Dear Edward deals with the topic of how a twelve year old boy could possibly recover, not only from losing his whole family in an instant, but also from being the sole survivor out of nearly two hundred passengers and crew. Of course there is an unimaginable amount of grief, but there is also survivor guilt and a feeling that maybe you have been saved for something special.

Edward deals with all this in his own way but helped by a number of very caring adults. The author does a good job of writing a young boy and looking at his feelings and behaviours in a realistic way, and I loved his relationship with Shay.

My only criticism would be that there was too much page time given to the other passengers on the flight. I understood why they were introduced and also why the information about the flight and it's eventual crash was inserted in chapters throughout the book, but I felt we did not need so much background for each of them. Especially the totally nonsensical scene in the bathroom.

I found it an interesting book with a likeable and very level headed main character, and a book which is not as emotional as one might expect from the topic.

When you first meet the Adler family they are moving from New York to Los Angeles. All their stuff has been packed up while they fly off to a new life. I found out a little about their lives as each of them have thoughts about each other and the little things that make them who they are. Mum is in first-class while dad, fifteen-year-old Jordan and twelve-year-old Eddie are travelling a further 29 rows down the plane away from her, a perk of her job. But of the 192 people that take off on the plane, there is only one survivor found after it crashes. Eddie.
Eddie's only relatives are Aunt Lacey and Uncle John, a childless couple that longed for a baby that couldn't survive. With no experience to call anything of bringing up children, never mind one who is struggling to know why he alone has survived, they go in blind determined to support their nephew in every way. The girl next door befriends, Edward the name he now uses, and she becomes his rock.
Edward is either loved and almost worshipped or hated and avoided these days. It is quite heartbreaking at times the lengths that some will go to get a photo of him. The supporting characters in the story are amazing from his headteacher to his psychologist. His body is healing far quicker than his mind though as he suffers PTSD in the gym at school, which almost loses him the only friends that he has.
When Edward finds bags of post in the garage where his uncle has made his man cave, it begins a new chapter of healing for Edward, with the support of Shay. Oh my, this story just rocketed. The story covers a number of years from Edward as a boy to Edward as a mature young man.
Set on two timelines which were so very clever. The first is from the Adler family entering the airport, their thoughts and the other people that Edward sees on the plane, with snippets of their lives too, up to the moment that Edward is found in the plane wreckage, so this account only covering a few hours. The other covers years of Edward and the life journey he has ahead of him. Just fabulous writing. The build-up to the crash just overwhelmed me completely, it couldn't have been written better. I loved the ending.
The is a stunning story that I won't be able to forget, not that I want to. Highly recommended.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

A story of loss, Eddie is left an orphan after a plane crash killing all passengers.
Eddie soon becomes Edward , a significant change, depicting how a 12 year but has to, overnight, become adult.
Unfortunately, this novel was 'lost' on me as I didn't really connect with the passengers and never like a story with different timeframe which takes more concentration and causes confusion.
Florida, I couldn't take to and didn't like the author's idea that she: inhabits people's bodies and has had many lives.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and experience an author unknown to me, but I wouldn't recommend it

I don't think it's that this was a bad book, I just don't think I connected with it properly. Maybe I wasn't in the mood? I didn't feel any kind of affinity with any of the characters, and I found myself not wanting to pick it up; almost doing other things to avoid doing so. It's a shame, because the premise is so good - and the very last page made me bump my rating by a star actually. I'm aware this isn't a great/very articulate review; perhaps this is a book that needs to be read itself before forming an opinion.

Just finished a digital copy of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano.

A 12 year old is the only survivor of a plane crash. He lost his parents and his brother.

The book follows his recovery, both physically and mentally whilst simultaneously telling the story of the final journey of the plane.

A beautiful story, filled with sadness and happiness and an important message - to make the most of time and opportunities.

Definitely not to be read just before or on a plane journey.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc in return for an honest review. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this very special book and I recommend you all go out and read it now too.
The year is 2013 and 12 year old Eddie is moving with his mum, dad and 15 year old brother Jordan, all the way across the states, from New York to LA. It's a big move and a big opportunity for all of them. But they don't make it. They are in a plane crash and out of the 191 passengers, Eddie is the only survivor.

This is the crazy, but brilliant premise of this book and I was hooked instantly. This book is getting a lot of buzz and I can see why. The book is told in alternating chapters between the present day and the plane journey in real time. We know the plane is going to crash, but because of the build up and each chapter getting to know the passengers on the plane, getting an insight into the lives of all these different individuals, it ranks up the tension and emotion, that by the time we get to 2.12pm the time of the crash, I was a wreck.

