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*

Eddie is on his way from New York to LA with his family to start a new life when the plane that they are on crashes killing all aboard but him.
The story is then told in alternating parts chronicling Edward's life after the event and the hours before the crash from the perspective of various passengers on the plane.
I enjoyed the book although I found the Eddie/Edward narrative sometimes a bit slow and filled with unnecessary information. As the story reaches the end, however, I was totally hooked at the description of why the plane crashed.

I always feel hopelessly drawn to stories of survival and overcoming tragedy, even though I know I may be an emotional wreck afterwards. DEAR EDWARD is based on the true story of a young boy who was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed his entire family. How could you ever move on from such tragedy? I needed to find out ....

If you are afraid that a book about such a horrific event would be depressing, then rest assured that DEAR EDWARD was anything but. Napolitano may have chosen a rather scary theme, but she handled it with such sensitivity and insight that I felt uplifted rather than mired in sadness and regret. I enjoyed the clever use of the dual timeline here that slowly explored both the time leading up to the crash as well as Edward’s journey towards healing afterwards. Whilst Edward is out main protagonist, we also get to hear from the different POVs of various passengers on the doomed plane, who Edward briefly encountered on his journey. This element gave the story additional depth for me, as I put myself in the shoes of travellers who are about to die in a fiery crash. For someone who is not a particularly relaxed flier, this book may not have been the perfect choice, but I am hoping that in a few months’ time, when it is my turn to board a plane, the memory will have faded sufficiently enough that an onboard G & T will be enough to soothe my anxiety.

There were a lot of moving moments in the book, from Edward’s grief over the loss of his brother and best friend, to the small snippets of the other passengers’ lives, who are al headed into a future that will not play out as planned. For people with flying phobias, rest assured that the actual crash is described in ways that will not give you nightmares into infinity, but handled with the same sensitivity as the rest of the story. Another highlight for me was Edward’s friendship with Shay, who ultimately turns out to be his salvation.

DEAR EDWARD is a story about tragedy, survival and grief, but it is also one of hope, love, and starting over. I made it almost to the end before having a good sob! Whether you cry or not, it’s impossible not to be touched by a young person who has lost so much and yet manages to rise from tragedy – it truly pays homage to the human survival instinct. Everyone who has ever lost a loved one will relate to some of Edward’s emotions as he tries to come to terms with the tragedy, and it really resonated with me.

Unsurprisingly given the nature of this book it tugs at your heart strings! Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills all 192 passengers including his parents and brother. The story is beautifully told how his whole life ends at the age of 12. His Aunt and Uncle take him in but they don't appear to be as happy as they seem having no other children and suffering miscarriages. Its a coming of age story that see's Edward at his very lowest and how he begins the unthinkable of trying to live his life- its a story that had me in tears throughout - I kept trying to imagine being in that situation not necessarily the only plane survivor but to lose the rest of your family. Saying that it is a heartwarming and gripping read. Edward befriends the girl next door Shay and they have a lovely relationship she is a no nonsense girl! It made me think that you should take everymoment and make something of it. ( I cried buckets after I had read it !!!)

A truly outstanding read.

Eddie Adler and his family are on board a plane leaving their home in New York to start a new one in Los Angeles, where his mother, Jane, will be starting a new role as a writer. Unfortunately, the family will not reach their destination as the plane crashes, and Eddie is the sole survivor.

Jane’s sister, Lacey, and her husband, John Curtis, become Edward’s guardians. His persona Eddie died with his family; his mother, father and adored brother Jordan. Edward has to learn to survive without them.

After physically recovering from the accident, Edward moves into the bedroom of what should have been a nursery for Lacey’s babies. She’s suffered several miscarriages and is desperate to have a child of her own. He finds the room claustrophobic as it’s filled with baby books. He, however, finds solace by sneaking out each night and sleeping on the floor of the next-door neighbours’, Besa and her daughter Shay.

The novel takes us through the family leaving for the airport, boarding the plane and the flight while simultaneously telling us how Edward is trying to come to terms with his loss. It is one of the most powerful, beautifully written books to appear for years.

