This is a very thought provoking book.
Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash leaving him an orphan. This is the story of his survival and his new life, family and friends.
It is also the stories of the people who died and what they were looking forward to and how its affected their families.

Dear Edward is a book split between two narratives. The first is set on a commercial flight across America following a number of passengers, including a soldier, a newly pregnant woman, an ailing billionaire with his nurse, and Edward, his brother and parents.
We see snapshots of their lives, and here the writing comes into its own as every character is distinct, intriguing and you could well read a whole piece about anyone of them.

But the second narrative, is devastating. Interspersed with these tales of the passengers, we follow just 12 year old Edward after the flight.

He is, in fact, the only survivor the flight. Dubbed as a miracle, the Edward in this portion of the novel is emotional, raw, believable and his state shows the enormity of dealing with loss on such a massive scale. Told over time, you take the journey with Edward and those around him.

The language is perfectly used, evocative and emotional, yet still page turning. Not only is Napolitano's character work stunning, but there is a drive in the narrative too, to find out where Edwards life is headed and if he will cope with the tragedy.

As well, the pre crash portion is suffused totally with a feeling of hopelessness and dread, only increasing as you get attached to every character on the plane, waiting for that noise in the cabin or the person who caused the crash to reveal themselves.

An easy read? No. It's challenging, emotional and devastating, with some rays of hope as you move through. What it is though, is excellent.
Can't wait to see what the author does next.
An easy choice to stock in the shop.
OUT FEBRUARY 2020... PS Shay rules. You'll see.
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This is so damn beautiful an absolutely stunning story about a boys ability to survive after a terrible plane crash that left him as the sole survivor. It’s an amazing read that is compulsive reading as the story draws you in alternating with the day of crash where we find out about some of the other passengers and to Edwards life afterwards. It’s a tragic story and very sad but it’s also a story full of hope and love as Edward has to come to terms with losing his parents and his brother and is being brought up by his aunt and uncle.
I think the fact that this is such an exquisitely well written story makes it so compelling, full of some wonderful characters especially Edward who is a total joy that you really want to grab hold of him and give him a massive hug not to forget the lovely Shay who is always there for and full of wisdom.
It’s a book that makes you feel good even though it’s sad, it’s a book that I will remember always it made me cry and that’s rare what more can I say other than I really really loved it.
Highly recommended and many thanks to Ann Napolitano for a wonderful read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK, Viking for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dear Edward is a book full of emotion. I found it very touching.

Edward is the only survivor of a plane crash. We read about Edwards life in the aftermath, having lost his parents and his much loved older brother in the accident. The book is written in two time zones, before and after the crash. We also learn about the other passengers who all perished. I found this part of the book sad, all the people with plans and dreams just gone. All in all a good read but for me quite upsetting.

What a heartbreaking story. Edward is the only survivor when his family and other passengers board the flight 2977 and it crashes. The story then follows Edwards soul searching and trying to figure out his new place in the world - definitely a tear jerker. I would recommend.

Rarely has a book moved me as much as this one. It’s beautifully written and is emotional and haunting without being mawkish and saccharine.

Eddie is 12 when he is the sole survivor of an aeroplane crash. This book follows the seemingly mundane passengers and events of that fatal plane journey, interspersed with the story of Edward (as he renames himself) trying desperately to make sense of his new life.

I loved the way the family were written. They were so normal and their relationships were honest and clear. I understood the aunt and uncle and my heart ached for them, doing everything they could for their nephew while struggling with their own grief. Shay and Besa were colourful and warm, so welcoming and kind. I also have a soft spot for the principal who gave Edward purpose and time to reflect.

I loved this book and will not hesitate to recommend it to friends and family. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

What a wonderful, but sad story. Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash. He’s lost his mum, dad and brother Jordan. On the flight there is a pregnant lady, an addict, a lady running away from her husband, a soldier and a man Ill with cancer. All have there own back stories but the main story is about Edward. How he makes it through everyday life after the accident. The book explores how it isn’t just him affected by the tragedy.

After the accident he goes to live with his aunt and Uncle and he becomes friends the girl next door, Shay. One day, hidden in his uncles garage he find sacks of letters addressed to him from the relatives and friends of those who have died.

These letters, the counsellors, his teachers, his family and those around him all shape the boy how he moves forward.

Everyone deals with tragedy in their own way. I couldn’t put this book down. A must read.

