Twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor of a plane crash in which 191 people die, including his parents and his brother Jordan. The book focuses on Edward’s struggles after the crash: he has to recover physically and cope with paralyzing grief, overwhelming guilt, and unwanted celebrity. He is taken in by an aunt and uncle who try to support him as best they can, but it is Edward’s friendship with Shay, the daughter of a neighbour, which becomes his anchor and helps him find meaning for his life.

Interspersed throughout are sections telling the story of the flight from boarding to impact, including the background of some of the passengers and crew on the ill-fated flight.

The book is an emotionally exhausting read. As expected, Edward’s grief is staggering. He initially copes by detaching from the world: “Edward feels unmoored, like he might be anywhere in space, anywhere in time.” He cannot eat and has difficulty sleeping. As the only survivor, he feels “He had to carry the burden of so many lost lives.” He describes the grieving process as swimming in pain and loss for years. Three years after the crash, he feels like he “’should be over it’” but finds that he “’still [thinks] about it all the time.’”

A book blurb describes the book as a “luminous, life-affirming novel” but this is not accurate. How can a book detailing the emotional and psychological effects of unimaginable tragedy be anything but serious and dark? Edward does learn that there can be life after loss but that life after great loss is a life which includes always learning to live with that loss: “’What happened is . . . not going away. It’s part of you and will be part of you every moment until you die. What you’ve been working on . . . is learning to live with that.’” Discovering after many years that life can still have value does not mean that the journey to that discovery, the journey described in this book, is luminous or optimistic. There is no disguising the fact that the book is a heavy, bleak read which offers signs of hope only near the end.

I was disappointed with Edward’s decisions concerning money at the end. His choices are rather shallow, almost self-serving. More growth on his part would have been shown if he had been more imaginative in his selections, options showing him directly addressing the needs of the loved ones of the lost.

Some might argue that there is some relief from Edward’s constant misery in the descriptions of the other passengers. The problem is that we know they are all going to die and their plans and hopes and goals will never be attained, so more sadness is added. There is a further issue with some of these people. Veronica, for example, is a cliché of a flight attendant whose unprofessional behaviour is unrealistic. She is the senior attendant but doesn’t know how to deal with a situation that arises? Mark is a cliché of a Wall Street player, and Linda’s discovery mid-flight is just plot manipulation.

The relationship between Edward’s aunt and uncle needs more attention. Though they try their best, Lacey and John do not really know how to help Edward. John is supposedly overly protective, but no real boundaries are established for Edward’s behaviour? There is repeated reference to marital difficulties but few specifics are given. John’s explanation that Lacey thought he was too protective and obsessive does not seem sufficient. Then there’s an almost immediate “softening between Lacey and John”?

This is anything but a light and easy read because it meticulously details one boy’s struggles to recover emotionally and psychologically from unbelievable trauma.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wow, this book was so incredible. I loved the back and forth between the passengers on the plane and Edward’s life as sole survivor of the crash. Both timelines were interesting and the back and forth provided a lot more detail on the victims of the crash. It is crazy and heartbreaking to know that this is inspired by a true story of survival. Very emotional yet uplifting and unique coming of age story, you can’t help but feel for and love Edward.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This is emotionally heavy!

This is a story about love, loss, how tragedy permeates families.

Content warning for grief, loss of a parent, fertility issues.

A plane crash with one survivor. This story tells of 12 year old Eddie with chapters that alternate between the day of the crash and the years that follow. It's a beautiful look at love, loss, and how the body holds on to trauma. This book causes readers to reflect on how a life is lived.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Edward Adler has survived the ultimate tragedy: a plane crash...where he is the only survivor. In a quest to move cross county, in which only Edward makes it. this novel switches back and forth between the day/hours leading up to the plane crash, until the present.

There are other characters introduced during the hours leading up and in present time, you hear from the family members who lost them, through letters.

Edward goes to live with his aunt - who desperately wants a baby, and his uncle - who becomes obsessed in research the aftermath of the crash and who starts receiving letters to Edward, but does not let him know about them.

It's in these letters that Edward connects with them and in the process, becomes the beneficiary to one of the victim's estate. What Edward does with these funds is a last act of love.

This book's subject matter wasn't easy to read, but I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend!

Do not turn away from this because it's about a plane crash and death and grief. Do not. It's a beautiful book with a wonderful message that honestly brought a tear to my eye at the end. Eddie is the sole survivor of a plane crash which took the lives of 191 people, including his parents and brother Jordan. His story- the aftermath of the crash- is told alternately with the story of the plane that day. The people on the plane will stick with you- Florida and her bells, Veronica the flight attendant- as will the people they left behind, such as Chris's wife. Eddie goes to live with his aunt Lacey and uncle John, who do all they can to help him but the person who helps the most is his neighbor Shay. Together, they navigate Eddie's life and when they stumble upon a cache of letters John has kept from Eddie- hoping to spare him more pain- they set out on a new journey to help some of those people as well. The characters in this are marvelous; I won't soon forget the fern loving principal or Eddie's gym teacher among others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a terrific read- it's great to cherish alone but would be even better as a book club pick.