Ann Napolitano has captured every nuance possible in the telling of this tale and the impact it has on Edward’s life moving forward. I found the characters spellbinding in their realness on how they each come to terms with the tragedy. A book that should have one cancelling all calls, turning off the TV and burying oneself in the brilliant and moving writing.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

"One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles: there are 192 people aboard. When the plane suddenly crashes, twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor. In the aftermath, Edward struggles to make sense of his grief, sudden fame and find his place in a world without his family. But then Edward and his neighbour Shay make a startling discovery; hidden in his uncle's garage are letters from the relatives of other passengers - all addressed him."

A coming-of-age story, the book answers one of life's most profound questions: "What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?"

The narrative goes back and forth of the final hours on the plane, including the passengers' final thoughts, to the present-day and Edward learning to cope without his parents and brother, as well as learning to cope with sudden fame.

I requested this book ages ago, so had forgotten some of the synopsis: I knew a child was the sole survivor of a plane crash, but I had forgotten about the letters, so that came as a surprise for me. However, it was a welcome surprise, and as Edward discovered the letters I was so intrigued as to how the story would play out.

The book is moving and heartbreaking, but also at times positive and full of hope.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I seem to be in the minority, I just couldn't get into it.

Wow. This is an absolute beautiful bildungsroman and I'm not even ashamed to say that it made me cry.

Eddie and his family are on a plane from New York to Los Angeles. The plane crashes and Eddie is the only survivor. He moves in with his aunt Lacey (his mother's sister) and uncle John all the while missing his mother, father and especially his older brother Jordan. The story alternates between the stories of all of the people who are on the plane and Edward's life (he decides to go by Edward after the crash) as he's trying to come to terms with what happened.

We learn that Edward becomes friends with Shay, his next door neighbour, attends school with her, visits Dr Mike, a therapist, and helps his principal look after his ferns all while trying to find his place in the world after such a tragedy. His relationship with Shay is wonderful and it's such a moving story of grief and how to cope with his feelings and what he should do for the best. The family members of people who died in the plane write to him, hence the book title, and he decides that he needs to live for them.

Even though I knew the outcome of the plane crashing, the writing is exceptional and I was filled with tears at the last letter.

Twelve year old Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash. He is taken in by his aunt and uncle and has to reconstruct his shattered life. Due to his unique status, Edward is sought after by the media, the public and the families of the other victims of the crash and his aunt and uncle do an excellent job of shielding him from them. However as he gets older, Edward needs to take control of his life and deal with these people himself.
Had this book been only about Edward I would have really loved the story. However, we flash back to the lives of the other passengers some of whom make some pretty bad lifestyle decisions. One is abusing drugs, more than one is sleeping around and one is wrestling with same sex attraction. None of which I want to read about. There was a fair amount of bad language in it which was quite hard work.
There is an anti Catholic sentiment running through as one of the Catholic characters says that she used to go to church, “Before I came to my senses. I was brainwashed in Mexico.” Less sad but more predictably we have a nun with some crackpot idea that Edward’s hair looked like Jesus’s so he must be anointed. Apart from this though the nun is portrayed kindly. Predictably when you drop faith you replace it with superstition which we have in the form of a reincarnated woman who floats through the story living different lives.
So that’s all the negative. Back to the positive. Edward’s is a beautiful story. He’s from a loving family and his friendship with his neighbour Shay is inspirational. There’s a lot to like about in this book if you can ignore the aforementioned stuff.

A sad, yet life affirming novel.
Dear Edward is a beautiful book, and I suppose I should give a ‘you’ll need a handkerchief’ warning from the off.

It tells the story of twelve year old Edward Adler and his survival of a plane crash that left 119 people dead, including his parents and his older brother. The story moves back and forth in time, where we learn more about some of those people who were on board the plane, and Edwards life post-crash.

In the present day, Edwards grief is all-consuming. He can’t bring himself to eat, or sleep in the room that was always meant to be for his Uncle John and Aunt Laceys baby - she is unable to carry a baby beyond a few weeks, so the bedroom feels like a symbol of her serial losses.

Shay, the girl who lives next door with her mother, seems to be the person who holds Edward together. He sleeps on the floor of her bedroom for a long time, until Shays mother decides that it’s no longer appropriate. So Shay helps Edward prepare the basement of his aunt and uncles house as his bedroom.

Edward has to go through so many huge changes after the crash, and I really felt so much sadness for him. Even just going to school after always being homeschooled must have been a huge hurdle for him to get over, but there were also all of the other firsts that he had to overcome.