On the ground and in the present, Edward starts to rebuild his life and deal with the trauma. It's a long road ahead, filled with grief, growing pains and struggles but one that we get to go on with him as he grows older and stronger. We also learn more about the victims and the victims families. And how Edward deals with being the lone survivor "...as long as I stay on the ground, the plane will stay in the sky. It'll keep flying on its normal route to Los Angeles, and I'm it's counterweight. They're all alive up there, as long as I'm alive down here" "The twelve year old you is up there too?" "Eddie, he thinks and nods" Brilliantly written and executed with a satisfying ending.

DNF @ 35%.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was intrigued. It sounded like a book with so much promise. Unfortunately though, this one just didn't work for me and if truth be told, I found reading it to be a struggle. I was really bored. I think that the problem was that I didn't connect with any of the characters. I thought that Edward's struggle of being left totally alone in the world would make me feel very sad and emotional, but at 35% of the way through the book, I really wasn't feeling much.

I couldn't see the plot in this book. I couldn't see where the story was going, or in fact what the story was actually about. And I couldn't see that my opinion of the book would change if I pushed myself to keep going. The story just seemed to be a character driven tragedy...and for a book like that to work for me, I really needed to feel emotionally invested in the characters, which unfortunately I wasn't.

Due to the fact that I didn't finish this book, I won't be posting this review on social media as I normally do. I'll only post this review on Goodreads, but not on the various social media pages and forums that I usually post on.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for my review copy. I do appreciate being given the opportunity to read and review this title.

I really loved the perspectives of this book - popping back and forth between present day and the flight's journey. The last couple "chapter" of the book were really emotional and moving but I found the earlier bits lacked something for me. It's like I didn't get to know quite enough about the other passengers although the whole point really is that they were taken too soon. I wanted to know more about the NTSB hearing than what we were given.

All in all, a moving and emotional story of love, loss and moving forward when you feel like you were left behind. My heart ached for Eddie, to be such a young boy and feel like those 191 passengers left him behind. I absolutely loved his sentiment where as long as he felt rooted to the ground, all 191 + 12 year old Eddie were still up there.

Dear Edward is a wonderful novel that tells a life affirming story of how hope and new perspectives arise from tragedy. As the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills his parents and brother, Edward's life changes forever. I liked the way the plane crash builds up with the stories of the passengers that gives an effective snapshot of their lives that is enough to care about what happens to everyone. The monotonous, ordinariness of the flight adds the reality of the sense of the impending doom. The early chapters switch between the plane journey to the aftermath as Edward finds himself the subject of national news, and then as he starts to come to terms with and rebuild his life.

I was hooked by wanting to know what happened on that fateful flight, and Edward's story.

A 12 year old boy(Edward) is the sole survivor of a plane crash in which 191 people , including his parents and 15 year old brother , are killed . He is in hospital and then goes to live with his aunt and uncle (his mothers sister and her husband ) . They have been wanting a baby for years and have decorated a nursery in preparation which they now expect Edward to move in to. He prefers to sleep on the sofa at first , but then meets a young girl (Shay) from next door and starts sleeping in her bedroom in a sleeping bag . As later unfolds all the families of the victims are desperate to speak to him to see if he remembers seeing their relatives before the crash . Some have taken to writing to him but his Uncle John has kept the letters hidden from him in the garage where he has made an office researching aspects of the crash . Edward finds this office and he and Shay go through all the letters trying to help out with the answers to their questions , Shay composing the replies . There is a lot more going on in this story and it is so believable and moving so well worth reading .

A plane crash with a 191 deaths and a single survivor seems impossible, and that’s exactly why the world is enamoured with Dear Edward. How he bears this weight of loss, of living, of love is so beautifully portrayed that you can’t help but being pulled into his life.

Although there are undercurrents of sadness, as you would expect from such a devastating event, the story is more about the life and love affirming journey Edward embarks on. We are treated to glimpses of the flight where we learn about various other characters, as well as the years that follow the crash and how all these characters play a role in Edwards healing. Throughout this journey you will find yourself occasionally welling up, grinning, laughing and loving. All in all it’s a book that everybody deserves to read.

12 year old Edward is the only survivor in a terrible plane crash that kills his whole family. What follows is a voyage of discovery, friendship, guilt and loneliness as Edward tries to come to terms with why he was the one who survived and find the part of himself that he feels is missing. I struggled a little with this book, partly due to the complex characters and relationships. But I am so glad I persevered. The book and characters within it are beautifully portrayed and the complex relationships and what defines them well explored. I found myself sobbing uncontrollably towards the end, feeling Edward's heartbreak as he relived it over and over. What could have been a very depressing book, though, was somehow uplifting and positive.

Fabulous !

