Hard to get in to and feel gripped by sadly it's an interesting premise though and will probably be perfect for the right reader it just lacked connection for me

This book was a little bit tricky to get into and took me a few tries but once I got going I did enjoy it and found the story to be very uplifitng.

This book wont be everyone's cup of tea but do stick with it you might end up liking it in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really accomplished novel which displays excellent sensitivity and observation, all while deftly handling its chosen narrative style. The book switches between the cabin of the plane in the run-up to the crash and Edward’s life as he recovers and adjusts in its wake. Napolitano made all the right decisions about what to show us and when to look away. Her writing was genuinely moving and frequently resonant. I’d need no convincing to pick up more by her. The only reason this isn’t getting 5 stars is probably a really annoying one— it simply didn’t blow me out of the water. But that’s so rare, and I hardly ever give 5 stars, so don’t count that against it!

I have to say, this book sounded so intriguing but I really struggled. It took me ages to get into.

I did get - not confused - but annoyed when the book was switching from Edward now and when he was on the plane and there was an awful lot of information about the people on the plane that I was trying to figure out.

I think it was ok but not a book that I would shout about.

I'll be honest, I found this book hard to get into. The first chapter introduced the characters at a rapid pace which I struggled to keep up with (to the point I had to make notes!) and then I was lost for words when I started on the second chapter!
I thought the book picked up just after halfway so it is one to stay at. I found the relationship between Shay and Edward endearing and was happy when Edward finally started to open up more. I did think the book needed a bit more content.

This is an amazingly moving story and despite the emotional storyline, an enjoyable and uplifting read.

The book keeps to transfixed from the very start with a gripping storyline. It brought me to tears in a number of places as the characters are compelling and come to life in the pages of this book.

I would highly recommend this book.

What a find Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano is. A human story based on a real-life experience, I had thought might be depressive, but no. Ann has managed to give the reader wonderfully emotional characters without decrying the actual storyline. The novel moves in-between characters before and after a plane crash where young Edward is the only survivor. The story is mainly about Edward and his recovery after the crash. He remembers some of his fellow passengers and of course, he remembers the family he lost. It is a book that has stayed with me and one that I highly recommend.

Twelve-year-old Edward is moving home across America. This involves a flight from New York to LA. We are introduced to a few other passengers, all with their own stories. The book then flips to current times where Edward is just being released from hospital, the sole survivor of the plane crash which killed all other 191 passengers, including both of Edward’s parents and his elder brother, looked up to by Edward.
Edward, unsurprisingly is suffering. Inspite of psychiatrists, he can’t let go of feelings it should have been his beloved brother who survived, not him. This survivor guilt and immense grief stops Edward from living a normal life. However he doesn’t realise quite how protected he is by his aunt and uncle who take him in. They are suffering their own grief – multiple miscarriages and grief over the death of a sister – Edward’s mother. We follow Edward as he ages, until he is the same age as his brother was when he died.
The alternating chapters follow the flight where the stories of the various passengers have their lives and histories fleshed out, each with hope for the future. These characters are funny, sad and normal. We see the co-pilot making the mistake which will eventually result in the destruction of the plane.
In Edward’s new life we also meet Shay, a neighbour, a girl his age, who helps him heal. His uncle learns to parent a teenager suddenly parachuted into his life and from a shadowy figure at first, becomes a strong support, protecting Edward from the attention his situation commands. We meet new characters from letters written to Edward after the crash which Edward uses to heal, to gradually accept his brother has gone and to move forward.
Although never having experienced such a situation, I was there with Edward, suffering this mind blowing catastrophe. But this isn’t gruesome or miserable but eventually hopeful.

This is an intriguing story about a 12 year old boy, Edward, who is the only survivor of a plane crash. The plot had me gripped throughout. It’s very well written and I thought the structure worked well. The action goes between the people on the plane before the crash and Edward trying to cope with his new life after the terrible event. There are some wonderful characters - notably for me Edward, his friend Shay and the headmaster. Although I was slightly worried that I would find the book too sad, I didn’t as it was life affirming and has moments of joy as well as sadness. A really good read, highly recommended.

