, with lessons on life that we can all take away. Thank you for letting me read this

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

Wow - this was a fantastic premise for a book - totally original

First, can I say that I loved it.

Edward, who is 12, is the sole survivor of a plane crash - devastating.

The book follows what happens next, the ramifications and recovery for Edward are described beautifully

I found this powerful, moving. Edward is a sympathetically written character and I was so drawn and invested in him as a character willing everything to be ok

This for me is the read of the summer - can't recommend this enough

What an extraordinary premise for a book. This was both tragic and compelling and the way the book went backwards and forwards in time to show Edward's journey to peace was done very well indeed. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, thank you.

Edward Adler, his brother Jordan and their parents along with 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark which is headed for Los Angeles. Tragically the plane crashes and Edward is the only survivor. Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation but he struggles to find a place for himself in a world without his family. He feels alone and left forever tied to the plane and all of the other passengers but then he makes an unexpected discovery, one which lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions.

The story tells of Edward in the future trying to adjust to life without his family and his new life with his Aunt and Uncle. It then goes back and forth to the flight where we find out about the other people on the aeroplane and we get to find out about some of their stories. This is an emotional story but is also about survival and hope. I really enjoyed reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Penguin Books (UK) for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. Just once in a while a book comes along that resonates, affects and captures my imagination and “Dear Edward” was one of these.
Edward is 12 years old and travelling on Flight 2977 from Newark to Los Angeles with his parents and brother. His mother is about to take up a new job, prompting the move, and they all share a mixture of apprehension and excitement at the change in their lives. Around them are their 188 travelling companions, all with different lives and diverse reasons for travelling that day.
Flight 2977 never reaches its destination and 191 passengers perish. Edward, in a window seat, in a propitious position at that one particular date and time, is the sole survivor.
“Dear Edward” chronicles the aftermath of the crash for Edward from the early days in hospital to gong to live with his aunt and uncle, through appointments with physios and psychotherapists to his growing friendship with Shay, a neighbour who becomes his absolute lifeline. Interspersed with this journey are chapters set on the plane itself as it heads towards oblivion with the back stories of some of the passengers around them.
Ann Napolitano writes in an observing, detached sort of way, but I found it all the more powerful for that. I think because of that I didn’t find it particularly difficult or depressing, although at times it did affect and was moving, but ultimately you wanted a good outcome for Edward (which you got). I enjoyed the plane chapters even more, and although there was no doubt at all about the outcome, the tension built and I really wanted to know why it happened.
I thought it was an intelligent, thought provoking read and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is, I am sure, a lot of people'e cup of tea, but I am afraid its not mine so I was unable to finish it. I remain very grateful for the treat of an ARC but feel this book is better reviewed by those who got all the way through. My deficit rather than the books I am sure

I found this book a real struggle to begin with, however once you got into it the story completely captures you in and leaves you wanting more all the time.

Edward is a lucky lad and the story goes on to become such a great (and potentially true to life) tale.

This book is overwhelming in both its innate sadness and the beauty and compassion that is revealed through Eddie/Edward’s story and those of his fellow passengers and their families. You can’t help but have your breath taken by his journey and his growth. Utterly captivating, giving you significant pause for thought and reflection.

What can I say about Dear Edward??? This story makes you think, makes you question how you would deal with things and makes you question humanity in general

When I first starting reading this, I was unsure whether it would be my kind of book .... and now I know, it is everyone's kind of book

I loved the way the story flowed as if the words were a river and then ebbed backwards so we could learn more about the people on the plane.

I love the romance of Edward and Shay...and the protection of their families around them and the ending was perfect although secretly, I am hoping the author wants to continue the story in another way

We begin with the passengers alighting their doomed flight. The book then travels back and forth from the flight (pre-tragedy) to the present day, although that skips and jumps days, weeks and even months in some cases. We are given a rich medley of characters, their make-up, lives, loves, ambitions, fears and hates; brief glimpses that encapsulate whole passages of time with homily-like observations. Edward's present-day companions are, bizarrely, our window into Edward, while the whole book's present-day telling is depicted through the passive window of his eyes.
Compared to all the other characters, Edward felt flat and mirror-like, even his rare mini-breakdowns were sluggish and dissipated into nothing. While Shay, his closest friend who is pretty closed-off, was offered a more colourful portrayal.
I was, in equal parts, fascinated and disappointed with the book. If Edward's character had been better depicted, less emotionless, it would have been great.

Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash- at 12 years old he suddenly is thrust into adulthood way too early and must come to terms with the loss of his entire family. With the help of a new friend, he uncovers letters addressed to him from the plane crash family members and his world is changed.

This was a beautiful story! Well written and engaging. Delves deep into the meaning of life and the ability to cope through tragedy.

Dear Edward is an emotional and heartbreaking account of the sole survivor of a plane crash; 12 year old Edward.

The story parallels two timelines; the hours leading up to the crash and the interaction between the passengers; and the years following the crash as Edward tries to piece himself and his life back together.

Napolitano does a phenomenal job of showcasing all the hopes and dreams and flaws of humanity contained within the plan itself alongside the fragility, brokenness and strength of living with such a huge trauma. Ultimately it is a story of hope and optimisim but you absolutely will cry.

