In the morning, Eddie is a twelve-year-old moving with his parents and brother from New York to LA. By teatime he is the sole survivor amongst 191 fatalities when the plane crashes.
After initial recovery from his injuries he goes to live with his Aunt and Uncle. He comes across Shay, also twelve, the daughter of a neighbour, and he covers himself with the comfort blanket of her company.
Based on a true story, Dear Edward alternates the story of Eddie’s painful journey to adjust to his circumstances, with back stories of other passengers as the flight progressed towards disaster that day. It is an eye-opening and moving account as damaged Edward struggles with the cacophony of the world around him never mind the hundreds of letters and messages from relatives of the victims.
His aunt and uncle have their own struggles as well as responsibility for this wounded child.
Amongst the most difficult reading was the development of the lives of the other passengers suddenly concluding abruptly. Some would say ‘Carpe Diem’ but I think comfort can be drawn from the psychiatrist who explained to Edward that the event would always be ‘baked into his bones’, the trick was learning to live with it.
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK Viking

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how it flicked back and forth in time from inside the plane to Edward in the years after the crash. It was interesting as we learnt more about Edward following the crash the book flicked back to the plane, this made me care more about the characters and really empathise in the final quarter of the book when it details the planes crash.
While this book was obviously very sad (especially when we read more about Edwards mother Jane) I loved that the whole book wasn’t about Edwards struggle. By following Edward for a few years after the crash we got to see how he developed and fell back in love with living again through his friendship with Shay which was really uplifting.
I’m so glad I read this book and would definitely recommend!

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.