What a wonderful but emotional story. I'd read good reviews before I started it, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. Eddie is travelling by plane to Los Angeles from New York with his brother and his parents to start a new life there. However, the plane crashes and all 191 people on board are killed - except Eddie, he is the sole survivor. The book is about his mental and physical recovery after the crash, his relationship with his aunt and uncle with whom he then lives, his friendship with the girl next door, and how and if he is able to understand why he was the one to survive. The chapters alternate between the people on the plane, their backgrounds, their characters, running up to the moment of the crash, and Edward's life post crash. I wasn't too sure about this layout to begin with, much preferring reading about Edward, but as I carried on reading, everything seemed to fit into place and I was becoming more interested in these other characters.

I got emotionally involved in all the characters in the book, especially Edward, and I was driven to tears in many parts. Without giving too much away, Edward discovers something in his uncle's garage, about 2 or 3 years after the crash, which changes his whole perspective on his life and his survival, and it opens his eyes to everything and everyone close to him.

The one thing I think there wasn't enough made of was Eddie's return to his home neighbourhood in New York city. To be surrounded by memories of his parents and brother, his old appartment, his local shops, Edward didn't appear to be as upset as I thought he would be, and that scene seemed to be slightly rushed.

Other than that, this is an excellent read, highly recommended.

191 people are on a plane for many different reasons. Eddie is 12 and has no choice, his parents are moving house. The plane crashes and 190 die. Edward survives and is taken to live with his Aunt and Uncle. How to survive, grow and move forward? This book is gripping and full of love and pain. Hope remains together with letters from the other families suffering loss too. Enjoy every word.

Twelve year old Eddie, elder brother Jordan and parents Jane and Bruce embark on a flight from New York to Los Angeles. The plane crashes en route. Eddie is the sole survivor, 191 die.

The narrative alternates between the flight, and those on board, and Eddie, now Edward, who struggles to come to terms with his survivorship and new life with his aunt and uncle. He is helped by same age near neighbour Shay.

A novel and imaginative coming of age story. It is engaging, thought provoking, and ultimately uplifting..

I started to review this book when I was about a third of the way in. I felt like I was missing something about the book, completely unable to see where it was going or what the key message(s) of the book is/are. The premise of the book is intriguing and the writing good, so what was it that was making me feel so uncertain?

The book is from two perspectives: that of the main character, Edward, the only survivor of a plane crash. The other perspective is that of the other passengers before the crash. A wide range of people with all sorts of emotional baggage: trauma, previous lives (yes, previous lives!), unexpected pregnancy, and the desire to be more than a mother – to be powerful, sexual, and wanted.

So, 34% into the book I started to ask myself, do I want to keep reading this? And here are a few reasons why:

It’s really hard to invest in characters you know are about to die. I already know I will never know what comes of the circumstances because the answer is nothing.
I don’t feel like I have a connection with Edward. Maybe I’m not meant to. He has been through something so horrifically, life-changingly traumatic that (at my present moment) I have no way of empathising with him.
I can only think, at this point in the book, that I am entirely missing the point. I am hoping that the point will, at the very least, start to make itself known to me soon, otherwise I am going to struggle to continue reading.

At 78%, I was so close to giving in but psychologically, I just couldn’t put the book down at that point. So I continued to read, half paying attention, and finished it.

In the end, my first impressions were right. I just didn’t care about the characters. I felt very detached from them the entire time I was reading, like I was watching something from a great distance. Everything about it just seemed superficial. I understand that it is meant to be about living your life, seizing opportunities etc., but it just fell flat.

I don’t expect every work of fiction to have an antagonist but, in this case, I think maybe this would’ve added something to the narrative to give it more pace and the critical points usually found in storytelling.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but sadly, it was not for me. The premise is excellent and I think on that basis it will be very popular.

Firstly I must thank NetGalley, for the free ARC in return for an honest review.

This book has been very thought fully plotted and extremely well written. I loved the way the two timelines are entwined. It is interesting the way the lives of the other passengers are depicted, by some very emotive writing I found myself hoping that somehow more would survive, even though you know what has happened!

The current timeline follows Edward and his emotional growth through the next few years and the development with of his relationship with his neighbour Shay. The characters are very real and grow with the book. Love the way it makes you think what you would do, in that situation, how would feel. It would be a great book for discussion about surviving against the odds.

It is obvious that the author has put a lot of thought and research into this book to make it an intense read. Without this I think it would lose a lot of its effect. It was very heavy and emotionally exhaustive read so I am not sure I could say I loved it. But I am very glad I have read it as I found it extremely moving and incredibly profound, which is why I have rated it so high. I can recommend this book.

