This was an uncomfortable book. You know from the start what will happen so you don’t want to get to know the characters that well. I was hesitant and it was a slow start. Keep reading, though. The comfort level gets higher and you become curious. It certainly is not an upbeat read, though. There is chapter after chapter of characters coping with grief. It has an ending that is satisfying, though.

This book hit me right in that dark emotional place. Which made it a bit hard to read. It was gut-wrenching and raw and wonderfully written. But I wasn't not prepared for the impact it would make. Good read - but fair warning about being in the right headspace for a heavier read.

Dear Edward is about a plane crash with 191 people aboard, the sole survivor is Edward, a 12 year old boy. He loses his parents and his brother in the accident. The story starts off quickly. We find out that the plane crash happens in the second chapter. The way we find out about it doesn’t have any emotion behind it for me. It’s just kind of an afterthought because we see that Edward is in the hospital and then a month later he wakes up. When the author is describing the other passengers on board it feels forced and brief. We aren’t connecting to any of the other characters on the plane and when we find out they die it had no emotion in it for me. They just seemed like statistics to me rather than people. The book did have interesting parts but overall it wasn't for me. I felt no connection to the characters.

Get the tissues ready for this one! Imagine you are the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills your parents and your brother. Now imagine you are only 12 years old and are shuffled off to your aunt and uncle whom you barely remember! So this is one tear-jerker of a story that is heart breaking and lovely in its tenderness and pathos. Initially I didn't think I was going to like the structure as it vacillates between present with Edward and his new life and the occupants of the plane leading up to the crash. I kept thinking, we already know these people are dead so why should I care? Oh, but we do! And now I can appreciate Napolitano's story so much more! Because of course, Edward is somehow connected to these strangers whose families need closure, see him as a folk hero, or just want to wish him well. But how does one cope as a 12-year old who feels left behind and must find his place in this unfamiliar family and world? This is his story and it's beautiful and realistic, and it might just make you look at the world a little differently! Hug your loved ones and appreciate what you have; be the best human you can be! Oh, and maybe avoid reading this book on a plane!

Edward is a 12 year old boy who was the sole survivor of a plane crash with 191 people. He loses his parents and older brother and ends up living with his Aunt and Uncle. He has to build a new life while living in the limelight of being the “miracle survivor”.

He fortunately is surrounded by people who care about him including his relatives, his school principal and his therapist. Most importantly, he befriends the girl next door, Shay, who he deeply connects with. She becomes his lifeline and it is the power of this friendship that ultimately heals him.

Edward feels a responsibility to help the families of the 191 victims and justify his existence. This helps to ground him and give him a reason for being.

The book goes into the lives of the other passengers and some of this was of less interest than others.
Overall, this was an interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me and advance copy.

Edward is a twelve year old boy traveling to California with his mother Jane, father Bruce and fifteen year old brother Jordan. The family is moving to accommodate Jane’s new job as a screenwriter. The family has always lived in New York City. We start the story with everyone trudging through the Newark airport, security, and Jordan’s newfound independence. They then board the plane, Jane in first class and the rest of the family in the back.

There are brief descriptions of some of the other passengers and crew that we will meet throughout the story. Each has their own reasons for traveling to Los Angeles; some to start new lives, some for work, some for vacation. At the end of the first chapter, we move to evening of the same day when the NTSB is at the crash site of Trinity Airlines flight 2977 trying to make sense of the disaster. One person has survived this horrible crash, and that is twelve year old Edward.

Now known as the “miracle boy”, we follow Edward’s story as he tries to piece back together his life. In addition and alternating with Edward’s story, we follow the time that the plane was in the air learning more about those other passengers and crew, and how that Airbus A321 ended up in pieces on the ground of a remote part of Colorado.

Napolitano carefully unravels this story in bits to allow us to try to absorb what tragedy occurred on that June day in 2013. She feeds us bits of the time on the plane over the course of the next five years of Edward’s life. It is not an easy road for Edward, nor the passengers as the plane heads to its demise. Edward’s story is fascinating though, and teaches us that in every tragedy there is a chance for hope and rebirth.

The book tends to be a slower read as the story unfolds. There is so much to absorb regarding Edward’s feelings. It’s not an easy read, and there are times you wonder how this boy even survives. It is beautifully written, giving us characters surrounding Edward who have their own feelings to resolve. This book is a keeper. One that made me stop and think and be thankful for what I have.


4.5 stars on Goodreads


This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 1 January 2020 .

I liked this book but can't say that I loved it. It started out with me really gripped by the story but I quickly started to lose interest. I think the back and forth between the passengers on the doomed flight and Edward in the present kept losing me, I would just be invested in one and it would all of a sudden switch. The momentum changing lost me. I did tear up a few times with Edward navigating his new way of life and I was so in love with the relationship between Eddie and Shay and wish there had been more of that.

