Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano | Review

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
Publisher: The Dial Press
Release Date: 1/6/20
Length: 352 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

Twelve-year old Edward has no idea how to live a life in which he’s the only survivor of a devastating plane crash that took his whole family along with everyone else aboard.

From the Publisher

“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 are a Wall Street wunderkind, 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…”

The Draw

• The premise itself is fascinating and bold.
• I haven’t read many coming-of-age stories in the last year, but love them.
• A different sort of story of life.

{My Thoughts}

I really enjoyed this tough story of survival, and learning to live anew without completely letting go of the past. At 12-years old Edward found himself an unwilling traveler on this journey through a life he never wanted to live. By shear luck he survived a plane crash that should have killed him, but instead left him alive, and without those he loved most. Edward’s aunt and uncle gave him a home and their hearts, but his void remained too large to fill.

At its core, Dear Edward is a story of relationships and Ann Napolitano did a beautiful job building those. Foremost was the relationship between Edward and the girl who lived across the street from his aunt and uncle. Somehow Shay got him, even when Edward had nothing to say, providing a comfort no one else could give. Many other relationships sparkled, including those between Edward and his uncle, John, and between Edward and his high school principal.

I loved that as much as everyone wanted to, and tried to help Edward, he finally had to find his own way. Without really knowing he was doing so, Edward eventually uncovered the things that would allow him not exactly to move on, but to move forward. I thought Napolitano did an especially great job with this part of the story and the almost philosophical takes Edward eventually came to feel about all the lives lost around him. Dear Edward is a book that will move you in unexpected ways and have you rooting for this boy who lost everything and had to find a way to survive that. Grade: B+

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• The One-In-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood – Through the eyes of a stranger, a father comes to truly know the boy his son was. (my review)
• After the End by Clare Mackintosh – Both paths play out when parents disagree on treatment for their terminally ill son. Beautifully told. (my review)

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from The Dial Press (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest thoughts.