I enjoyed this book. I liked learning about the other passengers on the flight, even knowing their ultimate fate. I loved the relationship between Edward and Shay and really liked the characters of Uncle John and the principal. At times, Edward seemed older than his years and quite self-aware but, rather than annoy me, I found it reasonable given his situation.

While the premise of a plane crash can often turn people away, this story was beautifully and delicately told that while yes, reading it can be emotional, but it had a greater purpose. 

Told in alternating times- the time in the plan before the crash and Eddie's life after the crash- the author does an incredible job weaving the two timelines together. Even though we know a crash is inevitable, this book took us inside the plan to learn about the people on the flight, how they connect in small ways and what their deaths mean to the people left behind. 

After the crash, we follow Eddie as he moves in with his Aunt Lacey (his mother's sister) and uncle John, who are going through their own struggles of infertility and miscarriage. While they try to embrace Eddie as family, his neighbor Shay is the one he is drawn to and bring him comfort. When they stumble upon locked bags in the garage they are exposed to secrets they refuse to look away from and work together to make things right. 

This book can feel difficult at times to read but I think the author did a wonderful job of telling a realistic story all while being sensitive to the storyline and the characters. It's more than a tragic storyline, it's about hope and love and discovering life again after loss.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. (Though I must add: I enjoyed it so much I ended up purchasing it as part of my Book of the Month Club selection)

Word of advice: Do not read this book before flying or during a flight. I read this book during a long-duration flight and every time there was air turbulence, the first thoughts in my head would be "Ok, this is how I'm going to go down". Let me just say the story was mind-blowing. Finding it tough to put it in words, this was indeed one of my favorite reads this month.

I thank NetGalley for providing me with eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book with a great plot although I did find the book dragged in some places. Edward is 12 years old and is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed his parents and older brother Jordan. He then goes to live with his aunt and uncle. Ever since the crash Edward has shut down emotionally and the only person he connects with is his next door neighbour, a girl named Shay. I was frustrated that none of the adults really could help Edward through his grief etc. His aunt and uncle were kind and meant well but he didn’t form a close bond with them. There are flashbacks throughout the book about the plane trip and some backstory on the passengers which I really enjoyed. We follow Edward up to his high school graduation. He has weathered the notoriety and intense interest in him through the years and is finally finding his way in life. This was 3.5 stars read for me but I’m rounding up to 4. I will be interested in reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed this character novel and the way their lives were interconnected. It was a heartbreaking story, but one that draws you in and gives you all the feels. Thank you to the publisher for this book

This is a heartbreaking story about a young man called Edward who is the only survivor of a massive plane crash. We follow him as he tries to survive the aftermath of this ordeal. He goes to live with his childless aunt and uncle who have wished for a baby for years and now find themselves with a 12 year old boy. The story is told with flashbacks of the day of the crash as we meet other passengers on the plane . A story of grief , loss and hope and at the end uplifting . Don’t miss this wonderful book

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. A full review will be posted on Amazon and Goodreads

Edward, the sole survivor of an airplane crash while on a cross country trip to a new life....
Dear, Edward is a moving, heartbreaking, uplifting, coming of age story based on a tragedy.
I loved the character development of Edward- the pain of his recovery in rehab, the loneliness of moving in with his aunt and uncle...and not fitting in with anyone. This 12 year old child had so much to deal with in the aftermath of the crash - emotionally, total loss of family, new "family", new school, new aches and pains, and nothing from his past life.
Shay, his aunt's next door neighbor, was a true lifesaver for him - and she taught him how to navigate the rocky road of the new school, new family, and the new realities of his life - with love, unconditional support and honesty.
The story was a little slow developing, and I really didn't care about the passengers before the crash. It might have been more impactful for me to read each person's back story as a unit rather than weaving the stories together. They were not likable characters, and I don't think their stories added to the novel except for the benefits to the survivors at the end - which was charming of Eddie.
I liked the conclusion when he and Shay came full circle to a resolution.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital ARC of this book

This book was a really slow start for me. I picked it up 2-3 times and just couldn't get into until my book club chose it. After I was more motivated to read it by peer pressure I really enjoyed the book and we had a wonderful discussion. I wish it had been more widely known that it was based on a true story.

What if you are the only survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 people, including your family? That’s the premise of Ann Napolitano’s novel “Dear Edward.” Inspired by a real-life news event and told in chapters alternating between the stories of passengers on the doomed flight as it leaves Newark Airport and progresses west and the experiences of 12-year-old Edward Adler, the flight’s sole survivor, in the days, months and years after the crash, the novel explores survivor guilt and grief from the perspective of one of the most engaging teenage characters I’ve ever read. Edward’s struggle to come to grips with his tragic legacy and build a new life with his aunt and uncle in New Jersey was moving and insightful, and seeing the reverberations of the crash on not only him but those around him in his new life was the most interesting part of the book. Less successful for me were the chapters set during the flight. Yes, the knowledge that these characters will not reach their destination alive lends a haunting sense of foreboding and wistfulness to their stories, but ultimately it’s hard to become invested in them because of the very fact that we know how their stories end—there are no real stakes, and therefore these sections of the book (much like the middle of a long flight) sag a bit. I was also somewhat disappointed to discover that the crash investigation happens largely offstage and the findings aren’t revealed until very late in the novel (and in what for me was a rather anticlimactic way). No matter. Edward Adler is the heart of “Dear Edward,” and his story makes for a worthwhile and compelling overall read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press/Random House for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

This book grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go. My heart ached for Edward and the pain he was going through. Losing a family is devastating and Napolitano made me feel ever bit of the emotional roller coaster that Edward lived. The story line was fun to follow on the two different paths and the character development was great. I felt like I could envision each of them. 5 ⭐️ for this one.