A heartwarming and life affirming read - one I could not put down.

Edward survives a plane crash which kills his family and the other 183 passengers on board. He has to find a way to live his life in the light of this event. He starts by isolating himself but gradually he comes to realise that he must come to terms with his loss. He does so through the letters written to him which bring to life those lost and allow him to contemplate his future and find a place for himself.

A lovely read showing how a heart can learn to love again.

I liked the original angle of this story. Not only does the book hypothesize the impact of a tragedy, like an airplane crash, on the families but what if one of the passengers survived? What would be the impact and implications? Edward was traveling to LA with his family when the plane went down. Miraculously he was the sole survivor. The story switches back and forward between the present where Edward is struggling to come to terms with his new reality, and the past which gives insight into a few of the passengers on the flight.
I found the book a bit slow but it picked up towards the second half when we start to get flashes as to why the plane crashed. I also enjoyed the thoughtful analysis of how something like this would effect not just Edward, but all the people around him. This book is about a tragedy, no doubt, but its also about hope and support. A solid read.

This story is about Eddie a twelve-year-old boy who is the only survivor when a passenger aircraft plummets to the ground. It is a miracle that he survived and his physical injuries will take a long time to heal but will the mental scars ever heal? The story is well written, it is obviously very sad but I did smile in places at Edwards quirky solutions on how to get through each day There's his life before the crash and then after, before he was Eddie after he is Edward, a totally different boy. He goes to live with his mother's sister and her husband who welcome him but are not quite sure how to deal with him. He misses his older brother the most but he does find a friend and ally in the girl next door, their relationship almost becomes an obsession. I really enjoyed this book and have no hesitation in giving it 5*.

Dear Edward by Anna Napolitano a five-star read you can’t miss. This is a deeply moving story and one that will surprise you, Edward’s story will keep you reading and will really keep you reading, some of the other characters stories weren’t so compelling, but that could easily be as we get to see so much more of Edwards story, so it’s easier to understand his character, or could be that we know the other passengers don’t make it, I don’t know which. As you watch Edward grow it takes this story from sad about the crash to affirming and bright.

‘Dear Edward’ follows the story of a plane crash in which 12 year old Eddie is the sole survivor. The story is told across two time periods; during the flight and life after the crash.

I really wanted to like this book, I thought I would love it but unfortunately that was not the case. The story had the potential to be a deeply emotional read but I found the writing to be detached and choppy. I had zero connection to any of the characters on the plane, despite reading a lot about their lives. I preferred reading about Edwards life after the crash and his struggle with survivors guilt but even this didn’t make me enjoy it. It was boring and very hard to stick with, it took a lot of effort on my behalf to stick it out until the end.

Dear Edward is a heart-wrenching tale of Edward who is the only survivor of a plane crash which kills his mother, father and older brother. He is taken in by his aunt and the story is about him growing up. There are some great characters, beautifully written. Edward is a boy who has grown up with love and this shapes his recovery after the crash. His neighbour Shay quickly becomes his friend and fills some of the hole left by the death of his brother. In turn she needs Edward's friendship almost as much as he needs hers. His aunt and uncle do their very best to care for Edward and have his best interests at heart even while they are dealing with their own grief. So the story focuses primarily on the after effects of this tragedy - Edward is well looked after with good support. It is unbearably sad at time - I cried more than once reading it. It has a good ending which shows hope for Edward's future. The book has stayed with me and I think about it even now, about a month after finishing it, The one part that I think about most often is when John, his uncle, and Edward are talking and John discloses that they worried greatly that Edward would take his own life. Edward replies that he would never do that because he knows how hard it is to be left behind.

Please read this book, I can't recommend it more highly.

An utter joy to read! Beautifully written and alternating between the present and the events leading up to the plane crash and the stories of the passengers, this was a story of grief, loss, family, friendship and love. Edward is a wonderful character and his relationship with the girl next door was very sweet and believable. The power of friendship and acceptance shine throughout. Really moving in lots of ways, I shed a few tears whilst reading and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

A story that stays with you, as it’s all too easy to picture yourself as a fellow passenger on this doomed flight.
Eddie survives the crash which takes the lives of his parents, his brother who he idolises, and everyone else aboard- and is transformed into Edward by his continued but now alien existence. A different life. One in which others feel they have a stake- particularly those who lost loved ones on the flight. They reinvest their lost hopes into his future and write him letters making requests- some achievable, most not; certainly not in combination. Luckily the letters are intercepted and hidden, unread, by his guardians and it is several years before he finds them, and is spurred to action by their contents.

Edward had sparked jealousy from classmates who felt he had been given concessions in school in attendance, behaviour, university entry. They had envied his financial security after compensation payouts. Ultimately, he finds a way to share his fortune anonymously.

Mixed feelings about this book. It’s an easy read and competently told. It tugs at your emotions. Some engaging characters and I did like Edward and Shay. I didn’t enjoy the ‘first class’ characters travelling with Jane, who were more stereotypical and lacking in interest to me. Overall, a decent read but not a stand out for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.