I haven't read such an emotionally uplifting book in as LONG time! This is a story of survival, of mistakes and ultimately of hope. A story about making the best of what you are given and living your life as best you can even in the wake of great, almost incomprehensible tragedy.

It could easily have been a very morbid book. However, Ann Napolitano's writing is so beautiful, so profound and so lacking in sensationalization that this is a sweet, heartfelt and life affirming read. You go through the full range of human emotion reading it, in part through the many different kinds of glimpses into other lives that the novel offers through the histories and feelings of the plane passengers. This is done with great skill, and it is a joy to read, I struggled to put it down and do things like sleep and eat.

Dear Edward is a wonderful book, and I would recommend it to all!

At twelve, Edward is the sole survivor of a deadly plane crash.
Dear Edward depicts Edward's life in the crash's aftermath as he struggles to make sense of the meaning of his survival, solace comes from his friendship with the girl next door, Shay. Together Edward and Shay make a startling discovery: hidden in his uncle's garage are sacks of letters from the relatives of the other passengers, addressed to Edward.
The originality of this story alone deserves 3 stars. It was also emotional if just a little slow paced at times. The story flips between Edward and the POV of the passengers on the plane. It picks up towards the end though and it is well written.

What a sad but yet uplifting book. The story of Edward made me feel all of the emotions! I couldn't imagine anything like this happening and so went on to read about the boy who this book was inspired by. Ann Napolitano brilliantly captured such a heartbreaking story. I would definitely recommend to my friends and family. Thanks to Netgalley & Dial Press for the ARC.

Time share my thoughts on another overdue review for a NetGalley eARC. When I first heard about this book I was so excited to read it. The premises sounded very interesting and unique. It sounded like something I would really enjoy.

Dear Edward is about a 12 year old boy Edward who is the only survivor of a plane crash. We follow his story as he recovers from his injuries and well as battle of survivor guilt. While recovering he befriends a young girl called Shay, that lives next-door to his aunt and uncle who are now his legal guardians.

Although I liked the main story of Edward, and really loved reading about the friendship that grew between Edward and Shay, I somehow feel that this book felt like hard work in parts, and it’s in these parts where I felt the story was a little rushed and didn’t flow as well. Also, the flashbacks to the lives of the other passengers really made it harder for me to connect with the main plot and the main character. I didn’t really want to read about these passengers, especially as the ones that we got flash backs from all seemed to be the ones that had made bad choices in life, I’d rather read about the other “normal” people.

Overall, I would say this is a good book and is worth reading but it just didn’t wow me like I was expecting it to.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Books for a copy of my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for this book. I really enjoyed reading Dear Edward - the storyline was very original, the characters were delightful and it was a moving, powerful read. I will look out for Ann Napolitano's other books.

A very dramatic story. A flight from New York to Los Angeles crashes leaving 12 year old Edward, the only survivor. The story is how this notoriety affects his future life. Fascinating.

I had high hopes for this book. The premise would usually really interest me. However I felt this book fell flat.
I was expecting to be crying throughout but didn't get emotional once. The writing was a bit long winded and the letters arrived in the last quarter of the book, this was too late i felt for the plot development.
3*

When I first started reading this book, it was 3 weeks before I was supposed to be flying (now cancelled), wow it was a really good read, and I felt like I was in the book with them. Rally great book, well written but don’t Recommend you read it if you are about to go on a plane,, wait a while

Dear Edward – Ann Napolitano

One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them is a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured vet returning from Afghanistan, a septuagenarian business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. And then, tragically, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.
Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place for himself in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a piece of him has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery–one that will lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions: When you’ve lost everything, how do find yourself? How do you discover your purpose? What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?

My over riding thought when reading this was: God. Oh My God. OH MY GOD. Especially when the THING happened. I desperately wanted to write a full review of this, but I don’t even know where to start with this. It’s incredible. Like God…. You know when something is so good and so profound that you don’t even want to try to talk about it for fear of ruining it? That is how I feel about this book. All I can really say is how did Ann Napolitano manage to make me care so much about all these side characters. MY HEART HURTS. That is all.

3.5

Im very prone to anxiety so I'm Grateful I didn't read this one on a plane for sure!

Things I liked about this book:
- good ending
- relatable emotions
- present and past times of the story.
- acknowledgements

Things I would have wanted:
- more closure for some characters
- chapters ( the book was divided in 3 chunks) and although they had "mini chapters" these were dates and hours, it was difficult to keep track of how far I was into the story and had to guide myself on the reading %

The story is slow and beautiful, probably not the best book if you are looking for a fast paced book, being said that I still recommend this book.

Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash which was due to transport him, his parents, and older brother to their new lives in LA. Adjusting a new life with his aunt and uncle is proving harder than Edward ever imagined. He befriends the girl next door, sleeping on her floor every night so as to avoid the place he now has to call home. As Edward gets older, he finally discovers a way to justify his existence, making peace with the dead passengers and using his good fortune to make a difference.

The book alternates between the plane journey and after the crash. I struggled to get into the story at first and thought it was quite slow up until about 65%. I enjoyed reading about the other passengers but I didn't feel like I learned enough to connect with any of them. It felt a bit like filler in some places. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more, once Edward and Shay discovered the contents of the duffel bags. This picked up the pace and gave Edward a purpose which I felt he was lacking until that point. Although this was probably the intention of the author, I do think it made it difficult to stay engaged with the story.

I thought the ending was superb though and this definitely shaped my overall view of the story, giving it a solid 3.5 stars.

