Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe's Reviews > Dear Edward

Fantastic writing of a great story! Thank you so much to Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to reach such a phenomenal book!

The premise was so interesting- 191 people on a plane that ends up crashing, leaving 10-year old Edward as the lone survivor. Much like the show “Manifest”, the fact that Edward survived leads the public to believe that he has special gifts or is saved by God.

The chapters switch to before and after the crash, and you learn about the passengers and their stories, similar to the show LOST. The story is interesting and beautiful and heartbreaking and examines what makes life worth living. The conflicting emotions of struggling to find meaning and reconciling a loss of life is so poignant
and real and touched me in many ways.

Edward is taken in by his aunt and uncle and the story of his life begins to unfold. I thought it was so interesting that this horrible tragedy happens right when Edward should be growing and getting to know himself and exploring life. Instead, he is dealing with depression, loss, and survivor's guilt. I love the way the book highlights the little interactions we have with people every day. When the families of the people who died write him letters, Edward examines if he met each one and what their small exchanges meant to him and them as well.

The overarching narrative combines so many interesting stories into one, and I truly can’t think of another book like this one. What do we do when we lose everything? We need to examine who we are and use what we have for good. This heartwarming story will make you cry, smile, and feel for the characters. 5-stars!