A 12 year old boy(Edward) is the sole survivor of a plane crash in which 191 people , including his parents and 15 year old brother , are killed . He is in hospital and then goes to live with his aunt and uncle (his mothers sister and her husband ) . They have been wanting a baby for years and have decorated a nursery in preparation which they now expect Edward to move in to. He prefers to sleep on the sofa at first , but then meets a young girl (Shay) from next door and starts sleeping in her bedroom in a sleeping bag . As later unfolds all the families of the victims are desperate to speak to him to see if he remembers seeing their relatives before the crash . Some have taken to writing to him but his Uncle John has kept the letters hidden from him in the garage where he has made an office researching aspects of the crash . Edward finds this office and he and Shay go through all the letters trying to help out with the answers to their questions , Shay composing the replies . There is a lot more going on in this story and it is so believable and moving so well worth reading .

A plane crash with a 191 deaths and a single survivor seems impossible, and that’s exactly why the world is enamoured with Dear Edward. How he bears this weight of loss, of living, of love is so beautifully portrayed that you can’t help but being pulled into his life.

Although there are undercurrents of sadness, as you would expect from such a devastating event, the story is more about the life and love affirming journey Edward embarks on. We are treated to glimpses of the flight where we learn about various other characters, as well as the years that follow the crash and how all these characters play a role in Edwards healing. Throughout this journey you will find yourself occasionally welling up, grinning, laughing and loving. All in all it’s a book that everybody deserves to read.

12 year old Edward is the only survivor in a terrible plane crash that kills his whole family.  What follows is a voyage of discovery, friendship, guilt and loneliness as Edward tries to come to terms with why he was the one who survived and find the part of himself that he feels is missing.  I struggled a little with this book, partly due to the complex characters and relationships.  But I am so glad I persevered.  The book and characters within it are beautifully portrayed and the complex relationships and what defines them well explored.  I found myself sobbing uncontrollably towards the end, feeling Edward's heartbreak as he relived it over and over.  What could have been a very depressing book, though, was somehow uplifting and positive.

Fabulous !

This is the poignant tale of Edward -a 12 year old boy- who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 passengers including his mother father and older brother.
The story is told from two perspectives . 
The first we hear about the passengers and their lives -always mindful of the impending doom .
The second is about Edward and how he copes with his "celebrity " status and tries to adapt to life without his family .
I cannot praise this book highly enough -it was a fabulous read 

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano was a truly moving and engrossing read. The two timelines - pre and post plane crash work really well (the pre-crash scenes are incredibly poignant once the reader knows that death awaits everyone but Edward).. The writing about grief is very moving, and the world's reaction to Edward's exceptional circumstances rings true. One of the best things about this book is the relationship between the two brothers, Edward and Jordan, and how Eddie's love for Jordan continues. For me the ending was a little too sweet, but not unwelcome!

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. I started reading this on a Sunday morning and fell into it right away. A bit of a dual storyline revealing aspects of people’s lives- their hopes and dreams as they travelled to somewhere new. Running alongside is another story of trauma, loss, connections and growth, coming after a shocking tragedy. I felt I was able to get to know all of the characters, from Edward’s aunt and uncle to his neighbours and headmaster- and even his lovely therapist. I just loved to see their efforts to help, their kindnesses and understanding while dealing with their own fears and disappointments. This was a really great read. One I will be remembering and recommending.

There is a lot of grief in this book - Edward has lost his family, his aunt has lost her sister and numerous babies, and her husband is losing his wife and family to this grief. However community, love and the human spirit do win through and there is light and life for the characters at the end of the tunnel. 

It seems wrong to call it an enjoyable read as the initial subject matter is so sad, and a 'good read' sounds a but too much like 'nice', a word my parents banned me from using so how about invigorating, life affirming, charming and highly recommended read?

At only 12 years of age, Edward is placed in a truly heartbreaking and unthinkable situation. He is the sole survivor of a plane crash, an absolutely devastating accident in which 191 people have died including his 15 year old brother and his Mother and Father.

This story follows Edward in the years following the crash as he struggles to come to terms with his new life, living with his Aunt and Uncle and without his brother and parents by his side. His life is now so different to the one he left behind and his frustrations and emotions are so sensitively explored by Napolitano throughout. 

I particularly liked the dual timeline of Edward in the present day interspersed with flashbacks to the flight journey on that fateful day and the lives and loves of some of the other passengers who were on board. I really enjoyed this insight in to how these people were feeling and the lives that they led. The flashback style helped to build up tension before the reason for the crash occurring was revealed and this part of the story was particularly emotional to read. 