I liked this book but it felt like something was missing. I wish it had focused on just Eddie and his family rather than on various passengers. I think it would’ve helped me form more of a connection to Eddie and the story in general. Beautiful cover.

Absolutely adored this poignantly beautiful novel. I wanted to adopt Edward myself, with all his human frailty and his unashamed love for his brother. I found most appealing the human connections - family, neighbors, classmates, teachers, principal, strangers.....I will REREAD this one. A classic.

This is a great book, but it probably should not be read prior to taking a vacation that would involve air travel. Edward is a young adolescent who loses his entire family in an airplane disaster. The book vacillates between Edward while on the plane, and his life after. The story is heartfelt and well told it gives us hope that people even young people when faced with the worst tragedy still find the ability to go on. Thank you for my advance copy I will continue to look for future books by this author. I will recommend to my friends and family.

This book was amazing!!! Only disclaimer is if you are flying anything soon wait until you are home.

Dear Edward is a moving and emotional story about Edward a teenager that is the only survivor of a plane crash. He lost everything in that flight except for himself. Now all that sounds like a gut wrenching book and don’t get me wrong you will cry ( I mean like ugly cry) but you will also laugh and feel uplifted by all the hope in this book.

I highly recommend this book!!! Hands down one of my favorites so far this year. And since I read in 2019 def one of my favorites of 2019!!

This was such an incredibly moving story - I really loved this book. Edward is 12 years old when he is the only survivor of a plane crash that kills all other 191 people on board, including his parents and 15 years old brother. The book spans several years as it follows Edward as he adjusts to his new life with his aunt and uncle and figures out his place in the world. The chapters alternate between Edward after the crash and what is going on with various people on the flight during the time before it crashes. It is a well written and the actions and emotions of all the characters are very believable.

I read this at the wrong time. I shouldn’t have picked it up two days before a long flight with all of my babies. I really loved her last novel and wanted something more historical, I’m sure this will find a huge audience it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I had forgotten the blurb of what the story was when I began to read it so I had no idea of what the plot was going in. I was hooked very quickly into the story and quickly figured out what was coming up.

This was a well written story about a boy dealing with the aftermath of a plane crash and being the only survivor. Interspersed are the stories of various people on the plane heading towards their demise. It was an engaging and at times heartbreaking story. I actually found myself feeling anxious leading up to the crash and couldn't read fast enough to get to the next page.

I have never read anything by this author before but will be looking into her other books

Twelve year old Edward and his family are moving across the country for his mother's job when a horrible tragedy occurs. Through some miracle Edward survives and is faced with continuing a life without his family. Throughout the book you begin to understand backstories behind many of the other people who were on the plane through their families that are looking for closure. I liked that while the book centered on Edward it also incorporated many other characters into the storyline who were made relevant by their presence on the plane. This would be a great choice for a book club!

This book was SO good. If you're scared to fly, you might stay away, but otherwise I highly recommend this story about a teenage boy who is the only survivor of a plane crash. He goes to live with is aunt and uncle and despite this dark premise, there's a lot of light and sweetness in this book, too. Thank you to netgalley.com for the preview.

This is the story of a boy who survived a plane crash. It's also the story of the other passengers and families. Edward goes to live with his aunt and uncle, whose marriage is already strained. We read about Edward's recovery, his connection to the other passengers and about how Americans respond to tragedies. It's a beautiful, relatable story with real, delicately developed characters.

What if one day, your life consisted of your mom, your dad and your brother in one moment, heading towards a new life, in a new place. And on that very same day, your life, your soul, your existence were changed forever?

“Edward is aware, as if from a clock buried deep inside him, of a particular nanosecond that occurred six years earlier right above his head. The fleeting final moment when the plane was still a plane, and the people on it were still alive. Only Edward had bridged that nanosecond, and here he is, again…. When he leaves, he can carry this full circle - everything this moment and this place contains - in his arms.”

Imagine being 12 and having the weight of starting over resting on your shoulders, only to find out that it wasn’t only your weight you had to carry.

a highly anticipated novel by Ann Napolitano set to a tentative release date of January 14, 2020.

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I will post a full review on Goodreads and my blog - www.thenashvillewifereads.com - (with a lot more of my opinions for discussion) when the book is published. Tentative pub day is January 14, 2020.

I do appreciate NetGalley, the author (Ann Napolitano) and The Dial Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Edward is an extraordinary story about a 12 year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a commercial plane crash. Told in alternating “moments”: hours and minutes leading up to the crash — and the aftermath, as we join dear Edward on his unimaginable and devastating journey. The novel is full of poignant moments and unforgettable characters.

Beautiful book- beautiful story, beautiful writing. I really enjoyed reading it and found it very moving.