This is a well written and carefully plotted book which has been sensitively executed. The story is quite basic but the way the author has broken up the two timelines is brilliant. We get to know the characters on the doomed flight to the point where you are even hoping that the crash doesn’t happen - a testament to the emotive writing that despite knowing at the beginning of this story that there will only be one survivor, Edward, you still are routing for the others to somehow survive too. The other side is the story of Edward and his emotional growth through the next four years and his relationship with his neighbour Shay. This part of the book has been keenly observed and all the characters are real and grow with the book too. I admit that this book had me in tears more than once. A good book for discussion about survivor versus the mourners of those who didn’t survive - what would you do in each situation and what would you do with the money?

I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book tells the story of Edward, a young boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash. It looks at both his life after the crash, and the events leading up to it.

I devoured this in two days, reading at every opportunity I could. The only reason it took me that long was because work got in the way!

This is the sort of book that leaves you feeling emotionally stunned at the end, but for all the right reasons. The characters are relatable, the story is believable.

I definitely recommend this book (although maybe not right before a holiday flight!).

★★★★★ 5 stars

I really like the sound of this novel, and the opening chapter makes me think that it is one that I will enjoy. Unfortunately, the formatting makes it extremely difficult to read, and I can't finish it in it's current format. There are line breaks in odd places - half way across the "page", and words running into each other with no spaces. I will pick up a copy when it published.

Beautifully written, searingly sad and yet ultimately uplifting. I loved Edward and felt every moment of his pain and his struggle to make sense of things. I loved the people around him who did their best to help while trying to come to terms with it all themselves. His loneliness is unbearable and gut-wrenchingly real - this book does not imply a happy ending, because this tragedy will be with Edward for life and he will always find himself having to cope with living with it. I think it strikes a chord, because isn't this the thing we all dread? This is a book for all those who have lost loves ones in this terrifying, brutal way.

I feel I should have enjoyed this book more than I did. The narrative is very emotive but I just kept finding myself bored. The formating of the book on kindle made lots of the text jumbled which made it rather difficult to read. Just not one for me.


Honest review given in exchange for a ARC. Thank you Netgallery.

Naturally this book unfolds slowly as the scene is set with the passengers on the plane. Afterwards, we uncover the story, as it is revealed piece by piece.
Edward is lost. Even with his aunt and uncle taking care of him, he befriends the neighbour’s daughter Shay and effectively lives in their house at night. This relationship grounds the whole novel and stops it being wholly melancholy. There were times where I melted into a blubbering mess as it was just so tragic. But as the book unfolds, the relationship deepens and edward starts to question things... there’s some brilliant one-liners and Shay’s sense of humour provides chinks of light where otherwise it would be full of sadness.

An interesting take on life - and the aftermath of such an awful situation. 4.5* Thought provoking, this would make a great Bookclub read.

I picked up this book from my TBR list not remembering what it was about. I saw a post on TBC on Facebook where someone said how good it was and thought it would be a good place to start my holiday reads.
Wow, I was not disappointed. I loved the switching stories between the two time lines. The switching continuously kept making me read ‘just one more section.’ It was a harrowing and heart breaking story. I was so invested in Edward and the people surrounding him who helped him ‘recover’.
I finished the book by the swimming pool, with tears streaming down my face. Such a well written book to bring out such strong emotions.
I would highly recommend this book.

I wasn't expecting this book to hit me as hard as it did. Some books are just an emotional suckerpunch, and this is one of them. (That's a good thing, by the way. It's rare for a book to actually make me cry, and this one succeeded).

The book alternates between the plane flight and Edward's life after the crash. The passages about the plane flight have a frantic, manic feel to them. You know what's going to happen, and you're watching it in slow motion, waiting for the inevitable. Seeing glimpses into the other passengers' lives is very moving, and gives life to characters that otherwise might not mean anything. Interspersed between the passages about the flight is Edward's story after the crash, his relationship with his aunt and uncle, his friendship with Shay, and how he grows and changes and copes. It's a coming of age story, a story about dealing with and learning to live with trauma.

I thought that Edward's changing relationships with the people around him were very well written. I felt sympathetic to most of the characters, and genuinely cared about them and their problems. I thought the blossoming friendship between Edward and Shay was very sweet.

It's hard to know what to write about this book. Really, I think you just need to read it. It's an emotional experience, and the story will definitely stick with me for a long time.