The title of the book refers to the letters that Edward and Shay find. The letters have been written by the friends and families of the plane crash victims, and Edwards uncle has hidden them from him. And with good reason. These are the letters of the grieving. They all seem to want something of Edward: to live a certain way, to take up a hobby, to do a certain job. There is no way he can do all of these things, and as 15 year olds, he and Shay realise this. As a 12 year old, he never would have, and it would have no doubt overwhelmed him.

I absolutely loved this book. It drew me in to the story of Edward, and I honestly felt bereft at the end of it. It’s undeniably sad, but it’s also life affirming, and I really liked how something so tragic could ultimately have such a positive outcome.

So if you pick this book up, read the back, then put it down again thinking that it’ll be too depressing, I’d just like to encourage you to give it a go. It’s a book well worth reading.

This is an incredibly moving and powerful novel that had me in tears more than once, yet despite being a tale of loss and of grief it manages to be poignant and uplifting. It could be unbearably sad, but it doesn't drift into the territory of mawkishness, instead holding a mirror up to the reality of grief whilst accepting that life moves on. Told from two timelines, much of the novel follows Edward, who at twelve years old is the only survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 people, including his parents and his brother. Napolitano captures the emotions and conflicts within the boy well, truly bringing to life his struggle to come to terms with this new life. Periodically the novel then shifts back in time to before the plane crashed, and there are a series of snapshots capturing many of the other passengers and crew who died in the crash.

The changing perspectives adds a layer of depth and emotional intensity to the novel that may have been lacking had the entire tale been narrated by a grieving and bereft teenager. Considering how little time is actually spent on each individual passenger, it is a credit to the writing that Napolitano manages to bring so many people to life here. Some of the snapshots are entertaining, some moving, others poignant, but each character feels real and engaging. Somehow, in relatively few words, you feel like you know these individuals and I kept rooting for something to change even though you are told very early on how that fateful plane trip will end. This flair for characterisation and development shows through in the present day narrative as well and I can honestly say, I rarely feel the kind of connection to characters that I did for Edward, his aunt and uncle and Shay.

This is undeniably a story about grief and loss, not only Edward's but that of his aunt who has lost her sister and all the relatives of those who didn't survive. Of those who think Edward is 'lucky' or the miracle boy because he survived, not imaging how difficult it must be to be the one left behind. I found this a powerful and true reflection of the nature of grief and the ebbs and flows that come along with it. Edward's journey isn't an easy one and the nature of grief means that the loss of his family isn't something that will ever leave him, but Napolitano describes beautifully the stages and emotions he goes through. She doesn't dwell too long on them though, instead keeping the story moving as Edward begins to heal both physically and emotionally with the help of his aunt and uncle and the rather brilliant Shay.

All in all, this is a novel that captured me heart and soul. There isn't any doubt in my mind, this is a full throttle, no holds barred five star endeavour. It is a striking, beautiful and moving tale of loss, grief, heart-ache, life and love. There is so much here to love here and I don't doubt that this tale will stick with me for a long time to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this novel.

This was a refreshing read and take on those left behind after a disaster. The characters were not stereotypes or platitudes but well developed and easy to believe in.

Edward is the sole survivor of a commercial plane crash. At 12 years old he has lost his family and been through trauma that very few people can understand...this story is about his journey through the trauma and into life beyond.
I really enjoyed this book. I found the writing style flowed well and the characters felt authentic and believable.
The way that the author puts the emotions, thoughts and feelings into words is really creative and I found it thought provoking and emotive.
Overall this story is about a traumatic event, and it is narrated beautifully. It made me cry, made my breath catch in my chest, but in the end it left me smiling and I would definitely recommend it. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

How would you feel if you were the only one who survived a plane crash?

That's what ends up happening to Eddie. The book then flits between going through the situation on the plane tracing some of the last hours of the flight which should have successfully flown between New York and LA, but didn't.

Eddie and his family were moving to LA for his mother's work as she is a writer. She is actually sitting in first class so she can get on with some of her writing.

Most of the book traces how Eddie copes after the event being the sole survivor. After a while he and his friend Shay happen upon many letters that have been written by family members of the other people who died on the flight.

It is a beautiful, moving story and I'm glad I got the chance to read it.

