This was such an emotional read and well written, the characters descriptions are great. The relationship between Edward and Shay was so uplifting after all the heartbreak this young boy goes through.
Although it's a heartbreaking read in places the basic story is really a fantastic book. Will be reading more Ann Napolitano books.
Thank you netgalley

Eddie, a 12 year old boy, emerges as the sole survivor of a horrendous plane crash, in which his parents and elder brother perish. Shell-shocked and alarmed by his sudden thrust into the limelight, he is taken in by his aunt and uncle, but cannot bring himself to sleep in the bedroom dedicated to the child they failed to conceive. The shadow of their grief sits like a fog over the house and affects how his aunt relates to him.

Instead, he bunks down in the basement before creeping out to spend the night with Shay, his neighbour and friend. She is just as inquisitive as everyone else about how and why he survived and others didn't, but she also offers him the gift of acceptance as he adjusts to his new normal in the neighbourhood and school they share.

The narrative shifts between events prior to the crash and Eddie's new life afterwards. As he seeks to learn how to be himself in this altered scenario, he prefers to be called Edward now. His headmaster takes a protective interest in him, and he eventually learns to unwind and trust again.

Bit by bit, he and Shay start their own Investigations into the background to the crash, which intensifies after they discover huge piles of letters addressed to him from the plane crash victims' relatives. Each one opens a door of understanding and several prompt a response from Edward.

He learns he has something precious to offer others that he is willing to give, something which makes his life have worth and meaning again. This is a moving, tenderly told tale, rich in reality and emotional depth, as it slowly unpacks what it's like to lose all you hold dear and the challenges it presents to starting over again when you feel unprepared.

A sad, uncomfortable and difficult read...but for all the right reasons. Unbelievably tragic and very emotional. Very hard to write this review and give the book credit!

Even though this book starts with a tragedy and unthinkable grief, it is also a beautiful book of love, friendship, strength and healing. The prose is delightful with tense, poignant descriptions of raw pain, "He can't consider how he is feeling, that door is too dangerous for him"; "Edward's brain is too sore and tender to withstand even the slightest touch".
The chapters to and fro from the present day back to the day of the flight from Newark to LA on which the Adler family are travelling to a new life. As the book progresses the lives, characters and histories of the other passengers on the flight are exposed, bringing them to life which all becomes clear towards the end. The main characters are excellently portrayed, have issues of their own and add great depth to the story of Edward, the protagonist.
This is not a depressing book though, rather an uplifting, life affirming one moving from disaster to healing, "Edward feels the kindness of the man across the room"; "The darkness inside him has taken on a new shade", and "He is alive - not just surviving, but alive".
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books

A sad but uplifting book that follows Edward a sole survivor of a plane crash, I can't imaging the feeling this poor kid had to go through, but it was expertly written.

It deals with death, heartbreak and grief and walks through every stage with Edward.

A great read, and would definitely recommend.

The setting of a fatal plane crash with only one survivor, a 12 year old boy, might not draw everyone in. However, the story unfolds in a way that makes the reader understand the nature of trauma and loss, not just for him but his relatives with whom he subsequently lives. What is uplifting is the description of the slow but undoubted physical and psychological recovery of Edward. He might not have found his way through without the support of a new friend, who seemed to be able to understand his needs at every stage of the journey to being better. I found the nature of their developing, deep connection the most moving aspect of this book.

I haven't read such an emotionally uplifting book in as LONG time! This is a story of survival, of mistakes and ultimately of hope. A story about making the best of what you are given and living your life as best you can even in the wake of great, almost incomprehensible tragedy.

It could easily have been a very morbid book. However, Ann Napolitano's writing is so beautiful, so profound and so lacking in sensationalization that this is a sweet, heartfelt and life affirming read. You go through the full range of human emotion reading it, in part through the many different kinds of glimpses into other lives that the novel offers through the histories and feelings of the plane passengers. This is done with great skill, and it is a joy to read, I struggled to put it down and do things like sleep and eat.

Dear Edward is a wonderful book, and I would recommend it to all!

At twelve, Edward is the sole survivor of a deadly plane crash.
Dear Edward depicts Edward's life in the crash's aftermath as he struggles to make sense of the meaning of his survival, solace comes from his friendship with the girl next door, Shay. Together Edward and Shay make a startling discovery: hidden in his uncle's garage are sacks of letters from the relatives of the other passengers, addressed to Edward.
The originality of this story alone deserves 3 stars. It was also emotional if just a little slow paced at times. The story flips between Edward and the POV of the passengers on the plane. It picks up towards the end though and it is well written.

What a sad but yet uplifting book. The story of Edward made me feel all of the emotions! I couldn't imagine anything like this happening and so went on to read about the boy who this book was inspired by. Ann Napolitano brilliantly captured such a heartbreaking story. I would definitely recommend to my friends and family. Thanks to Netgalley & Dial Press for the ARC.

