There are moments in our lives that forever change us - there is no going back to the people we were before. Often, these life-changing moments are accompanied by intense grief, as in the case of young Edward Adler, the only survivor of a horrific plane crash, which not only took the lives of nearly two hundred passengers, but those of his family, as well. Author Ann Napolitano's new novel Dear Edward explores the entanglements of grief as felt through the heart and mind of a 12-year-old boy who became an Internet and media sensation for being the only passenger to walk away from the plane crash with his life. They say he is incredibly lucky, but he doesn't feel that way - he lost everyone who was important to him, and now he has to find a way to navigate this world alone.
Above everything else, Dear Edward is a portrait of grief. Anyone who has ever suffered a great loss will instantly recognize the black hole that is now Edward's life after losing his mother, father, and older brother. Napolitano's novel is slow and quiet, examining the intricacies of sorrow through the eyes of a child who ages to a man throughout the course of the novel. Also worked into the plot are flashbacks of the other passengers on the plane the day of the crash. We learn about the lives of those who Edward never stops thinking about as he tries to find meaning and purpose in a changed world.
Dear Edward will appeal to readers who like touching, hopeful stories that are introspective and reflective. Readers may find that the book is slow-going, but isn't grief like that? Grievers often feel like they are living in a vacuum, making no note or observance of the world moving on without them. While the writing style of Dear Edward can sometimes feel detached - Edward is a tough cookie to crack and let readers in - there are some incredibly moving parts of this story, liable to bring readers to tears.
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RATING: *** Stars (I liked it)
- Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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AWARDS: LibraryReads Favorites: 2020 MEDIA MENTIONS: NBC: Today Show (January 30, 2020); NPR: Here and Now (January 14, 2020) GENRE: Mainstream Fiction
CHARACTER: Well-Developed STORYLINE: Character-Driven
TONE: Melancholy; Moving
SUBJECT: Airplane Accidents; Boys; Coping; Families; Grief; Life Change Events; Loss; Pregnant Women; Soldiers; Survival
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