Well written, beautiful story.
Strong characters, plot strong.
Highly recommended read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review

There are very few books that completely take your breath away but this is definitely one of them.
from the outset there is great tragedy and trauma for Edward, the sole survivor of a plane crash.
The book jumps between his life now post crash and living with his Aunt and then- on the plane. It also jumps between narrators with different passengers being given a voice throughout.
The characters are written so well you feel that they are living and breathing every minute of the experience on the plane and afterward and you truly live it alongside them.
Edward heals, grieves and grows alongside his new best friend Shay and the facets of friendship between the two of them are beautiful and continue to develop as the characters grow up.
Emotionally intense, thought provoking and beautiful...one for the "keep forever and read again and again" bookcase.

This is a really lovely read. Edward, the sole survivor of a plane crash which claims his family, tries to find his place in the world when he's riven apart by survivor's guilt and unsure of what life can be without those he loves. The reader follows multiple perspectives as Edward goes to live with his aunt and uncle, battling their own demons, and begins to tentatively make connections in his new home. This is a coming of age story with deep feeling.

Beautifully written and desperately sad. Edward (Eddie) is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills his family and all of the other crew and passengers. The characters on the plane were sketched out to give them depth and the reader empathy for those who had died outside of Edward's immediate family circle. The reader realises how many people are affected by a tragedy and the need for random strangers to connect to the "lucky" survivors. Heartbreaking in some parts and beautifully life affirming in others. Recommended with a box of tissues and hugs for your loved ones while reading.

The blurb for this book had me intrigued and eager to read, but I have to say Im not entirely sure how I feel about the book on finishing it. There were good bits and there were not so good bits, I really enjoyed watching Eddie/Edwards relationships with Shay, his aunt and uncle unfold and how they linked in with each other lives. On a different note I found it too busy when flitting between Edwards current life and his reminiscing of being on the plane. On the plane I felt there were too many brief snippets of too many peoples story’s I found myself trying to place the characters and their story, then before I knew it I was back to present day with Edward. Overall I think the book was ok, not bad but just one of those books that left me middle of the road.

Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed the other 191 people on board, including his parents and brother. The book alternates between two timelines: Edward's journey of figuring out what his survival means for himself and other people while trying to come to terms with his grief; and the time between the passengers boarding the plane and it's final moment so that we come to know some of the passengers and their stories.

This is a beautiful and sympathetically written book. I don't know anyone who is the sole survivor of a tragedy such as this one, but Edward's long recovery feels authentic and his emotions and actions are what I would imagine they would be. I loved all the characters who entered his life and helped him in their individual ways.

I'm very glad I read this book.

Dear Edward is a wonderful book ,a story of devastating tragedy and horror but also the story of a young boys struggle to overcome the horror and learn to live and find a place in this world after being the one that was left behind ! I liked that we learn about what happened on the plane and get to know some of the passengers and their stories .I did shed a few tears but mostly the story was uplifting I particularly liked the ending .This is one of those books that you remember .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

An interesting book about being the sole survivor of a tragedy. I found the concept of anyone surviving such a catastrophic plane crash rather unbelievable, such mid-flight plane crashes depicted in the book don't have survivors. That aside I think it was probably the connection between passengers on a flight that resonated more, which, of course, wouldn't happen in another mode of transport.

The story is told both before the crash, on the plane and after with the sole survivor, Edward. Unfortunately I didn't really feel any empathy with the main characters or all the ghoulish hype in the aftermath of the disaster through the medium of letters sent to Edward. There was a lot of glossing over Edward's recovery, the stars being the Headmaster who was so unassuming in Edward's recovery and the blossoming relationship between Shay, the loner girl next door who took Edward under her wing, and Edward. A different read and worth a go but it didn't really grab me, I just felt something was missing overall.

Whilst I really enjoyed this book, I'm not sure it quite lived up to its hype. I was worried about reading it on the train, just in case, but, whilst there was the odd tear-jerking moment, it didn't have the emotional depth that I expected.

The victims' lives were better drawn than those of Edward's remaining family and friends. I just couldn't relate much to his aunt and uncle, or to Shay; there needed to be more attachment for the reader here. Oddly I found the headmaster a really sympathetic and likeable character, much more so than those closer to Edward.

It's still a recommended read though - 4 stars.

A flight from New York crashes and miraculously there is one young survivor. His slow physical and emotional recovery is described together with his response to the tragedy and the relatives of those who died. The sensitive story telling, engaging characters, gripping narrative and thoughtful insights make for compelling reading. If you are a nervous flyer, probably best to give this one a miss. Otherwise read and enjoy.