This was a very well written book. I found it compelling so much so I couldn't put it down until it was finished such was the pull it had on me. Although I found it a little slow towards the end I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

Bit unsure about this book really. Loved reading about Edward and Shay and seeing their friendship grow and reading about the other passengers on the plane but until the letters came into the story just after 70%, I was getting a bit bored. Maybe it’s just me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Despite enjoying this book, it didn't deliver the emotional impact I was hoping it would. I felt the narrative was quite detached. On hindsight this is perhaps the most appropriate writing style to give life to the numbness Edward feels during the grieving process. I appreciated Edwards jounrney and thought the writing was beautful, I just didn't connect as much as I felt I should have. Still a worth while and thought provolking read.


*I was provided a free copy from Penguin Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Eddie is on his way from New York to LA with his family to start a new life when the plane that they are on crashes killing all aboard but him.
The story is then told in alternating parts chronicling Edward's life after the event and the hours before the crash from the perspective of various passengers on the plane.
I enjoyed the book although I found the Eddie/Edward narrative sometimes a bit slow and filled with unnecessary information. As the story reaches the end, however, I was totally hooked at the description of why the plane crashed.

I always feel hopelessly drawn to stories of survival and overcoming tragedy, even though I know I may be an emotional wreck afterwards. DEAR EDWARD is based on the true story of a young boy who was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed his entire family. How could you ever move on from such tragedy? I needed to find out ....

If you are afraid that a book about such a horrific event would be depressing, then rest assured that DEAR EDWARD was anything but. Napolitano may have chosen a rather scary theme, but she handled it with such sensitivity and insight that I felt uplifted rather than mired in sadness and regret. I enjoyed the clever use of the dual timeline here that slowly explored both the time leading up to the crash as well as Edward’s journey towards healing afterwards. Whilst Edward is out main protagonist, we also get to hear from the different POVs of various passengers on the doomed plane, who Edward briefly encountered on his journey. This element gave the story additional depth for me, as I put myself in the shoes of travellers who are about to die in a fiery crash. For someone who is not a particularly relaxed flier, this book may not have been the perfect choice, but I am hoping that in a few months’ time, when it is my turn to board a plane, the memory will have faded sufficiently enough that an onboard G & T will be enough to soothe my anxiety.

There were a lot of moving moments in the book, from Edward’s grief over the loss of his brother and best friend, to the small snippets of the other passengers’ lives, who are al headed into a future that will not play out as planned. For people with flying phobias, rest assured that the actual crash is described in ways that will not give you nightmares into infinity, but handled with the same sensitivity as the rest of the story. Another highlight for me was Edward’s friendship with Shay, who ultimately turns out to be his salvation.

DEAR EDWARD is a story about tragedy, survival and grief, but it is also one of hope, love, and starting over. I made it almost to the end before having a good sob! Whether you cry or not, it’s impossible not to be touched by a young person who has lost so much and yet manages to rise from tragedy – it truly pays homage to the human survival instinct. Everyone who has ever lost a loved one will relate to some of Edward’s emotions as he tries to come to terms with the tragedy, and it really resonated with me.

Unsurprisingly given the nature of this book it tugs at your heart strings! Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills all 192 passengers including his parents and brother. The story is beautifully told how his whole life ends at the age of 12. His Aunt and Uncle take him in but they don't appear to be as happy as they seem having no other children and suffering miscarriages. Its a coming of age story that see's Edward at his very lowest and how he begins the unthinkable of trying to live his life- its a story that had me in tears throughout - I kept trying to imagine being in that situation not necessarily the only plane survivor but to lose the rest of your family. Saying that it is a heartwarming and gripping read. Edward befriends the girl next door Shay and they have a lovely relationship she is a no nonsense girl! It made me think that you should take everymoment and make something of it. ( I cried buckets after I had read it !!!)

A truly outstanding read.

Eddie Adler and his family are on board a plane leaving their home in New York to start a new one in Los Angeles, where his mother, Jane, will be starting a new role as a writer. Unfortunately, the family will not reach their destination as the plane crashes, and Eddie is the sole survivor.

Jane’s sister, Lacey, and her husband, John Curtis, become Edward’s guardians. His persona Eddie died with his family; his mother, father and adored brother Jordan. Edward has to learn to survive without them.

After physically recovering from the accident, Edward moves into the bedroom of what should have been a nursery for Lacey’s babies. She’s suffered several miscarriages and is desperate to have a child of her own. He finds the room claustrophobic as it’s filled with baby books. He, however, finds solace by sneaking out each night and sleeping on the floor of the next-door neighbours’, Besa and her daughter Shay.

The novel takes us through the family leaving for the airport, boarding the plane and the flight while simultaneously telling us how Edward is trying to come to terms with his loss. It is one of the most powerful, beautifully written books to appear for years.

Ann Napolitano has captured every nuance possible in the telling of this tale and the impact it has on Edward’s life moving forward. I found the characters spellbinding in their realness on how they each come to terms with the tragedy. A book that should have one cancelling all calls, turning off the TV and burying oneself in the brilliant and moving writing.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

"One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles: there are 192 people aboard. When the plane suddenly crashes, twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor. In the aftermath, Edward struggles to make sense of his grief, sudden fame and find his place in a world without his family. But then Edward and his neighbour Shay make a startling discovery; hidden in his uncle's garage are letters from the relatives of other passengers - all addressed him."

A coming-of-age story, the book answers one of life's most profound questions: "What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?"

The narrative goes back and forth of the final hours on the plane, including the passengers' final thoughts, to the present-day and Edward learning to cope without his parents and brother, as well as learning to cope with sudden fame.

I requested this book ages ago, so had forgotten some of the synopsis: I knew a child was the sole survivor of a plane crash, but I had forgotten about the letters, so that came as a surprise for me. However, it was a welcome surprise, and as Edward discovered the letters I was so intrigued as to how the story would play out.

The book is moving and heartbreaking, but also at times positive and full of hope.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I seem to be in the minority, I just couldn't get into it.