Edward’s developing friendship with his neighbour Shay was also so wonderful to see and I thought the age at which Edward starts to find purpose and meaning to his life again was a clever touch. I liked his thoughtfulness and responses to the letters he and Shay discovered too. This story also explored the difficulty faced by Edward’s Aunt and Uncle and how their lives changed forever on that fateful day.

This story has made my heart soar and I am so glad that the epilogue provided such a beautiful and poignant moment for not only me as the reader, but for Edward too.

A compelling read on what happens when a single moment in time changes your life forever. Young Eddie becomes Edward after a flight that takes away his family and everything that he ever knows but slowly he works out what is important and how to deal with this thing called life.

What a book! My first 5 star review of the year and believe me it will take a lot to knock it off the best read of 2020. The Adlers, -Mum, Dad and their two sons Jordan and Eddie, board a plane to Los Angeles to start a new chapter in their lives together. Tragically that doesn't happen. The plane falls from the sky in Colorado, killing 191 people and leaving Eddie as the sole survivor.  The story shifts between the day of the crash, the passengers and the aftermath with ease.  It examines the bonds we all share, the emotions we all share and the ones we don't (but perhaps should). I enjoyed the back stories of the fellow passengers and crew, liking some of them more than others, but you were always aware of what all their futures held.
After the accident Edward goes to stay with his aunt and uncle. His trauma and grief are unimaginable. He meets their neighbour Shay and together they bond and help each other move slowly forward.  Without rehashing the plot the story will definitely keep you hooked. It's a well written book that  will play on all your emotions, but it's also uplifting and hopeful, not at all maudlin or depressing.  It's the type of book that makes you want to give your family an extra hug and keep them close. 
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for sharing this book with me.

One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles. There are 216 passengers aboard: among them a young woman taking a pregnancy test in the airplane toilet; a Wall Street millionaire flirting with the air hostess; an injured soldier returning from Afghanistan; and two beleaguered parents moving across the country with their adolescent sons, bickering over who gets the window seat. When the plane suddenly crashes in a field in Colorado, the younger of these boys, 12-year-old Edward Adler, is the sole survivor.

Imagine how you would feel being the sole survivor. At 12 years of age.

when I started reading this book, as 3 quarters of the books are all about Edward (Eddie) and how his life is now and all that he has to deal with. I was thinking to myself " so what is the point? I know what the story is, but where is it going? "

And then, the clouds clear and it gives you ALL the answers.

A lovely story, with deep meaning

I do enjoy a book with more than one timeline. The story of Edward, sole survivor of a plane crash which killed his family as well as almost 200 others, is told as snapshots of the flight from boarding to crash as well as Edward's life after the crash. Living with his aunt and uncle, and befriending the girl next door, Shay, Edward has to come to terms with life without his family, especially his adored older brother. This only really begins with Edward and Shay's discovery of a bag of letters addressed to him in his uncle's garage, all from family members of crash victims. Ann Napolitano manages to convey a real sense of the despair that Edward feels, and the snapshots of the lives of the others on board the flight are compelling. I loved the ending, post-discovery of the letters, staying up way later than I should have and finished the book with a real sense of satisfaction at the ending.

I found this story about Edward very moving and gripping. I was routing for him the whole way through. It was well written, the dual timelines worked well and the ending was satisfying. With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this book

Edward is the only survivor of a plane crash in which he lost his parents and brother. The book takes us through the events leading up to the crash ,and tells us how he eventually learns to cope with the tragedy . Well written and enthralling.

Dear Edward was not what I thought it was going to be when I requested it from Netgalley UK, but what it was, was great.

 Starting with 12 year old Eddie and his family boarding a plane along with all the other passengers, the flight is supposed to be heading to Los Angeles, next thing the plane has crashed and everyone is dead all except Eddie a miracle child according to the press. but Eddie has gone and Edward is left in his place a boy trying to learn how to live his new life. 

The story jumps between Edward and his life now and the run up to the plane crash. Who the passengers were and what they were running from, and why did the plane crash.

A real life affirming book that would make a great movie if the chance ever arose.

Despite looking forward to this one, and expecting an emotional ride, I had to DNF it. I couldn't continue for the same reason I had to DNF Beartown by Fredrick Bachman: there were too many characters that I couldn't latch onto, and I was waiting for disaster to strike. I think I'm almost alone in this, as this book is getting great reviews.