Time share my thoughts on another overdue review for a NetGalley eARC. When I first heard about this book I was so excited to read it. The premises sounded very interesting and unique. It sounded like something I would really enjoy.

Dear Edward is about a 12 year old boy Edward who is the only survivor of a plane crash. We follow his story as he recovers from his injuries and well as battle of survivor guilt. While recovering he befriends a young girl called Shay, that lives next-door to his aunt and uncle who are now his legal guardians.

Although I liked the main story of Edward, and really loved reading about the friendship that grew between Edward and Shay, I somehow feel that this book felt like hard work in parts, and it’s in these parts where I felt the story was a little rushed and didn’t flow as well. Also, the flashbacks to the lives of the other passengers really made it harder for me to connect with the main plot and the main character. I didn’t really want to read about these passengers, especially as the ones that we got flash backs from all seemed to be the ones that had made bad choices in life, I’d rather read about the other “normal” people.

Overall, I would say this is a good book and is worth reading but it just didn’t wow me like I was expecting it to.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Books for a copy of my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for this book. I really enjoyed reading Dear Edward - the storyline was very original, the characters were delightful and it was a moving, powerful read. I will look out for Ann Napolitano's other books.

A very dramatic story. A flight from New York to Los Angeles crashes leaving 12 year old Edward, the only survivor. The story is how this notoriety affects his future life. Fascinating.

I had high hopes for this book. The premise would usually really interest me. However I felt this book fell flat.
I was expecting to be crying throughout but didn't get emotional once. The writing was a bit long winded and the letters arrived in the last quarter of the book, this was too late i felt for the plot development.
3*

When I first started reading this book, it was 3 weeks before I was supposed to be flying (now cancelled), wow it was a really good read, and I felt like I was in the book with them. Rally great book, well written but don’t Recommend you read it if you are about to go on a plane,, wait a while

Dear Edward – Ann Napolitano

One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them is a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured vet returning from Afghanistan, a septuagenarian business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. And then, tragically, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole 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 continues to feel that a piece of him has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery–one that will lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions: When you’ve lost everything, how do find yourself? How do you discover your purpose? What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?

My over riding thought when reading this was: God. Oh My God. OH MY GOD. Especially when the THING happened. I desperately wanted to write a full review of this, but I don’t even know where to start with this. It’s incredible. Like God…. You know when something is so good and so profound that you don’t even want to try to talk about it for fear of ruining it? That is how I feel about this book. All I can really say is how did Ann Napolitano manage to make me care so much about all these side characters. MY HEART HURTS. That is all.

3.5

Im very prone to anxiety so I'm Grateful I didn't read this one on a plane for sure!

Things I liked about this book:
- good ending
- relatable emotions
- present and past times of the story.
- acknowledgements

Things I would have wanted:
- more closure for some characters
- chapters ( the book was divided in 3 chunks) and although they had "mini chapters" these were dates and hours, it was difficult to keep track of how far I was into the story and had to guide myself on the reading %

The story is slow and beautiful, probably not the best book if you are looking for a fast paced book, being said that I still recommend this book.

Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash which was due to transport him, his parents, and older brother to their new lives in LA. Adjusting a new life with his aunt and uncle is proving harder than Edward ever imagined. He befriends the girl next door, sleeping on her floor every night so as to avoid the place he now has to call home. As Edward gets older, he finally discovers a way to justify his existence, making peace with the dead passengers and using his good fortune to make a difference.

The book alternates between the plane journey and after the crash. I struggled to get into the story at first and thought it was quite slow up until about 65%. I enjoyed reading about the other passengers but I didn't feel like I learned enough to connect with any of them. It felt a bit like filler in some places. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more, once Edward and Shay discovered the contents of the duffel bags. This picked up the pace and gave Edward a purpose which I felt he was lacking until that point. Although this was probably the intention of the author, I do think it made it difficult to stay engaged with the story.

I thought the ending was superb though and this definitely shaped my overall view of the story, giving it a solid 3.5 stars.

This was a very well written book. I found it compelling so much so I couldn't put it down until it was finished such was the pull it had on me. Although I found it a little slow towards the end I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

Bit unsure about this book really. Loved reading about Edward and Shay and seeing their friendship grow and reading about the other passengers on the plane but until the letters came into the story just after 70%, I was getting a bit bored. Maybe it’s just me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Despite enjoying this book, it didn't deliver the emotional impact I was hoping it would. I felt the narrative was quite detached. On hindsight this is perhaps the most appropriate writing style to give life to the numbness Edward feels during the grieving process. I appreciated Edwards jounrney and thought the writing was beautful, I just didn't connect as much as I felt I should have. Still a worth while and thought provolking read.


*I was provided a free copy from Penguin Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*