This is a compulsively readable story of a boy who suddenly loses everything and has to figure out not only how to rebuild his life but how to thrive. As the only survivor of a plane crash that kills his whole family, 12-year-old Edward suddenly has to navigate a new life, along with his physical and emotional healing. We also meet the other passengers on the plane, and experience the flight from boarding to the crash. As we get to know all of these characters, we learn what it means to really live. This will appeal to a wide audience, with similarities to 'Before the Fall' and 'Hope and Other Punchlines.' Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the advance digital copy.

Dear Edward was a surprisingly touching read and the perfect book to end to 2019 for me. While this book centered on loss and tragedy, it is also a book full of hope. We neet 12-year-old Edward, who is the lone survivor of a plane crash that killed one-hundred-plus passengers including his own immediate family members, his mom, dad, and brother.

We follow Edward on his path through grief which includes flashbacks to the passengers who were also on board the flight that day. While this book sounds like it would be quite depressing to read, I really found it to be quite inspiring in so many ways.

Edward's character is such a wonderful reminder of the power of connections on a journey of healing and how people you meet by chance can forever change the path of your life.

The book also keeps you guessing with the dual timelines which go back in time to also tell the story of the day of the plane crash. For me, it was a perfect balance that allowed Dear Edward to be both powerful and also super engaging.

Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a poignant book, based on a true story and alternatively told through the eyes of the sole survivor of Flight 2977, 1 of 192 on board, a 12-year-old boy at the time. The story shifts back and forth between the aftermath of young Edward Adler's life following the loss of his family and his entire way of life to the happenings on board the flight itself. I found this alternating storyline to be intriguing and engaging. I was fully invested in the details of the atmosphere on board the flight during the cross country trip from NYC to LA and then the crash. I was equally invested in Edward's post-crash life and recovery.
This story was engaging on so many levels. I was drawn into the coping mechanisms that Edward used to try to go from enduring daily life once he moved into his aunt and uncle's home to his attempt to form a life for himself. The interactions with his aunt and uncle were interesting but the other relationships were predictably stilted in most cases, but expectedly so. His acceptance by the mother and daughter next door was beautifully written and explored.
I was also really drawn into the events on the airplane flight itself. Almost all of us have endured the airports and flights and hassles associated with traveling so to empathize with these characters prior to the crash, knowing the "way it ends for everyone but Eddie" was an interesting exercise in patience as I read. Part of me wanted to zip through those sections out of order to get through the painful parts of the actual crash and events leading to it. I loved the unique position Edward was in with respect to the family and friends who survived their loved ones and how this was discussed.
Highly recommend.
#DearEdward #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupRandomHouse #AnnNapolitano #TheDialPress

Ouuuuuuufffff..... that was a heavy read (but worth it). Dear Edward absolutely lives up to the hype and will 100% be on some “best of” lists for 2020.

I probably shouldn’t have read it while on vacation (and flying to said vacation), but as soon as I picked it up I couldn’t put it down! I usually don’t like child narrators, but Edward’s narration was my favourite part of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This will be one that will stick with me for a while.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dial Press, and Ann Napolitano for the opportunity to read this wonderful book - 5 stars for an uplifting read!

The Adler family, consisting of dad, mom and two boys - Jordan and Eddie, are preparing to leave NYC for LA, where their mom has a writing job. We meet some of the other passengers of this flight before we learn that the plane crashes, 191 people die, and Eddie is the sole survivor. After recovering in the hospital, Eddie (now Edward) goes to live with his mom's sister and her husband, Laney & John, in New Jersey.

This is the story of survival - Edward doesn't know how to exist in the world without his family, and especially without his older brother. This is also the story of all those who helped him gain his footing in his new world, especially neighbor, Shay, and his aunt and uncle.

I loved these characters - Edward and Shay of course, but also the cast of characters we meet, in alternating chapters, who were on the flight. Lots of life lessons here and a wonderful ending to this story.

A fantastic look into the mind of a teenage boy, told through his reactions to a family tragedy. Some parts of the novel (the sections that are not told from the viewpoint of Edward, the main character) are not as successful as others, but overall a wonderful reflection on how we create meaning in our daily lives.

On a summer morning, Edward Adler becomes the sole survivor of a plane crash that included losing his older brother and parents. As Edward becomes the center of the nation's attention he struggles to make sense of his new life without his family.

Dear Edward was a beautiful story about one boy's journey to figure out what it truly means to live and to find hope when hope seems lost. I enjoyed how the story alternated between the hours leading up to the crash as we get to know some of the other passengers and Edward's life after the crash. At times, I felt like I was missing the full emotional connection to Edward and the story that I was wanting in a book like this, which left me feeling like something important to the story was missing. Overall, I really enjoyed the Napolitano's writing and think this is a story that many will love.

3.5/5 stars

Dear Edward


A heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a young boy who suffers an inconceivable loss and discovers what really matters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
One Summer morning in 2013, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them are a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan, a business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.