A plane crashes, killing 191 people. There is one survivor, a 12 year old boy. Edward. His life is changed in an instant, and so he must learn to live a new one. But how do you live with being a miracle? Why did he survive when so many others didn't? And what should he do now, to ensure that he honours the dead and lives a life of meaning?

I have to say, I've been almost saving this book. It's like I knew it would be special, so I saved it for when I had no distractions, and could really engage with and appreciate it. And I'm so glad I did, as this is truly one of the best books I've ever read. Even if you don't read the rest of this review, please, do yourself a favour and buy this book immediately. You won't regret it. 

The book is told in alternative chapters following two timelines - the first is set on the plane, and counts down from takeoff to the time of the crash, and the second follows on from the crash itself, as Eddie attempts to recover from his trauma and build a new life as Edward. The use of dual timelines is absolutely masterful in this case, as it creates this awful sense of tension - you know that the plane will crash, and so reading about the passengers and their lives gives you this terrible feeling of suspense as you wait for what you know is coming. 

Not only is Napolitano a master of suspense, but the writing is also incredible. In this sense, this book in an odd way reminded me of Alice Hoffman. Not in terms of plot, but the writing style seemed similarly beautiful to me - the language used is honest and brutal, and the syntax is a very unique combination of efficiency and beauty. Napolitano is able to describe any situation, even the seemingly mundane, in the most beautiful of prose, while an awful tragic event is made even more striking by the scarcity of the language she uses. It is truly masterful, and something that it is rare to find in any author, yet alone one of such a young age. 

'Dear Edward' is best described as a haunting and melancholic exploration of a brutal and shocking tragedy and it’s resulting trauma. But it is also a book about how to face challenges in life, and about how to work through even the darkest of times in order to live a life of meaning - to live, not just survive. I'll end with a quote that I feel sums up the heart of the book incredibly well:

'I want to know what to do,' he hears himself say... The statement is a relief. He wants to know what to do. She taps the centre of his hand. 'That's easy. The same thing we all must do. Take stock of who we are and what we have, and then use it, for good.'

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance copy of this book by NetGalley and Penguin Books. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

A sensitively written tear-jerker about a young boy's life after a huge scale tragedy. This story is beautifully written and captivated me for the entire book. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC egalley.

I don't want to write much about the plot of this book, as I had the pleasure of reading it without having any idea what was going to happen, and I wouldn't want to take that away from anyone. Suffice to say Jordan and Eddie are brothers. They should grow old together. They are three years apart - 15 and 12 - so they live in different worlds as three years makes a big difference at that age. Jordan has a secret girl and has discovered that he can exert his rights; to be a vegan or not to walk through the security scanner at the airport while Eddie is still happy to get lost in playing the piano. But they are close. As brothers they share an understanding which is beyond what their parents can grasp. A look may pass between them and as much information is conveyed as in a conversation.

So when Eddie is thrown into a situation where he is going to have to live without Jordan his world is more than turned upside down. The closest he can physically get to his brother is wearing his over-sized clothes, but how is he going to repair the emotional scar? And at a time when Eddie can hardly cope with being himself, he discovers that a huge number of other people have enormous expectations of him.

I was completely engrossed in this book from start to end. It moves very cleverly between two time periods, showing how we can drift along from day to day in our routine way unaware that in any one moment our lives could be turned upside down. I thought Ann Napolitano handled Edward's character very sensitively. Initially he is coping with physical pain and limitations, but he also has to learn how to operate in the world again and to connect with people. Many people help him along the way, from the school's head teacher who gives him the responsibility of caring for his precious collection of ferns, to the girl next door who is totally accepting, no matter how odd Edward's actions may seem.

I know it is only January, but I am sure that this is going to be one of my top books of the year. It is a tense page-turner, but with 'ordinary' characters you can easily relate to who are thrown into impossible situations and have to try to keep moving forward.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a review copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. An amazing premise sensitively handled. The compassion with which the author dealt with each character was beautiful. I was enjoying the book so much that I took my time to savour and live in it. The structure of the book was brilliantly handled and I loved the relationship between the two brothers, each of which we got to know more over the period of the novel. This is a book that will really stay with me. It is right up there with one of my other favourite book, A Widow for a Year John Irving in terms of richness of emotions and creating a fully believable world and lives. Thank you so much for allowing me to have a pre publication copy of this book.