The Dial Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Dear Edward. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. The tragedy that ensues is horrific, but the aftermath for Edward is almost too much to bear. Will Edward's broken heart be healed in the most unexpected of ways?

Some of this book was so compelling, heartbreaking in fact, but those moments were overshadowed by the disjointed nature of the novel itself. The author chose to spend so much time in the past, giving every minute detail of the passengers of the flight and the timeline leading up to the fateful moment, that she did not give enough attention to Edward. The young boy's struggles with his new situation, the post traumatic stress, and the unwanted attention paid by the world as a whole is the real story, not cribbed together character sketches of his fellow passengers. There was a real opportunity here to tell a story of tragedy and how hope for the future gives purpose to a lost boy. Without all of the passengers and their individual stories, there is really very little by way of plot. Dear Edward was a good book, but all of the issues listed above kept it from being great.

Wow. I was not familiar with Ann Napolitano but I will be anxiously watching for any future releases. This book is like a rich dessert that you have to eat intentionally and slowly. The writing is magnificent and full-bodied.

I was a little hesitant to read this book because I tend to be a very nervous flyer when I do not have my girls with me. I believe some of this is due to my dad's death as a result of an interstate crash when I was 25. There were two chapters that I skipped that was dialogue on the plane from the passengers and from the cockpit. I am glad that I did not let this keep me from reading this book.

Much of this book made me think that Napolitano has experienced her own deep loss by the in-depth knowledge and emotion she demonstrated throughout this book.

Dear Edward will definitely be one of my all time favorite books.

I read this book right before I got on a plane and I couldn't concentrate on anything aside from hoping my fate didn't end up the same way as the passengers on the fated flight in Dear Edward. I really liked this book - I liked how it made me feel, I liked the fear and angst and hope that it brought and I liked that it showed different sides of people, even if they didn't know those sides existed. I really liked getting to know the passengers on the plane - it made it that much harder to say goodbye to them. This book made me hug my loved ones extra hard, and remember to not sweat the small stuff so much. This was a fast paced book and one that I would recommend.

Dear Edward is a sad book- how could it not be when Edward loses his whole family? But there is also so much love and hope shown in Edwards story. He had to learn how to live again and with help from his new friend Shay, he really dies. I loved her attitude. Between his revelations and the glimpses into the lives of the other passengers, there are so many life lessons. Learned. Edwards decision to really start living and to also celebrate the lives that were lost ended up making me so happy.

I loved this one. Such a heartbreaking story, with great character development. Edward’s story was so sad and I loved the way the author was able to show each person’s grief process. Watching Edward’s journey to healing felt so real.

I was a little skeptical going into this one, only because I didn't want to read a long drawn out sad story of how this lone child survivor "made it". But wow this book was sooo much more! I loved the back and forth between present day Edward and the time spent of the plane. This book was so touching to see how one can go through hell and rise above it, all at such a young age. Highly recommend this one and now I want to read everything by this author! Grab this one now!

I am speechless - although other reviews say there is no plot or purpose and I tend to agree - this book just engulfed me - this book was about those who get left behind and how the grief is and can be all consuming but that life cannot just stop and has to continue but then again why should it and what does that same life mean now - my heart broke for all of those people on the plane as I read through and most of all for Eddie who part of himself also died on that plane but the compounding guilt and loss of identity he had to live with - well written and I liked the story told from them plane and then in the future

A moving story by a skilled author. Ms. Napolitano moves from the airplane to Edward's life and it feels organic. So many stories are told in this book, so many voices that need to be heard. I will recommend it to all my patrons.

I feel bad saying this, but this one just wasn't what I was expecting. I can't pinpoint the exact reason I wasn't a fan except to say that the characters felt like they lacked nuance and I didn't feel attached to any of them. There were a lot of stereotypes: the arrogant rich guy and his exasperated nurse; the sexy flight attendant who catches the eye of the overconfident dude in first class; the rebellious teenager; the wise hippie woman with bells on her skirt. It was just a bit much. Also, I think the dual timeline thing took away from Edward's story. It tries to pack too much into an average sized book and as a result feels like it has a lot missing. I think this book had great potential to explore Edward's grieving process but just didn't quite make it. That being said, there are a lot of great readers who have really enjoyed this, so I would still recommend this to certain readers. There were some heartwarming moments and I thought the relationship between Shay and Edward was touching. Not a terrible book at all, just not my favourite.