Review: Dear Edward

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.
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