I enjoyed this book but I still have mixed feelings about it. Which I can’t quite put my finger on. The other thing that I found a bit confusing while reading the book, is that it keeps going back in time. To the lives of the people who perished in the plane crash, without any warning. Your reading one paragraph which is in the present and in the next paragraph you’ve gone back in time. Once I got used to it, it did become a bit easier with the jumping around. There are also a lot of characters that you have to try and keep track of. I did get a bit mixed up with some of the characters.


This story is based around (Eddie) Edward a 15 year old boy who is the soul survivor of a plane crash. Edward and his family were moving out to California for his mothers new job as a screen writer.

On the flight his mother was in first class as she hadn’t finished the script she was working on. So Edward, his older brother and father were in coach.

Once the crash had happened Edward was in hospital for months recovering from his injuries. While he was in the hospital he was in his own little bubble. As he was protected from the aftermath of the crash and all the stories that were on the news, and all forms of social media.

So on the day Edward left hospital there were lots of people around trying to get a glimpse of what they dubbed as the miracle child. People were trying to touch him, some were crying and others were praying.

When Edward gets to his aunt and uncles they take him up to their spare room. Which is basically set up as a nursery for his aunts failed pregnancies. They offer to change the room to exactly how he wants it, but he says no thank you. Then he goes back down stairs.

Edward is so detached from everything but he finds friendship with his next door neighbours daughter Shay. Every night he hobbles to his neighbours house to go and sleep on the floor of Shay’s bedroom. It becomes the only place that he can actually sleep.

After months of Edward sleeping on Shay’s bedroom floor, her mother tells him that he can no longer sleep in Shay’s room as it isn’t the correct thing to do anymore.

This puts Edward into a bit of a tale-spin, as he doesn’t know where to go. His aunt and uncle find him outside asleep in the cold. If they hadn’t spotted him when they did things could have become a lot worse. After that night Edward decided that he would sleep on the sofa bed in the basement, as he still didn’t want to use the bedroom upstairs.

One night when he couldn’t sleep Edward found himself outside his uncles garage. He went in to just have a look around. Part of the garage had been made in to an office. It had a comfortable chair and stool. He noticed that there were files that had printouts from the internet with everything and anything to do with the plane crash.

After that first night he found himself going back to the garage to read and learn more on the information his uncle had collected. At first he didn’t tell Shay and when he did tell her she also started to join him. Every night he and Shay had to wait until his aunt and uncle and also Shay’s mother had all gone to bed so they wouldn’t be discovered.

Edward’s uncle had collected information about all of the other people on the plane but there were some gaps. As though he hadn’t been able to get any information.

Edward and Shay also discovered 2 large bags that were zipped up and padlocked. They were both sure that they were also to do with the crash. Except they couldn’t open them. After trying a few random numbers they decided to put the date of the crash in and the locks opened.

What they found astounded them both as they where all addressed to Edward. At first Edward hoped that there might be something from his parents. That hope was dashed as they opened a few of the letters and started to read them.

The letters were from relatives of the people who had died in the crash. Some of the letters were wishing him well, where others were asking if he remembered their relatives. Some were requests asking him if he’d follow in their relatives careers or asking him to go on the trips that they were hoping to go on, as their relatives were no longer able to do these.

Shay put a spreadsheet together listing all of the letters, who they were from and what the requests were and if they were going to reply to them.

During this time, Edward was finally given the all clear from the hospital. Which meant he was finally allowed to go back to school. Even though Edward was ahead of the school curriculum, due to him and his brother being home schooled. They decided that he should be in the same classes as Shay to get him settled in, with everything he’d gone through. His headmaster also took Edward under his wing, making sure that once a week he’d help to look after the plants he had in his office, which was a bit like a jungle as there were so many plant.

As the months went by Edward and Shay were still going in to the garage each night to read and log the letters. On one particular night Edwards uncle caught them. As he himself was struggling with sleep, due to the strain in his marriage to Edwards aunt. As the fall out from the crash was also affecting them, because they couldn’t agree on what Edward should know about the crash, with one of them thinking that he was too young to know everything.

His uncle told them that he had been and still was gathering information about the crash and that he was keeping all of the letters safe so Edward could read them when he was older. They all decided that if Edward wanted to know about the crash and read the letters why not do it together.

As time went on with them working together Edwards aunt and uncle were slowly getting back to how they were. Edward was also becoming less detached and was slowly getting back to living, his life as best he could with out his brother and parents.

Over all this is a good book, but there are quite a few characters that you have to keep track of. As I have already said before the story jumps between the past and the present with out any warning.