This is the poignant tale of Edward -a 12 year old boy- who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 passengers including his mother father and older brother.
The story is told from two perspectives .
The first we hear about the passengers and their lives -always mindful of the impending doom .
The second is about Edward and how he copes with his "celebrity " status and tries to adapt to life without his family .
I cannot praise this book highly enough -it was a fabulous read

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano was a truly moving and engrossing read. The two timelines - pre and post plane crash work really well (the pre-crash scenes are incredibly poignant once the reader knows that death awaits everyone but Edward).. The writing about grief is very moving, and the world's reaction to Edward's exceptional circumstances rings true. One of the best things about this book is the relationship between the two brothers, Edward and Jordan, and how Eddie's love for Jordan continues. For me the ending was a little too sweet, but not unwelcome!

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. I started reading this on a Sunday morning and fell into it right away. A bit of a dual storyline revealing aspects of people’s lives- their hopes and dreams as they travelled to somewhere new. Running alongside is another story of trauma, loss, connections and growth, coming after a shocking tragedy. I felt I was able to get to know all of the characters, from Edward’s aunt and uncle to his neighbours and headmaster- and even his lovely therapist. I just loved to see their efforts to help, their kindnesses and understanding while dealing with their own fears and disappointments. This was a really great read. One I will be remembering and recommending.

There is a lot of grief in this book - Edward has lost his family, his aunt has lost her sister and numerous babies, and her husband is losing his wife and family to this grief. However community, love and the human spirit do win through and there is light and life for the characters at the end of the tunnel.

It seems wrong to call it an enjoyable read as the initial subject matter is so sad, and a 'good read' sounds a but too much like 'nice', a word my parents banned me from using so how about invigorating, life affirming, charming and highly recommended read?

At only 12 years of age, Edward is placed in a truly heartbreaking and unthinkable situation. He is the sole survivor of a plane crash, an absolutely devastating accident in which 191 people have died including his 15 year old brother and his Mother and Father.

This story follows Edward in the years following the crash as he struggles to come to terms with his new life, living with his Aunt and Uncle and without his brother and parents by his side. His life is now so different to the one he left behind and his frustrations and emotions are so sensitively explored by Napolitano throughout.

I particularly liked the dual timeline of Edward in the present day interspersed with flashbacks to the flight journey on that fateful day and the lives and loves of some of the other passengers who were on board. I really enjoyed this insight in to how these people were feeling and the lives that they led. The flashback style helped to build up tension before the reason for the crash occurring was revealed and this part of the story was particularly emotional to read.

Edward’s developing friendship with his neighbour Shay was also so wonderful to see and I thought the age at which Edward starts to find purpose and meaning to his life again was a clever touch. I liked his thoughtfulness and responses to the letters he and Shay discovered too. This story also explored the difficulty faced by Edward’s Aunt and Uncle and how their lives changed forever on that fateful day.

This story has made my heart soar and I am so glad that the epilogue provided such a beautiful and poignant moment for not only me as the reader, but for Edward too.

A compelling read on what happens when a single moment in time changes your life forever. Young Eddie becomes Edward after a flight that takes away his family and everything that he ever knows but slowly he works out what is important and how to deal with this thing called life.

What a book! My first 5 star review of the year and believe me it will take a lot to knock it off the best read of 2020. The Adlers, -Mum, Dad and their two sons Jordan and Eddie, board a plane to Los Angeles to start a new chapter in their lives together. Tragically that doesn't happen. The plane falls from the sky in Colorado, killing 191 people and leaving Eddie as the sole survivor. The story shifts between the day of the crash, the passengers and the aftermath with ease. It examines the bonds we all share, the emotions we all share and the ones we don't (but perhaps should). I enjoyed the back stories of the fellow passengers and crew, liking some of them more than others, but you were always aware of what all their futures held.
After the accident Edward goes to stay with his aunt and uncle. His trauma and grief are unimaginable. He meets their neighbour Shay and together they bond and help each other move slowly forward. Without rehashing the plot the story will definitely keep you hooked. It's a well written book that will play on all your emotions, but it's also uplifting and hopeful, not at all maudlin or depressing. It's the type of book that makes you want to give your family an extra hug and keep them close.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for sharing this book with me.

One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles. There are 216 passengers aboard: among them a young woman taking a pregnancy test in the airplane toilet; a Wall Street millionaire flirting with the air hostess; an injured soldier returning from Afghanistan; and two beleaguered parents moving across the country with their adolescent sons, bickering over who gets the window seat. When the plane suddenly crashes in a field in Colorado, the younger of these boys, 12-year-old Edward Adler, is the sole survivor.

Imagine how you would feel being the sole survivor. At 12 years of age.

when I started reading this book, as 3 quarters of the books are all about Edward (Eddie) and how his life is now and all that he has to deal with. I was thinking to myself " so what is the point? I know what the story is, but where is it going? "

And then, the clouds clear and it gives you ALL the answers.

A lovely story, with deep meaning