REVIEW
DEAR EDWARD is a heart-breaking but hopeful coming-of-age story of a young boy who has suffered an inconceivable loss. The story alternates between the events prior to and on the flight and the aftermath of the crash.

You cannot help but feel Edward’s discomfort once he is released from the hospital and goes home with his Aunt Lacey and Uncle John for the first time. Lacey and John have been trying desperately to have a baby, and the nursery has had to be dismantled to make way for Edward. The tension inside the house is palpable.

My favorite part of the book is the instantaneous and delightful relationship between Edward and Shay, the twelve-year-old girl who lives next door. I loved both Shay and her mother, Besa. Edward believes that Shay, is his oxygen. He cannot live without her. The only way he can sleep, is in a sleeping bag on the floor of her room. This strange outspoken girl who has no other friends, is the one who forges a path forward for Edward, helping him to eventually understand his loss as well as his purpose in life. It is Shay’s character that carries the book.

Author ANN NAPOLITANO has written two other novels and was inspired to write this book by the true story of Ruben Van Assouw, the soul survivor of a plane crash in 2010. She received an MFA from New York University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Dial Press
Published January 6, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Loved this book. So many heartfelt moments both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The author does an amazing job of showing the progression of Edward's grief and healing and dealing with losing his family and trying to be normal and realizing that not only his life was turned upside down but those around him currently. I liked the different perspectives of the characters on the plane before it crashed even though it was hard to get to know them knowing that they were going to die. I also liked how Edward uses the letters written to him to try and make the world a better place. In fact I wish that was more of the story. However, a wonderfully written book and a definite read for 2020.

Dear Edward is a heartbreaking story of grief and hope. Twelve-year-old Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash, among the passengers were his brother and parents. Told from multiple points of view, throughout the book you learn about other passengers and the final moments on the plane, while also seeing how Edward is coping and learning to live in present day. I absolutely loved this story – it was beautifully written and I loved the cast of characters. Dear Edward is the first book I read in 2020 and I’m happy to say it was a five-star read!

Thank you to Dial Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Dear Edward is about a young boy who is the only survivor of a plane crash. His parents and brothers, along with the other passengers, are all killed. The chapters alternate between telling the story of the flight up to the crash, from various passengers POV, and Edward's present life from the crash through the next 5 years.

I absolutely loved the format of this book. I enjoyed reading from the the other passengers view points, and thought that added a lot of depth to the story. I think alternating between the present and the actual flight made me more interested in the story because I wanted to keep reading to find out why the plane crashed and more about the characters.

The characters in this book were very well done. Edward's growth throughout the story was realistic, and I liked how his friendship with Shay grew and matured along with them. Lacey and John were tasked with such an impossible task of taking Edward in and adopting him after he lost his family, and I liked how Edward finally accepted that. I also liked how Edward grew attached to the personal items he found of his brother, and how he tasked himself with dealing with all the letters he found in the garage.

Besides the fact that this book had a gorgeous cover, and is probably one of the most hyped books of the beginning of 2020, I think that it lives up to the hype and will be well received.

What if you were 12 years old and you were the only survivor in a plane crash that killed 191 people? When Edward’s parents and brother were killed, he began a new life with his mother’s sister and husband in suburban New Jersey. Having grown up in New York City and homeschooled by his father, adjusting not only to his healing body and dealing with his emotions, he was sent to middle school. Luckily, he had an aunt and uncle who tried hard to make a family for him, a neighbor his own age who was wise beyond her years and a principal who really cared. When he and his neighbor discover duffel bags filled with letters from relatives who did not survive, he found purpose for his life. Well written and thought provoking.

Dear Edward, by Ann Napolitano, is not a book with which I expected to fall in love. It tells the story of twelve-year-old Edward who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that takes 191 lives, including his parents and beloved brother. The author deftly intertwines two timelines: the first is Edward’s journey of learning to live with the tragedy and loss. The second timeline tracks the minute to minute tragic flight, focusing on the flight crew and a few of the passengers, including Edward’s family.

I was fortunate to finish this book on New Year’s Day. The story is impactful in a way that I hope will shape my intentions for the coming year. With great compassion, Napolitano created very real characters that I came to love, and a story that is lodged in my heart and psyche to remind me of what is important in life and what is not. For me, it is that time is precious and there is never enough; don’t waste it on the banal, and don’t wait to say what you want, to do what you need to, and to love the people you care about.

I enthusiastically recommend this book! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure.

This book presented a really interesting setup and then executed on it very well. This is the story of the one individual who survives the crash of a major airliner. The novel goes back and forth between the aftermath of the crash and presenting the stories of the various passengers on the plane as they go through the flight.

The character development was terrific and kept me highly engaged throughout the story. I found myself equally engaged with the story of the survivor (Edward) and the passengers on the flight. It also presented several thought provoking questions about what would happen if you were the single survivor of a plane crash, and how it would affect not just the survivors but the others that remain in their life. It was a quick read that I continued to think about for days after finishing it.

Highly recommend it.