Edward is the only survivor of a plane crash that killed his parents and his 15 year old brother. This story deals with how he tries to come to terms with everything, and put his life back together. I loved the themes of friendship, family and love that ran through the whole story. There were a lot of different characters and back stories but I didn't struggle to follow along with them all. I thought this was very well written, and it definitely had me tearing up a few times!

Couldn't finish this. I so wanted to love it as it sounded like something I would enjoy! But it was too slow, there were so many characters and backstories to follow and I found myself skipping paragraphs.

Dear Edward is a poignant novel which manages to be both heart-breaking and heart-warming in the same breath. It tells the story of a 12 year old boy, Edward, who is the sole survivor of a plane crash which killed 191 people, amongst whom were his parents and his older brother Jordan. We follow Edward through his recovery, both physical and otherwise, as he tries to come to terms with how to live his life without his family, in a world where everyone knows him as the boy who survived.

The author does a fantastic job of portraying the grief Edward must lug around with him, not only for his own family, but the burden of being the only one who survived. As family members of those who died on the plane reach out to Edward, he struggles with survivors guilt, and carries around the weight of everyone else's grief along with his own, asked to live his life in memory of the others.

The novel gives a stark reminder of the importance of living in the moment, not putting off things we are excited about for reasons that, in the long run, don't actually matter. Anything could happen at any moment that would prevent us from going on to do the things that we said we'll get to later, or do once this other important thing is done. Why wait?

Another thing that stood out for me was the truly incredible durability of us as human beings. This boy, when faced with the worst possible thing that anyone could imagine, was able to go on. Not immediately, and not with any degree of easiness, or without help, but eventually Edward was able to come through the other side, perhaps not the same person as he was prior to the accident, but he was ok. He survived something unimaginable. That just really hit me hard which is why I spent half of this book on the verge of tears, trying to continue reading through the blurriness.

A genuinely heart-stoppingly beautiful book. Have tissues at the ready, that's all I'm going to say.

A massive thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills his mum, dad and brother. The novel looks at the difficult job of him putting his life back together. It is emotional and quite difficult reading at times and very moving. The stories of the people on the plane with him are woven into the account of the crash which alternates with the story of his recovery. I enjoyed this despite finding it quite difficult to read at times. Thanks to Netgalley and Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Edward of the book’s title is a 12 year old boy who is the sole survivor of an aircrash, struggling to rebuild and make sense of his life while grieving for the loss of his entire family. Dear Edward is a beautifully written, emotionally charged coming of age novel that has really stayed with me.

Ann Napolitano writes a beautiful but heartrending story full of wonder, richness and loss.

A plane en route from Newark to Los Angeles crashes, killing everyone on board except for 12 year old Edward Adler. Not only does Edward lose the life he adores; he must also come to terms with the loss of his family - his parents and his beloved older brother, Jordan.

The novel travels back and forth in time between events during the flight and Edward’s life afterwards. The prose flows seamlessly and I found both timelines equally fascinating. On the plane, the reader is privy to the family dynamics of Edward’s immediate family, as well as meeting a Wall Street wheeler and dealer, an unmarried woman who may (or not) be pregnant, an obnoxious septuagenarian business tycoon, a wounded veteran returning from Afghanistan, and a nonconformist woman running away from her controlling husband. These well-developed characters are very much a part of the narrative, creating interesting storylines that are not about overcoming tragedy. This helps to make the novel a more arresting read, since the bulk of the story in the present describes Edward’s depression.

A traumatised Edward, carrying his heavy burden of grief and sorrow, goes to live with his Aunt Lacey and his protective Uncle John, at their home in West Milford, New Jersey. Aunt Lacey is struggling to handle her own losses. Having been home schooled, Edward now has to cope with attending a local school, getting used to the other children, and socialising with them. A girl of his own age, and neighbour, Shay, becomes his greatest solace, and they develop a close friendship.

I didn't expect to become so emotionally invested in this novel. I felt immense sadness for Edward, losing not only all of his immediate family, but also his future with them, particularly his 15-year old-brother as they will never get to grow up alongside each other.

This was a magnificent, moving story of the power of love, friendship and caring, to help a young boy cope with a terrible tragedy and give him hope for the future. Highly recommended, with confidence.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Penguin Books UK/ Viking via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.