Book Review: "Dear Edward" by Ann Napolitano
“Dear Edward” by Ann Napolitano
Synopsis: 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.
Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a part of himself 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 you find the strength to put one foot in front of the other? How do you learn to feel safe again? How do you find meaning in your life?
Dear Edward is at once a transcendent coming-of-age story, a multidimensional portrait of an unforgettable cast of characters, and a breathtaking illustration of all the ways a broken heart learns to love again.
Rating (out of 5): 4.25
Trigger warnings: plane crash, family turmoil, talk of suicide, infertility
Review: I’m a little surprised I picked up this book, tbh. I know it was my December BOTM club choice, but I can’t remember my reasoning — it’s a little unlike me to pick up a story that you know from the beginning will be tragic. I am not at all embarrassed in saying that I look for a book with a happy ending; the real world is sad enough and this is my coping mechanism. All that to say, I am so glad that I picked up this book.
The Edward that is referenced in the title is Edward Adler, a totally normal 12 year old moving to Los Angeles with his family, until there is a freak accident and the plane they are on crashes. Edward is the sole survivor, and it’s an understatement to say that nothing in his life is the same. Not only is he grieving and recovering, he’s a tabloid story — “the boy who lived,” just without the wand and the lightning bolt scar.
The novel bops back and forth between two timelines: Edward’s life post-plane crash, and that fateful day on the plane from Newark. Post-crash, we are only privy to Edward’s thoughts over the next few years as he gets to know his new life, his new notoriety, and his new family. He’s obviously going through a ton in addition to the difficulties of just growing up, and he’s such a sympathetic character. However, while we are on the plane, we learn about some of the 191 people that didn’t survive — Eddie’s parents, his beloved big brother, their seat neighbors in coach and first class, and the plane crew.
It’s hard to read (and get to love) the stories of the other characters on the plane because we know from the very beginning that none of them will survive. As the book progressed, I began to almost dread the flashbacks because I came to adore Eddie’s fellow passengers, and I obviously knew that he was the only survivor. It was a sobering reminder, at times, to not judge a book by it’s cover - many of Edward’s fellow passengers were hiding their own secrets, and I feel like we really got to know them. That made the “twist” at the end Edward’s story (it isn’t really a twist, but it’s such a lovely and heartbreaking moment that I’m not going to mention it because #spoilerfree) even harder to bear.
I laughed, I (almost) cried, I wanted to give every person in this wonderful story a big hug — “victim” or not. It’s a testament to Ann Napolitano that this book isn’t oppressively sad and gloomy; it’s almost delicate in its descriptions of what all the characters are going through.
TL;DR: An amazing and heart-wrenching story about loss and tragedy that somehow manages to feel hopeful at the same time.
If you liked this, try these:
“Nothing to See Here” by Kevin Wilson (my review here!)
I was able to read this one early thanks to Book of the Month Club — if you’re a big reader/purchaser of books, I can’t recommend it more. I’ve been able to successfully bully both Shannon and Moira into joining. Are you next?
FYI: When you click links in this post to purchase a product, SFOL might get a cut of your purchase - it doesn’t add anything to the price for you. We promise. Thanks in advance!
