A review by abbymoore06
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Before I start, I preferred Hello, Beautiful to this earlier novel. That being said, Napolitano is brilliant character development. The way she weaves these distinct characters into the narrative is so skillful and precise. And the way she handles grief and loss and survivor's guilt and PTSD is so beautiful. I loved her description of Eddie/Edward finding his way back to himself -- or at least the new version of himself after the crash. It's interesting that the plane crash itself is not the most dramatic or interesting part of the story. It's the reflection of life and the breaking and tying of bonds -- the human experience altogether. The plane crash weaves them together but it's just the vessel for the story. I admire her ability to do this, and as with Hello, Beautiful, I'll be thinking about this one for a while.